Instruction FAQs | Stronger Together

Since the start of the pandemic, the University has convened a group of on-campus experts, who have worked in close partnership with local and state health departments, to follow and implement appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of our campus community. We continue to follow the science and guidance from the CDC and other officials, and have developed, implemented and continue to update policies as necessary to protect the entire campus community. To continue to protect our community, it is vital that these policies be implemented consistently and uniformly across our classrooms, laboratories, libraries, dining facilities, residence halls, elevators, and other spaces.

Required syllabus statements are available.

Since July, Stony Brook faculty and staff have been updating their vaccination records in SOLAR, and students were required to show proof of vaccination and produce a negative COVID test prior to moving into residential housing. In addition, all students, regardless of vaccination status, will be subjected to testing. Additionally, there is a New York state mandate that all state employees must be vaccinated by Labor Day or be subject to weekly testing. Vaccination rates among our entire campus population are quite high. As of this month, 87 percent of all registered students and 68 percent of healthcare employees in patient-facing roles have submitted documentation to prove they were vaccinated. Additionally, 67 percent of West Campus employees have reported in SOLAR that they are vaccinated. These rates are expected to continue to increase.

Though it can be tempting to ask others about their vaccination status, it is important to remember that an individual’s health information, including medical history and vaccination status, is a confidential matter and protected under federal privacy laws.

If you have concerns about your health as you return to classroom instruction, please contact the Office of Equity and Access.

Most classrooms are fully booked, and there is very little additional availability to move classes around at this point in the semester. However, you are welcome to work with your department chair to see if there may be opportunities to move to another space.

The University is continuously monitoring the health and well-being of our campus population and has extensive plans in place to adjust operations as necessary to protect the health and safety of our community. Individual classes may not change modality. Courses must be offered in the modality that has been approved by campus curriculum committees, SUNY and the State Department of Education, and in the modality for which students registered. Additionally, changing course modality creates equity and accessibility problems for our students.

If you choose, you may hold virtual office hours. Your syllabus should reflect when you hold your office hours and you must make sure your students know how to participate in them by sharing the Zoom link or your office location.

Throughout this pandemic, we have all played important roles in protecting ourselves and our community. We have learned in the past 18 months that we truly are stronger together, and we all need to continue to collaborate to keep each other healthy and protected.

If you have not already, please log your vaccination status in SOLAR and follow the University’s testing protocols and mask mandate.

In your classrooms, please make sure that you and your students remain masked at all times. Masks must be cloth or surgical and fully cover the mouth and nose. If someone refuses to wear a mask, the standard policy about managing distressed or disruptive students applies. You should take attendance regularly and you may choose to maintain a seating chart. This has been particularly helpful to our team of contact tracers in the past. Contact tracers will continue to inform and provide guidance for individuals who have come into close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID.

Know who to contact if you test positive or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and know where to direct your students if they test positive. If you test positive, you should stay home (except to get medical care), follow your health provider’s guidance and call the Health Information Line at 631-632-5000. Clinical faculty in the Renaissance School of Medicine who are credentialed by the hospital and come through employee health for clearance should contact Employee, Health and Wellness at 631-444-7767.

If a student tells you that they have tested positive, please encourage them to contact Student Health Services at 631-632-6740 to discuss next steps and engage in contact tracing.

To maintain student privacy, you should not share this information with anyone else. If a student in your class becomes ill, you should follow the same guidance on class absences as you would for any other illness, as listed in your course syllabi. There will be no shifts to hybrid instruction, as this creates additional burdens on faculty and instructional support staff.

You may also remind your students that, in the event they become ill, they can contact the Student Support Team at student_supportteam@stonybrook.edu for help reaching out to their instructors to discuss absences and any make-up coursework.

Until further notice, masks are required in all indoor spaces. As we have done since the start of the pandemic, University administrators are working closely with state and local health officials to determine the best ways of protecting our campus community. These conversations will continue throughout this academic year, and we will continue to be informed by data and science and guided by the policies and recommendations of health officials.