Updates to Safety Guidance are made frequently. Please review this page often, as it will be updated when more information is available.
Spring Semester SafetyRequirements for On-Campus Accessing Campus | Students Accessing Campus | Faculty Accessing Campus | GuestsGetting on to CampusTesting Location & Procedures Campus Environment Campus Experience Questions? Safe Campus Re-Opening Plan
On-Campus Safety
For Students, Faculty and Staff | Spring '23
A Message from President Mangino
As we continue to respond to COVID-19, we want to ensure that our campus environment is safe and welcoming. Please review CUNY’s latest information and the information contained here regarding your vaccinations, campus access protocols, well-being, and more. We will update this page frequently. Please check back often for our latest guidance and support. We acknowledge and understand the stress and anxiety that so many of us are experiencing, which is why it is so important that we remain patient with ourselves and kind to one another. I wish you the best for 2022 - 2023 academic year!
The information on this page is up-to-date as of: December 5, 2022.
Note: Information here changes frequently. Please check back often.
Your Health And Safety
Queensborough's response to COVID-19 is guided by local and public health agencies, New York State, and the City University of New York (CUNY). Our plan is to maintain an environment that prioritizes the health and safety of everyone on campus. As always, we welcome your suggestions and ideas as we return to campus. Please email COVID19Coordinator@qcc.cuny.edu with any questions or concerns.
Flexible Learning
Spring '23 at Queensborough will consist of a mix of online, hybrid, HyField, HyFlex, and in person teaching and learning, research, and student support services. Everyone in our community plays a role in the health and safety of our campus. Here you will find information that explains how all members of the campus community can contribute to the well-being of Queensborough in Spring '23. Please also refer to FAQs prepared by CUNY. Note: Students in HyFlex classes who wish to come to campus must have their proof of vaccination uploaded to CUNYfirst.
Spring Semester Safety: 5 Things Students Need to Know Before Returning to Campus
We look forward to welcoming our students back to campus for the start of the spring semester on Wednesday, January 25! Please review these five reminders:
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All students taking hybrid or in person classes and who have not received a religious or medical exemption must upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination into CUNYfirst IMMEDIATELY or they will be dropped from those classes. Please note:
- Students who submitted proof of vaccination for a previous semester do not need to re-submit.
- Proof of vaccination in CUNYfirst is required for all students to enter CUNY facilities, including the Queensborough campus.
- Students in HyFlex classes who wish to come to campus must have their proof of vaccination uploaded to CUNYfirst.
- While not immediately required, all students are strongly encouraged to receive and upload proof of a booster vaccination when eligible.
- Students who are not yet vaccinated must get the J&J vaccine and upload proof of vaccination immediately. The deadline to receive other vaccinations has passed. Students who received the first dose of Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer vaccine but have not received their second dose yet should immediately email COVID19coordinator@qcc.cuny.edu for assistance. Use these tools to find a free vaccine site close to you and to check which vaccine(s) they offer:
- Once you upload proof of vaccination to CUNYfirst and it has been approved, your physical or digital Tiger Card (Queensborough ID) will provide you with access to campus at all pedestrian and vehicle entry/parking checkpoints! If you do not have a physical Tiger Card, please download the QCC Connect App from the App Store to access your mobile card.
- Everyone is strongly urged to wear a face mask while on campus. Please check this webpage often to learn of any updates to the CUNY Policy regarding wearing masks on campus. Should you forget or lose your mask, a limited supply will be available at all campus entry points and in the Department of Public Safety.
- Remember that administrative offices remain open and available to assist students during normal business hours.
- On campus PCR testing for COVID-19 is available at no charge for all students, faculty, and staff. In addition, to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in our community, CUNY is conducting a mandatory randomized testing program, which includes a periodic screening of a sampling of all vaccinated individuals across all CUNY campuses. At some point during the semester you will receive an email informing you that you are expected to participate by getting tested at a local CUNY testing site. Please watch for an email from “no-reply@cleared4work.com” informing or reminding you that it is your turn to participate in this Random Testing Program. Failure to comply with this CUNY mandate will result in access being denied to all CUNY facilities, including the Queensborough campus.
Requirements for Campus Access |
Students, Faculty, and Staff
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the single most important step students, faculty and staff can take to end this pandemic for good!
Upload proof of vaccination via CUNYfirst.
Wait to receive vaccination verification via email.
Use your Queensborough ID (TigerCard) to gain access to campus.
Get Your TigerCard
Your Queensborough ID, the TigerCard, provides faculty, staff, and students fast, easy access to Queensborough. Use it at all checkpoints to gain entry to campus. It’s important that you have your Virtual TigerCard on your smartphone because after your vaccine information is uploaded and verified on CUNYfirst, approval will be “sent” to your TigerCard. If you don’t have a TigerCard already, download the QCC Connect App to place your virtual TigerCard on your phone.
Student Procedures
CUNY mandates all students taking in person, hybrid and HyField classes get vaccinated and upload proof of vaccination in CUNYfirst. Students taking classes this spring who do not have an approved religious or medical exemption must upload proof of vaccination into CUNYfirst by Sunday, January 15 or they will be dropped from their classes. Continuing students who have already uploaded proof in CUNYfirst do not need to resubmit. Note: Students in HyFlex classes who wish to come to campus must have their proof of vaccination uploaded to CUNYfirst.
Booster Shots: To be considered fully vaccinated, students must receive two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax vaccine OR one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Students are strongly encouraged to receive and upload proof of a booster dose when eligible.
Need help uploading your verification?
After your vaccine verification is approved, it will be sent to your TigerCard on the QCC Connect App, which you must use to access campus. If you haven’t already, download the QCC Connect App today.
After uploading your vaccine information, vaccination card, or medical or religious exemption request, it will take a few days to verify the information. Note: CUNYfirst will not automatically notify you whether or not your vaccine information has been approved. After a couple of days, begin checking CUNYfirst to see if your vaccine information was approved. Once it is approved, you will also see the approval on your QCC Connect app. Show your approval on the app to Public Safety to access campus.
Faculty & Staff Procedures
Faculty/Staff entering the Queensborough campus are required to upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination in CUNYfirst, unless they have an approved religious or medical exemption. If you have not uploaded your vaccine information already, please upload proof of vaccination in CUNYfirst. Booster shots are strongly encouraged when eligible.
Required Action To Access Campus
For additional information, please refer to the complete Faculty & Staff Guide to Vaccination Verification. If you require technical support, please contact the Helpdesk at (718) 631-6348 or Helpdesk@qcc.cuny.edu.
Guest/Visitor Procedures
Prospective students interested in visiting the Office of Admissions or Continuing Education and Workforce Development just need to share the purpose of their visit with Public Safety upon arrival to the Queensborough campus. We recommend prospective students contact the Office of Admissions or the Continuing Education and Workforce Development Office prior to visiting.
For all other guests/visitors: there is an online guest registration process to admit/authorize guests to access the Queensborough campus. This must be completed prior to your guest's expected visit. Then, Public Safety will be notified of the upcoming visit and your guest(s) will receive an email to show Public Safety upon arrival to the campus.
Required Action To Access Campus
In order to invite a guest to Queensborough, please carefully complete all contact information on the guest registration form and please be as descriptive as possible when completing the purpose of the visit. This must be done for each scheduled visit. To access the form, enter your QCC username and password (the same sign-on used to access the college email and network.) We urge you complete the registration form at least 24 hours in advance.
About Masks
CUNY encourages that everyone, regardless of vaccination status:
- Wear a facemask inside all CUNY campuses and office buildings. This includes while taking classes, working in a non- enclosed space such as a library cubicle or other open seating, regardless of physical distance from others
- Wear a mask outdoors on campus when unable to maintain physical distance from others.
- Anyone with a medical or religious exemption or exception who is not vaccinated must wear a mask indoors and outdoors at all times while on campus, including enclosed spaces, except briefly when eating or drinking (in which case they must maintain strict social distancing from other individuals). They are also required to maintain social distancing between themselves and others in a classroom.
Getting on to Campus
Accessing Campus
Please make sure you have followed the instructions and completed all the steps described above:
- Requirements for On-Campus Authorization | Student, Faculty and Staff
- Student Procedures for On-Campus Authorization and Access
- Faculty/Staff Procedures for On-Campus Authorization and Access
- Guest/Visitor Procedures for On-Campus Authorization and Access
Your Queensborough ID (TigerCard) provides fast, easy access to campus, and is preferred at all campus access checkpoints.
Download the QCC Connect Mobile App to access your TigerCard.
Have your TigerCard ready at all vehicle and pedestrian campus access checkpoints! It will be used by Public Safety Officers at to verify your vaccination or testing status and enable your entry to the campus. (See the process detailed above.) Do not bring paper-based evidence of your vaccination or testing status to campus; they will not be accepted for entry.
Click here to view the Campus Map
BY CAR (PARKING)
The Main Gate at Lot #1 on 56th Avenue is for employees (and guests) only.
The following parking lots are accessible through Gate 4 which is located on Kenilworth Drive. Vehicle operators and all passengers must provide Queensborough ID (TigerCard) which will be used by Public Safety Officers to enable your entry to the campus:
- Lot 2 (Student parking—reopening soon)
- Lot 3 (adjacent to Medical Arts—Faculty and Staff only)
- Lots 4 and 5 (Service Building lots—Faculty and Staff only)
- Lot 6 (large lot behind the gym—Student parking)
The parking lots near the Guard Gate at the rear of the campus off Kenilworth Drive are for employees and students.
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR CAR SERVICE/SHARE RIDES
- Campus bus stops are operating as normal. There will be a pedestrian access checkpoint at the discharge point off 56th Avenue.
- Taxi, car service, and Uber/Lyft/private car passengers should be dropped at 56th Avenue or the corner of Cloverdale and Kenilworth and then proceed to one of the pedestrian access checkpoints referenced below or on the map. These vehicles will NOT be permitted on campus.
BY FOOT
Pedestrians can access the campus via three designated checkpoints:
- At the Main Gate at Lot #1 on 56th Avenue
- At the Guard Gate at the rear of the campus near the Medical Arts Building underpass off Kenilworth Drive; or
- Through the pedestrian gate located at the on-campus bus stop off 56th Ave
Note: Anyone utilizing street parking must enter campus through one of these checkpoints. All access points along Cloverdale from Kenilworth Drive to 56th Avenue will be closed.
COVID-19 Testing Location & Procedures
Please return to this page, as it will be updated as more information becomes available.
On-campus COVID-19 PCR testing is available free of charge for all students, faculty, and staff. Facilities are also available to students, faculty, and staff who are unvaccinated (for authorized medical or religious exemptions), not fully vaccinated, or those selected at random for CUNY testing. You can access any CUNY testing location, including Queensborough located in the Annex Building near the bus stops. Appointments are not accepted. Check here for walk-in hours of operation.
DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS if you:
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Feel ill, even if symptoms seem minor;
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Have been in contact and exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID;
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Test positive for COVID, regardless of whether you are symptomatic or not;
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Test for COVID due to one of the above three situations and are awaiting results, except if you have been selected for Random Testing -- you may continue accessing Queensborough while awaiting results.
- Immediately notify COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu if you test positive.
What happens if I test positive for COVID?
The test result will post to your Cleared4 account which you can access through your personal link. Do NOT come to campus. Notify COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu. You will be contacted by Queensborough’s Campus Coronavirus Liaison.
What Test Will I Receive?
The CUNY test is a PCR test, using a nasal swab that is less invasive than the longer-stemmed swabs used elsewhere. It is still highly sensitive and designed to detect COVID-19 before a person becomes symptomatic and can begin spreading the virus.
Testing Exceptions
Anyone required to be tested can opt out of the testing program at any time by voluntarily submitting proof of vaccination via CUNYFirst.
Random Testing
To help contain the spread of COVID-19 in our community, CUNY’s randomized testing program includes a periodic screening of a sampling of vaccinated individuals across all CUNY campuses. This means that every member of our CUNY community (including students, faculty, and staff) will be randomly selected to test for COVID-19 in the coming months, regardless of vaccination status. Note that all members of the CUNY community must comply with this mandate. Failure to do so will result in denied access to all CUNY facilities, including the Queensborough campus.
Please watch for an email from “no-reply@cleared4work.com” informing or reminding you that it is your turn to participate in this Random Testing Program. You must be tested at a CUNY testing site within 7 days of notification. By acting immediately, you are helping to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Once you test, you will not be asked to do so again until ALL members of our community have been selected. The test is a self-swab test. Please access the CUNY testing site that is closest and most convenient for you, including the one located in the Annex Building near the Bus Stop at Queensborough Community College.
Please remember that only tests from CUNY testing sites are accepted. Other tests will NOT be accepted. Once you test, you do not need to take any further action. You will receive your result within 36 hours.
Testing Help & Links
For more information about CUNY’s COVID-19 testing program, please see the Testing FAQ. For a list of testing locations, visit here. For other questions, please refer to the Getting Back to Working in Person FAQ. If you still have questions, please contact our HR office.
The Campus Environment
See About Masks, above, to learn about CUNY’s Mask Mandate.
Contact Tracing
The Office of Health Services has established a robust Contact Tracing and Notification Protocol in coordination with the New York City and New York State Departments of Health as well as the City University of New York. This process facilitates the identification of potential and confirmed exposures and notifies all close contacts in coordination with the Department of Health. Notification is disseminated via email and/or telephone. All confirmed or suspected exposures should be reported to the Office of Health Services COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu.
Airflow and Ventilation
Queensborough’s ventilation varies by the type of mechanical system in each building. The campus ventilation systems and campus specific preparations for spring '23 comply with CDC and ASHREA (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) standards, following a review by CUNY engineers and the ventilation consultants.
Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection Program
Enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols are in effect. Queensborough will:
- Deep clean and disinfect public and occupied areas, including classrooms, on a daily basis, using an EPA registered anti-viral disinfectant for high- touch surfaces including door pulls/knobs, elevator panels/buttons, stair handrails, bathroom surfaces, counters and desks, light switches, and drinking fountains.
- Supply hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus in high-use areas,
- Provide disposable disinfecting wipes to use on frequently touched surfaces such as computers, keyboards, telephones, doorknobs, copier touch pads and counter tops.
- Install acrylic protection where necessary.
Signage and Communication
Health & Safety signs appear in restrooms, elevators, bulletin boards and other areas of the campus, including break rooms, meeting rooms and other multi-occupancy spaces. Please comply with the posting.
Campus Health Services
Queensborough’s Office of Health Services provides support via email, telephone, and other modalities. If you have questions or need assistance, please call (718) 631-6375 or email COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu.
Meals and Food
The Science Café is open and serving a wide range of ‘grab and go’ food and other items including hot beverages, hot breakfast and lunch from the grill, pizza with a variety of toppings, sandwiches, snacks and pastries. Visit Food Services to see the menu and hours of operation.
The brand-new Starbucks Café is now open. Located next to the Science Café, it is open morning through night offering a full line of Starbucks Coffee and Espresso drinks.
Beverage and snack vending will be available in select areas on campus.
If you choose to have food delivery, please arrange to receive your delivery driver outside of the Administration Building. You will need to meet your delivery driver there. They will not be allowed to deliver to any other point. A delivery point will be clearly marked.
Laptops, Computers & Workplace
Faculty and staff: if you use a Queensborough laptop at home, take it with you to campus. Most meetings are likely to continue via Zoom.
Faculty and Staff who require a webcam for office use or technology for home use should make a request to the IT Help Desk via their Vice President or Department Chairperson.
If you use a Queensborough laptop with VPN access while working at home, do not turn your desktop computer off after working in the office. If you turn it off, you will not be able to access your VPN connection (and all your files connected via the server from home.
Continue to conduct inter-office business electronically. When visiting other offices on campus, be mindful of office occupancy, capacity, and masking.
Faculty and Staff Health and Wellness
CUNY’s Work/Life program, CCA@YourService is a free benefit to you and your family. The program provides access to a range of support services including free, confidential counseling to employees, as well as their household and family members, health and wellness resources and referrals, assistance with convenience matters, and financial tools and resources. Log on 24/7 or call (800) 833-8707 toll-free, or visit the website. Enter the company code: CUNY
Campus Experience
Guidance Update: CUNY is Closely Monitoring Developments Related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
COVID-19 Testing Location & Procedures
Student Vaccination Mandate FAQ
Feeling Sick or Exposed? Stay Home and Notify Health Services at COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu
Questions?
- If you have a specific question that has not been answered on the CUNY Coronavirus Guidance Update page, please email the task force at coronavirus.taskforce@cuny.edu.
- For COVID reporting, please email COVIDHealthServices@qcc.cuny.edu.
- For questions about CUNY COVID-19 Testing: CUNYCOVIDTesting@qcc.cuny.edu
- For general questions, comments, or feedback: COVID19Coordinator@qcc.cuny.edu
Get Vaccinated! COVID-19 Vaccines are Widely Available.
Safe Campus Re-Opening Plan
Thank you to everyone working on a safe and smooth return to Queensborough. Please stay informed by checking your emails and frequently accessing updated information. Questions and comments can be submitted to COVID19Coordinator@qcc.cuny.edu.
We remain committed to ensuring the health and safety of every member of our campus community, and we thank you for your cooperation during these unprecedented times.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon!
Safe Campus Reopening Plan Campus Cleaning Coronavirus Guidance Phased Reopening
If you would like a print version of the Safe Campus Reopening Plan, a PDF version is available here.
