Coming Back Safe & Strong
Coming Back Safe and Strong Update
What You Need to Know, When You Need to Know It

News and Reminders for the Start of Spring Semester
With this Monday, February 1, marking the start of spring semester, we want to welcome you back to what we hope and expect to be another safe, successful academic experience here on campus. Together, we’ve all taken steps to manage the challenges at hand, and we plan to continue to adapt as necessary to keep our campus community among the safest in the State. Thank you for your role in that! As we count down, please see our latest updates and reminders, and we look forward to your coming back with us, safe and Stony Brook Strong.

 – The Coming Back Safe and Strong Team

Screening and Testing Reminders for Faculty and Staff
Please help us keep our campus clear of COVID-19 by staying diligent in completing and monitoring CampusClear reports in SOLAR. Remember: 

  • All faculty and staff coming to campus need to complete the COVID-19 daily health self-screening each day before arriving on campus. 
  • Use the CampusClear App (you can even set a daily reminder by going to ‘Settings’ and ‘Notifications’) or the Daily Health Self-Screening Paper Log (available in both English and Spanish).
  • Supervisors are responsible for checking that these daily screenings are being completed in SOLAR under the ‘COVID-19 Supervisor Report’ and should remind employees of the screening requirement as necessary. 

Please also note that faculty and staff will now be required to participate in COVID saliva pooled testing each week. Find pooled testing schedules and locations here.

What Students Need to Know and Do
In addition to the pre-arrival requirements for both resident and commuter students we’ve made you aware of, here are spring requirements ...

Resident Students:
  • Required to participate in COVID PCR testing twice a week at an assigned location, either the GLS-HDV or LDS Center, to help us quickly identify students who test positive and reduce the spread of COVID.
  • Like the fall semester, no overnight guests allowed in campus residence hall rooms, suites or apartments and just one resident guest at a time (no non-resident guests except on move-in day).

Commuter Students: 
  • Like faculty and staff, required to participate in COVID saliva pooled testing once a week. Three testing locations are available: Student Activities Center (SAC), Health Sciences Center (HSC) Galleria - Level 3 on East Campus, and Student Center at Stony Brook Southampton. See more on pooled testing here.

All Students:
  • Asked to follow Stony Brook, local, state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID. Violating these rules could result in loss of access to campus facilities and/or housing, or other disciplinary actions by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. 
  • Questions? Concerns? Reach out to Student Health Services at (631) 632-6740 or via live chat.

Avoid Large Gatherings
Please avoid gathering with large groups of people for events and celebrations in February, such as the Super Bowl, Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day. A big part of our success in keeping COVID counts low can be attributed to our mutual cooperation and commitment to protecting ourselves and others!
 
Latest on Vaccines
“If nothing else, this Covid pandemic has taught us we need to be able to pivot quickly.” See what else Dr. Margaret McGovern, Vice President for Health System Clinical Programs and Strategy, said in The Chronicle for Higher Education about the challenges of administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Also please continue to visit our Vaccine Information Page on the Coming Back Safe and Strong website for all the latest updates.

See What SBU President Maurie McInnis Says About SBU’s Future …
President McInnis shared our current challenges and future plans with Times Beacon Record (TBR) News last week. Take a look.

Be a Part of History: Share Your COVID Experiences
As mentioned in last week’s update, Reimagine New York is a State initiative to plan for a post-COVID future and recovery. And the organization is inviting individuals to contribute to the New York State Library's Personal History Initiative to document NYS experiences throughout the pandemic. Add your experience for generations to come. Find out more about the New York State COVID-19 Documentation Initiative here and the NYS Library COVID-19 Personal History Initiative here.

Assistance for Stressful Times
In these stressful times, please remember these employee resources and call on them if/when needed. They’re there for YOU:
 
As Always, Please Remember to:

  • Wash your hands or use sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available.
  • Maintain a physical distance of at least six feet from other people.
  • Wear a mask – at all times, including in classrooms, conference rooms and other spaces, even when six feet social distancing exists.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your workplace every day.
  • Avoid using other people's phones, desks, offices, tools and equipment.
  • Stay home if you’re sick.

Have an Idea? Need an Answer?
Visit our continuously updated return to the workplace FAQs on our Coming Back Safe and Strong website, or send your questions to comingback@stonybrook.edu.
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