Learn about the steps we are taking to keep the campus safe and what you can do to help.
Safe Campus Overview
The Fall Semester
The Fall 2020 semester began on Tuesday, September 1, and will conclude with final exam week, scheduled for the week of December 16-22. The NJCU academic calendar can be found here.
- We are offering a mix of In-Class, Hybrid, HyFlex, and Online teaching modalities.
- We have prioritized in-class learning for our first-year and second-year students for whom the on-campus experience is especially important.
- Any classes offered in person will adhere to safety protocols for a low-density classrooms.
Learn More About Academics & Student Support
Social Distancing and Face Coverings
All members of the campus community are required to practice social or physical distancing by staying 6 feet from others and wearing a face mask or face covering when on campus. The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
Face Covering Do's and Dont's
Do
Make sure that you can breathe through it.
Wear it whenever going out in public
Make sure it covers your nose and mouth
Wash after using.
Don't
Use if under two years old.
Use surgical masks or other PPE intended for healthcare workers
Data retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. For additional information please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus
Learn More About Preventing the Spread of COVID-19
Safeguarding Measures
Common Areas
- Floor plans have been reviewed for every floor of every building to ensure that common circulation stairs, elevators and corridors receive the proper signage identifying markers. This includes instructions for One-Way and Two-Way circulation.
- Floor markers have been placed at six-foot interval in high traffic/waiting areas to assist students, faculty and staff and others to better visualize appropriate social distancing.
- Physical barriers such as workstation panels are being installed in high traffic areas, and where the CDC’s minimum 6’ distancing cannot be met.
- Bottle filling stations have replaced water fountains in almost every facility on campus. Traditional water fountains will be taken out of service.
- Furniture in common spaces, such as lounges, study spaces, etc. have been rearranged to reflect social distancing protocols.
Workspaces
- Where needed, workspaces have been redesigned so that student, faculty and staff do not face each other.
- Vacant offices are being used to lower the density of staff in areas of higher concentration.
- Physical barriers such as workstation panels are being installed in high traffic areas, and where the CDC’s minimum 6’ distancing cannot be met.
- Employees are encouraged to place their trash bin in a way that minimizes additional staff entering work areas.
- Where possible, furniture in reception and waiting areas have been modified or relocated, to maintain CDC Guidelines.
Computer Labs
- In-person computer labs/classrooms will only be accessible with strict adherence to New Jersey State restrictions in effect at the time of use.
- All computer labs will be monitored by a University employee during any period for compliance with all applicable health and safety guidelines and procedures while occupied.
- The computer labs will have reserved hours to accommodate high risk individuals.
Learn More About Safeguarding Computer Labs
Enhanced Cleaning Protocol
The global public health concern involving COVID-19 is being closely monitored to ensure the health and safety of the campus community. The Housekeeping Department is following social distancing and appropriate sanitization practices and protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19. Institutional policies and procedures were developed in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) regulations, guidelines, and standards.
Learn More About our Enhanced Cleaning Protocol
Monitoring and Testing: Keeping NJCU Healthy and Safe
To date, we have NO active COVID-19 infections by anyone on campus. But we are well-prepared should an active case appear.
The health and safety of each student, faculty and staff member is first and foremost a priority on the NJCU campus. As part of our comprehensive planning strategy for a safe return to campus, the University has entered into an agreement with Diligent Urgent Care, LLC, a medical service delivery practice in New Jersey. This entity has been actively managing and treating COVID-19 patients since the onset of the pandemic. Diligent Urgent Care, LLC runs a robust telemedicine platform that will develop a HIPAAcompliant protected health information database for the University of all students, staff, and faculty members. Your participation in the telemedicine process is critical to our ability to keep our campus safe. The results of the telemedicine appointments will provide our workforce with individualized assessments from a medical clinician with health protection practices to best defend individuals from the virus given their own health history and risks.
- Students can be screened for active infection and tested at the Student Health Center.
- On campus, we have designated space to isolate students if they are not able to return home.
- We are prepared to rapidly isolate ill individuals and close quarantine contacts.
- We will randomly screen temperatures to monitor the health of our community.
- The Health & Wellness Center will have contact tracers on staff 24 hours a day.
- Finally, employees who are sick are asked to stay home. Those with COVID-19 symptoms will be recommended for testing through the individual’s health care provider.