Rutgers–New Brunswick Plans for Spring 2021
October 8, 2020
Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Faculty, Staff and Students,
As we approach the mid-point of the semester, I want to offer some insight into the planning underway for the spring.
As mentioned in President Holloway's email last month, university leaders are preparing plans to offer additional opportunities for in-person classes and housing for the spring semester. I have been working with the New Brunswick academic units to determine which courses can be taught safely in person with social distancing protocols in place. A schedule of courses will be available Nov. 9, and spring semester registration will open for all students Nov. 30. Expanded opportunities for on-campus housing will be available for the spring. The housing application will open later this month, and additional information will be forthcoming from the Division of Student Affairs. Student support services, including the university's libraries, student centers, computer labs, and recreation centers are developing staffing plans to support additional on-campus students.
While we remain planful and hopeful, the virus will ultimately dictate what the spring semester looks like, and we are designing multiple scenarios to accommodate whatever reality we face. This includes plans to continue to support our staff, who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic. While many are doing so remotely, we anticipate more staff may likely return to campus for the spring semester. Our foremost commitment will always be to their health and safety, as well as that of our faculty and students, and we will continue to follow all local, state and federal health and safety guidelines. To that end, effective immediately, anyone who travels to campus or enters a Rutgers facility is required to access the My Campus Pass Self-Screening App through my.rutgers.edu and complete the state-mandated COVID-19 training module, "Safety Short: Coronaviruses and COVID-19," which is available on your compliance training page. In addition to utilizing the app and completing the training, I also encourage you to familiarize yourself with the university's COVID-19 resources.
The university currently employs a robust on-campus testing strategy, developed through best practices and guidance put forth by the New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. However, advances in testing are ever-changing, and as a result our testing protocols are routinely revised, updated and expanded as we move through the fall and into the spring semester. There are many dependencies to appropriate testing, including the availability of reliable and quick result-driven tests that continue to improve and inform the taker almost immediately. We are committed to keeping our community healthy while providing a sense of security to the greatest extent possible. As spring planning evolves, updates will be made about changes to our protocols.
Finally, I invite you to visit our New Brunswick campus' R-Connection webpage, which will continue to be updated as more details regarding the spring semester are available. As our plans are finalized in the days and weeks ahead, I will keep you apprised.
Thank you for your flexibility during this uncertain time. It is both acknowledged and appreciated.
Wishing you and yours good health,
Christopher J. Molloy, Ph.D.
Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick