COVID-19 Update: Canceling Classes at Adelphi University Out of an Abundance of Caution

Dear Adelphi Community,

We understand the concern and anxiety expressed by our community of students, faculty, staff and families. Our University is a large, complex university with a number of elements to consider. We continue to have no known cases of coronavirus in the Adelphi community.

As messaged yesterday, the Adelphi COVID-19 Response Team wanted to originally pilot online learning this week. However, out of an abundance of caution, executive and academic leadership have decided to cancel regularly scheduled on-campus classes at Adelphi University’s main campus in Garden City, along with the Manhattan, Hudson Valley and Suffolk centers, beginning Wednesday, March 11, 2020, through Sunday, March 22, 2020. 

This is an extremely fluid situation. Given the likelihood of significant disruptions to life on campus, students are strongly encouraged to remain home following Spring Break. We are just as committed to safeguarding our community’s health as we are dedicated to meeting our academic responsibilities to our students and their progress toward their degrees.

Students who need to remain on campus because they are unable to return home will also take their courses online/virtually. They should be prepared for significantly limited on-campus social activities and interactions.

Our staff and faculty continue to go above and beyond to support our students’ success during this very challenging time.

All administrative offices will remain open and operational at Adelphi as we continue to test and shift to remote working arrangements. Department supervisors will continue to evaluate and pilot, where possible, telecommuting and flexible arrangements in the coming days for all staff.

To keep the community fully updated, below is a summary of major decisions, next steps and policies that are in effect as of today, March 10, 2020. Please go to adelphi.edu/coronavirus for a full list of the University’s current FAQs and communications.

Health Concerns

• You should get medical care immediately if you are concerned about your health, have traveled to an affected area in the past 14 days, have been in contact with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or feel sick with fever or cough or have difficulty breathing.
• Employees should call the office of your healthcare provider.
• Remember that this is also influenza season. There are many confirmed cases of the flu within our community.
• Students should contact the Health Services Center at 516.877.6000 or adelphihealth@adelphi.edu.

Classes/Continuity of Instruction

• All regularly scheduled on-campus classes are suspended from Wednesday, March 11, through Sunday, March 22, 2020, which includes Adelphi’s Spring Break.
• All classes will resume on March 23, 2020, in an online format. Please be prepared to continue courses and instruction at that time.
• All clinical rotations for undergraduate nursing students are canceled effective March 11 through March 22. Undergraduate nursing students will be advised of their future rotations during Spring Break.
• Graduate Nursing, Master’s of Public Health and Healthcare Informatics students in clinical practica this semester should consult with their clinical faculty member and preceptor for specific guidance about their site. Sites are regularly changing policies about student presence.
• Other than the College of Nursing and Public Health clinical rotations as outlined above, students enrolled in off-campus clinical coursework, field practicums, student teaching placements, internships and other experiential learning should contact supervising faculty and site supervisors for further instructions. Be mindful that policies are changing as the situation is very fluid.
• Students and faculty should stay in continual communication with one another to ensure success.

Faculty and Instruction

• All faculty should contact their students in all classes to provide directions for how they will continue instruction, which resumes Monday, March 23.
• The Faculty Center for Professional Excellence (FCPE) is holding seminars for faculty and providing individual support. Please call FCPE at 516.877.4220 or email at fcpe@adelphi.edu for more information.

Technological Assistance

• Students, faculty and staff will be supported in their needs for working and learning remotely by our Office of Information Technology.
• Please contact our Information Technology (IT) Help Desk for support or any technology questions that arise during in-person or online learning at 516.877.3340 or helpdesk@adelphi.edu.

Residential Life

• If you are a current resident and are unable to return home beginning March 11, you will be accommodated on our Garden City campus until you can safely do so, with all necessary services to support you.
• If you are a current resident and need to remain on campus for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester because you are unable to return home, you will be accommodated on our Garden City Campus, but should be prepared for limited on-campus social activities and interactions.
• When classes resume, students who have remained on campus will be expected to also complete coursework online/virtually from your residence hall.

University Events, Athletics and Performances

• Large on-campus events are strongly discouraged and should be postponed where possible. This includes events sponsored by the University, schools, departments or units, as well as student-sponsored events. Event organizers should use remote technology whenever possible.
• Athletic competitions and Adelphi PAC performances will continue until further notice. We are in close coordination with the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regarding all athletic competitions, and all are being guided by the recommendations of the CDC and departments of health.
• Certain events, such as athletic contests and performances, may be modified to decrease attendance. Details on these modifications are under discussion with individual departments.

Student Employees

• Student employees are permitted and encouraged to continue to work following Spring Break.
• Please remain in close contact with your supervisors with any specific questions or requests for flexibility.

Dining Services

• On-campus Dining Services will continue to operate to serve students and staff who remain on campus during this time.
• Chartwells, our dining services partner, will continue to prepare and serve food according to safe food handling guidelines and Nassau County Department of Health standards.
• Grab-and-go packaged formats will continue to be available.

University Operations

• Our main campus and satellite learning hubs remain operational to support faculty, staff and students during this time, but no in-person instruction will take place on campus or in our learning centers.
• All departments, under the guidance of their supervisors, will continue to evaluate and pilot, where possible, telecommuting and flexible arrangements in the coming days.

Study Abroad, Student Travel Trips and Employee Travel

• All study abroad programs in Level 3 countries have been canceled.
• All faculty-led travel trips through May 24, 2020, have been canceled.
• If you have questions or concerns about an educational trip you had planned, please contact the organizers to discuss alternatives.
• All faculty, students and staff are strongly encouraged to use their judgment with regard to nonessential travel, even during Spring Break. As the outbreak of the novel coronavirus continues to spread and new hot spots are identified, challenges and risks may arise once you have begun your travel.

Remain Calm, Be Smart and Be Kind

• If you are sick, stay home, self-quarantine and contact your health provider.
• Educate yourself on COVID-19. CDC guidance can be found online here: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary and important precautions recommended by the CDC are found here: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.
• Please watch for University updates and announcements at adelphi.edu/coronavirus.

Lastly, I ask everyone to please be good to one another as this truly global situation unfolds for us all. It has been eye-opening to see how the fear of unknown illness and concern for safety has heightened tension, blame and unfair targeting. I want to remind everyone that we are a caring, inclusive and supportive community and that we welcome all. Illness does not discriminate and this is a time to take care of one another. We please also ask for your patience and support as the COVID-19 Response Team puts out guidance around University operations.

If you have other questions or concerns that are not addressed here, please check our website at adelphi.edu/coronavirus or contact our leaders who are heading up our COVID-19 Response Team during this evolving situation: R. Sentwali Bakari, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, and Gene Palma, Chief Administrative Officer and Associate Vice President, at executiveleadership@adelphi.edu.

All the best,

Christine M. Riordan, PhD

President