NYU Returns: FAQ for Neighbors

University leadership, in consultation with the Public Health Working Group, has been developing an evidence-informed, multi-layered public health strategy to reduce the risks to the community posed by COVID-19.

No single intervention will prevent the spread of COVID-19. Rather, the best strategy is to implement ‘layers of safety,’ each of which decreases the risk. When combined, these individual strategies are designed to be effective in helping to protect the NYU community. NYU's plans also emphasize the importance of individual and collective responsibility.

The protocols within this multi-layered plan include, but are not limited to:

• All members of the NYU community — students, faculty, administrators, and staff — who are eligible should receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination and upload proof of the vaccination by January 18, 2022. Exemptions are allowed for medical or religious reasons.
  
• Unvaccinated University members will be required to participate in NYU's community testing program and may be required to comply with additional safety protocols, including mask wearing, and access requirements in accordance with applicable law, public health guidelines and University policies.
  
• Students and employees who meet the criteria specified above for fully vaccinated no longer need to maintain six feet of physical distance on University property, indoors or outdoors. It is the personal responsibility of those individuals who do not meet the criteria for being fully vaccinated to continue to maintain physical distancing.
  
• Before students, staff, and faculty enter any academic or administrative building they are required to complete a daily symptom check-in.
  
• An extensive communications campaign – “Keep Each Other Safe” – has been developed to help promote healthy and safe behaviors and help enforce these protocols.
  
• Please read more about these protocols in the "Health Protocols" section and other sections of this FAQ.

In the interest of maintaining a safe environment, and in accordance with State guidelines, NYU put in place vaccination, testing, and quarantining policies. Students, staff, and faculty are required to be fully vaccinated and receive a booster shot with an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed vaccine and upload proof of vaccination, unless they receive a valid exemption. All others are required to undergo weekly testing to enter any University facility. The testing program and procedures refer to tests designed to detect the presence of a COVID-19 infection, not antibody tests. There will be no cost to NYU community members for participating in the testing and vaccination program.

Student Testing: Students who are not fully vaccinated or those with an exemption  will be required to undergo weekly testing. Residential students who fall into this category are also required to get tested when they arrive at their residence hall.

Faculty, Administrators, and Staff Testing: Employees who are not fully vaccinated or those with an exemption are required to undergo weekly testing in order to access University facilities.

Point of Care Testing for Symptomatic People: Throughout the semester, NYU will offer point-of-care testing for students exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and their close contacts. Any member of the NYU community displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or having been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, must get tested immediately. Before receiving their test results, any NYU community member exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, or one of their close contacts, must self-isolate or self-quarantine: staying home, not attending class or work, and not participating in any congregate activities.

All faculty and employees are required to be vaccinated and receive a booster shot against COVID-19 to have access to US-based NYU buildings for the 2021–22 academic year. Exemptions are permitted for medical or religious reasons and must be approved by the COVID-19 Prevention and Response Team. 

The University’s COVID-19 Prevention and Response team is closely tracking key metrics, such as the number of individuals reporting symptoms and getting tested, test positivity rates, and daily new case rates, among others.

The NYU COVID-19 Prevention and Response Team will oversee the University’s efforts to identify and isolate members of the NYU community with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and find and quarantine their NYU close contacts. That team will coordinate and work in collaboration with New York City’s NYC Trace program. Although the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is running a contact tracing program, NYU has established its own team of contract tracers to supplement, not replace, the city’s efforts. The University is building a contact tracing team of trained registered nurses and administrative staff.

NYU developed a rigorous, evidence-informed program for testing faculty, staff, and students that adheres to New York State guidance on higher education.

Students who are not fully vaccinated and spend 24 hours or more in a country with a CDC Level 4 Travel Notice in the past 10 days immediately prior to arrival to NYU will be required to:

• Receive the first vaccine dose;
  
  • If you are moving into an NYU residence hall in the United States, you will be expected to get your first dose within 24 hours of your move-in.
    
  • If you live off-campus, you should get your first dose upon arrival.
    
  • Please note: you must wait at least 28 days after receiving the final dose of a non-FDA-authorized or a non-WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine before you receive the first dose of an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine, so please plan accordingly relative to your arrival at NYU. If arranging this 28-day interval isn’t possible, please let us know of your status.
    
• Get tested with a PCR test 3-5 days after travel; and
  
• Quarantine for 10 days after travel if you don’t get tested on day 3-5 after arrival
  

        - OR -

• Quarantine for a full 7 days after travel (except for testing, vaccination, and other essential medical appointments)

All students, faculty, and employees, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks/face coverings indoors.

An ample supply of disposable protective masks will be available at select buildings, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn, to ensure all employees, students, and visitors have a face covering before being allowed to pass the reception area. Some of these locations include buildings that are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

NYU’s COVID-19 Prevention and Response Team monitors public health metrics at the university, city, and state levels and will continue to do so throughout the spring 2022 semester.

Classes will return to in-person instruction for the spring 2022 semester.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all dining locations have fully incorporated the recommended CDC and NY State guidelines for hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection, and all dining associates will follow the mandated screening NY State guidelines and PPE requirements.

NYU’s cleaning and disinfection protocols are developed in accordance with ongoing and evolving guidance from New York State and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The frequency of cleaning and disinfection is determined in line with the occupancy, risk, and traffic flow of each respective location, and is tailored to each location. According to the CDC, routine cleaning once a day can substantially reduce virus levels on surfaces.

NYU has reviewed and enhanced our building HVAC systems to ensure they comply with-and-exceed CDC recommendations by increasing fresh air flow and reducing recirculated air.  

No, in response to current public health concerns and in an effort to safeguard the safety of our community, requests for NYU space will be suspended until further notice.

All students, faculty, and employees, regardless of vaccination status, entering NYU academic and administrative buildings are required to complete a daily questionnaire.

Visitor Policies | During spring 2022, NYU will limit access to all its New York locations for the safety of the NYU community and the broader New York community. This visitor policy is informed by State public health guidelines and aims to provide a consistent approach to screening that parallels the screening process that applies to all NYU community members. Campus visitor policies include:

• Non-essential visits are not permitted until further notice.
  
• Events or social gatherings with external visitors will not be held until further notice.
• Where feasible, appointments, demos, meetings, or sessions should be held virtually, until public health and State guidance permits them to take place in person.
• All deliveries (except for NYU Mail Services) should be limited to the front entrance of the building.
• All vendors must complete NYU’s Daily COVID-19 Screener for access into an NYU building as would any visitor. When on NYU property, Vendors’ employees must comply with all of NYU’s safety guidelines (e.g. social distancing, wearing of face coverings, etc.).
• Certain NYU Vendors with ongoing on-site presence (e.g., contracted maintenance staff, food service workers, security guards) may be permitted to implement their own daily screening processes pursuant to agreement with the University; these vendors will be required to attest that their workers are in compliance with State guidance on regular health screening.

Definition of Visitor | A visitor is anyone who does not normally work or study in a specific university building. Alumni and retirees are also visitors. Visitors must have an essential purpose directly related to the work of the University. Approved visitors must complete the Daily COVID-19 Screener and show the green approval screen to the Public Safety Officer (PSO) for building entry. Approved visitors also must wear a face covering in accordance with NYU building entry requirements. Visiting family members of students, faculty, or staff will not be permitted to enter NYU buildings (other than those that may be open to the public).

Students who are not fully vaccinated and spend 24 hours or more in a country with a CDC Level 4 Travel Notice in the past 10 days immediately prior to arrival to NYU will be required to:

• Receive the first vaccine dose;
  
  • If you are moving into an NYU residence hall in the United States, you will be expected to get your first dose within 24 hours of your move-in.
    
  • If you live off-campus, you should get your first dose upon arrival.
    
  • Please note: you must wait at least 28 days after receiving the final dose of a non-FDA-authorized or a non-WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine before you receive the first dose of an FDA-authorized or WHO-listed COVID-19 vaccine, so please plan accordingly relative to your arrival at NYU. If arranging this 28-day interval isn’t possible, please let us know of your status.
    
• Get tested with a PCR test 3-5 days after travel; and
  
• Quarantine for 10 days after travel if you don’t get tested on day 3-5 after arrival
  

        - OR -

• Quarantine for a full 7 days after travel (except for testing, vaccination, and other essential medical appointments)

For students living in NYU residence halls, NYU increased the number of move-in dates: students quarantining in NYU housing will move in August 18-19, and other students will move in August 27-29. To enable appropriate physical distancing and create a smooth check-in process, all students in NYU housing must sign up for a move-in appointment. Each residential building will have standard NYU-branded COVID information, wayfinding signage, barriers, and traffic flow and queuing guides. Additional “stand here” floor decals and chalk markings designed to guide foot traffic during check-in will further facilitate appropriate physical distancing. The University will also staff a virtual resource center to field inquiries that would, in normal circumstances, be directed to on-site staff.

In response to COVID-19 and the behavioral expecations it imposes, the University made several important changes to the University-wide Student Conduct Policy. Of particular note, the policy provides clarification regarding off-campus conduct and the University's enforcement policy when behavior jeopardizes the health and safety of the NYU and New York City communities.

Students who engage in repeated or egregious behaviors counter to the expectations set forth in the Student Conduct Policy may face formal disciplinary action through the Office of Student Conduct (or an appropriate University official). The University may utilize interim suspension and expedite the Student Conduct Procedures when addressing behavior that threatens the health and safety of others.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University’s guest policy will be suspended for all residential students. The University will restrict NYUCard tap access to hall residents, prohibiting non-NYU guests, non-residential students, and NYU residents from other buildings from entering residence halls, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Anticipating restrictions on student gatherings while supporting student connection and engagement, NYU will adhere to State guidance limiting social gatherings and sets forth guidelines for spring 2022.

Most programming will be limited to virtual spaces – especially general meetings and presentations. Any in-person events must comply with current public health and State guidance and related policies set by NYU.

There will be no games or athletic competition through June 2021 for all varsity sports. Varsity athletes located at the NYU-NY campus will engage with coaches and staff consistent with rules regarding physical distancing, mask-wearing, and other safety measures.  All varsity athletes, regardless of their location, will be provided with academic and personal support and leadership development opportunities by our coaching staff, sports medicine professionals, academic affairs and strength and conditioning staff.

New York athletic facilities will open in accordance with public health directives and best practices for healthy, clean, and safe athletic and recreation activities.

All university sponsored events, meetings, and gatherings—whether on-campus or off-campus—must comply with the following requirements:

• Participant/Attendee List: Event organizers must maintain an attendee/participant list for purposes of contact tracing should someone attending the event test positive for COVID-19. This list must include first name, last name, best contact phone number, and NetID or external email address for all participants.
  
• Daily Screener: All individuals must show the Daily Screener green pass screen prior to entry to the building (on or off-campus). The event host is responsible for coordinating with the venue regarding protocols for checking daily screener compliance.  If the event is outdoors, the event host is responsible for establishing protocols for checking the Daily Screener before individuals are permitted entry into the outdoor event.
  
• Venue Guidance: If your event is off-campus, you must comply both with venue specific guidance and NYU specific requirements.  If there is a difference, you must comply with the stricter requirements.
  
• Event Duration: All events should be 2 hours or less in duration.

The University established a Public Health Ambassadors program as part of its COVID communications campaign. Students selected to serve as Public Health Student Ambassadors will be paid and trained to serve as role models and community educators. Assigned to higher-traffic buildings across NYU’s New York locations, these students will answer general questions about behavioral expectations and norms, provide face coverings and hand sanitizer where they are needed, and, as appropriate, make referrals to Student Affairs.