Back to Brooklyn: Roadmap For Fall 2020

All students can expect that at least some of their fall courses will be instructed entirely online. St. Francis College provides faculty training on advanced technology and teaching techniques so they can deliver state-of-the-art online instruction.  

In our fall 2020 academic model, many students will have opportunities to be on campus, if they choose: 

• Freshmen in the U.S. will be part of a Terrier Community – a cohort of up to about 20 students sharing similar academic interests – that can attend at least two classes together in person, on campus on one designated day each week.  
• Students in nursing and science programs will have opportunities for some in-person, hands-on clinical instruction and labs.  
• Students may be able to come to campus –as safety requirements allow and under a 'maximum capacity rule' – to access computer labs to complete coursework, meet with support services and hold some meetings for Student Government Association and other student groups, pending appropriate advance approval. 

Our International freshmen will be part of a unique First Semester Together Learning Community program. 

International freshmen are advised to remain in their home countries and participate in the First Semester Together remotely:   

• First Semester Together offers courses in an Online: Set Time format (with live online video classes) and will incorporate an array of academic and student support services. Students take their courses with a set cohort of about 20 fellow international students, helping build camaraderie and establish a peer group. 
• If an international freshman obtains a visa and decides to come to Brooklyn for fall semester, St. Francis College will enroll him or her in at least one Blended Hybrid course, providing in-person instruction to ensure compliance with new U.S. Immigration ruling. 

Continuing international students can take a fully online course load if they choose, while residing in either their home country or in the United States. Either way, they will be in Active F-1 status and in compliance with the new U.S. Immigration ruling.  

Academic advisors will assist students with their individual schedules and answer any questions or concerns. Advising sessions can be scheduled on the Navigate app.  

• Mandatory use of face masks or coverings on campus. 
• Required temperature checks for students, faculty, staff and other visitors upon entering campus. 
• Required satisfactory completion of a health screening questionnaire before campus entry. 
• Maximum-occupancy and social distancing (at least six feet between people) enforced in all campus spaces, including auditoriums, labs, classrooms and places of worship. 
• Adherence to distance markers and directional signage that control traffic flow and occupancy in the buildings’ hallways, elevators, escalators and other areas. 
• Plexiglass barriers in certain areas.  
• Sanitizer stations throughout campus. 
• Sanitizing wipes in classrooms and computer rooms. 
• Lockers will be available to students for daily use only, on a first come first served basis. All stored items and locks must be removed each day. 

Campus will be subject to rigorous sanitation practices that comply with protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Controls, using Environmental Protection agency approved products that are effective against the Covid-19 virus, including but not limited to the following measures: 

• At a minimum, high touch areas throughout campus will be disinfected twice daily, including but not limited to tables in common spaces, door knobs, light switches, handles, hand railings, bathroom stalls, sink handles, grab bars, water fountains, and elevator buttons. 
• Classrooms and Labs will be disinfected at the end of each session.  
• All Locker rooms, Sports Medicine, the Weight Training Room, and the Cafeteria will be disinfected daily.  
• The Gymnasiums will be disinfected after practices and games.  
• Disinfecting wipes will be provided for classrooms and the other spaces for use of the occupants. 

The SFC Facilities team has prepared the campus to reopen by taking additional measures in the summer of 2020: 

• All HVAC filters have been replaced 
• All air handling units have been disinfected 
• Cooling tower and piping system has been disinfected 
• Entire campus was disinfected: all buildings, all spaces (315,000 square feet total) 

The cafeteria will not sell any food or drinks, although vending machines on campus will have some available. The library will be open during limited hours only, to pick up and drop off borrowed materials. Library services and resources will be available online.

• All other employees and faculty should plan to work remotely until further notice.  
• For the time being, employees, including faculty members, who are not asked by a supervisor to be on campus but need or want to go there for a specific reason, must make a written request to their supervisor or department chair at least 48 hours in advance. The campus visit request procedure is as follows: 
  • The employee or faculty member must make a written request to his/her supervisor or department chair; 
  • The supervisor or department chair will review the request and if approved, they will obtain the written approval of the applicable divisional vice president or his/her designee. 
  • If approved by the applicable divisional vice president or designee, the employee’s supervisor or department chair will e-mail the request on behalf of the employee or faculty member to SFC Facilities and Security at sfcvisitorsdl@sfc.edu. This e-mail request must include the following information: 
    • Reason for the campus visit; 
    • Name of the divisional vice president or designee who approved; 
    • Specific approved location(s) requested to be visited; 
    • Requested time of arrival and departure from each visited location. 
  • SFC Facilities and Security will then review the request and notify the employee and supervisor whether their request to come to campus is approved. 
  • Employees requesting special access will not be permitted access to campus without the prior written approval of SFC Facilities and Security in accordance with the above procedure. 
• All employees must bring their SFC ID cards with them when arriving to campus. 
  • All employees authorized to come to campus at the start of fall semester will need to conform to all other applicable requirements including a temperature scan on campus and a passing response to the College’s health screening questionnaire prior to arrival. 
• Employees must continue to register  their personal travel to any state or country with a travel advisory. Employees must also notify their supervisors of any such travel. Employees who travel to a place with a travel advisory must self-impose a two-week quarantine, regardless of symptoms or lack thereof, prior to returning to campus.
• Employees who are asked to come to campus by their supervisors, but have medical vulnerabilities as defined by the CDC, or have other circumstances that may pose special challenges to on-campus work, should speak with their supervisors, healthcare providers, and/or contact the Office of Human Resources at HR@sfc.edu regarding the possibility of accommodations.  
• All employee travel sponsored by St. Francis College remains suspended until further notice. 

• Attendance Policy COVID-19 Addendum
• Need Assistance or Student Support?
• Student Attendance Policy 

St. Francis College Residence Halls will continue to house students this fall. New protocols will be in effect, including but not limited to: 

• No visitors will be permitted into Residence Halls. Residents must present proper ID to be scanned before entry. 
• Residents will have temperature checks before entry. 
• Residents must practice social distancing in all Residence Hall common areas. 
• Residents must wear facemasks or face coverings in Residence Hall common areas. They are not required to wear such items when alone in a private room with a closed door and when eating in common areas. 
• Residence hall lounges, kitchens and laundry rooms will remain open and cleaned often. Those areas may be subject to maximum capacity rules, and hours may be adjusted, to allow for social distancing. 
• Cleaning staff will be on-site every day to clean frequently-trafficked areas. 
• Hand sanitizers and hand wipes will be installed on each floor 
• Any resident who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to notify SFC and relocate to an isolation room immediately. 
• 24 hour security will be provided by SFC to ensure temperature checks and scanning into residence halls are occurring and students are adhering to the no visitors policy. 

We want to ensure you are fully prepared for the fall semester and access to technology is especially critical now with our new course designs.

Please check out the technology resources our Academic Enhancement Center and Technology ServiceDesk team we put together to help meet the needs of all students.

1. As a St. Francis College Terrier you have access to discounts on technology resources such as PCs, laptops, and other personal devices. You will ned to use your college email when purchasing any items to ensure you receive the student discount:
   • Apple
     To shop for Apple products, click the following link, Apple for Education.
   • CDWG
     To shop for several vendors including HP and Lenovo please click the following link, CDWG Technology Discounts.
     If you need to purchase a headphone/microphone headset, which is compatible with the on campus computer stations, on the 4^th floor labs- here is our recommendation: Logitech USB Headset H390 with Noise Cancelling Mic

2. For the fall 2020 semester we have reserved our 4^th floor computer labs specifically for on-campus student work, so no courses will be scheduled in those spaces!  Our awesome ServiceDesk team is available to assist you with your tech needs (room 4209 - servicedesk@sfc.edu)!

3. If you need relief funds to help support the purchase of a laptop or WIFI subscription, we encourage you to apply for the College’s Terriers for Terriers Relief Fund.

   If you are a returning student be sure to also check out your eligibility to receive CARES Act funding. 

4. The Academic Enhancement Center team will host weekly Virtual Tech Review Lunch and Learn where we will provide insight on SFC tech resources such as Canvas, Navigate (https://www.sfc.edu/studentlife/cfss/navigate), Self-Service, WebAdvisor etc., and answer any tech issues or questions students may have. Be on the lookout in your SFC email for dates and times.

5. Check out some of the technology resources our Academic Enhancement team has found online which may be helpful to check out if you are searching for an inexpensive computer or internet plan. Please know that these resources are not specifically endorsed by St. Francis College but have been pulled together by our academic support team to help save you the time!

• Many internet service providers have plans for students and may offer discounts based on household income. A full list of low-cost internet providers and technology resources can be found here.

• Did you know your smartphone could be used as a WIFI hotspot? Connect with your cell phone provider and if possible upgrade your phone plan to include tethering so you can use you cell phone as a hotspot when on the go!

• Altice offers internet for approximately 15$/ month and has Veteran friendly discounts.

• NYC residents can access low cost internet here.

• Some organizations offer refurbished computers if you meet certain eligibility requirements - check out:  https://www.pcsforpeople.org/

• Look at Dell’s website, where they sell refurbished computers.

• Do you want to buy a laptop but, are confused on which specs you should be looking for? Have no fear we are here to help! Your computer should have the following specs so you can tackle every assignment you have with confidence!

  • At least an Intel Core i5 processor (i7 preferred)

  • Windows 10 x 64.

  • 16 GB of RAM.

  • 500 GB hard drive.

  • Wireless networking adapter (for internet)

  • Three-year warranty (recommended)

  • Also, pick a computer according to your degree as many companies recommend computers which are more suited towards certain fields/ programs.

• Everyday resources to help save a few dollars:

  • If you shop with chrome use Rakuten, believe the hype!

  • Add honey as a browser extension so you can use coupons you didn’t even know existed!

  • Make an account with UNiDAYS so you have access to tons of in-store and online discounts exclusively for students!

  • Take advantage of Amazon Prime for students where you can sign up for prime for ½ the price!

Any person arriving in New York from a state under a COVID-19 travel advisory is required to observe a 14-day quarantine. If you have traveled to a such a state or any international country that is on COVID-19 Travel Advisory list, you must quarantine for 14 days prior to visiting campus.

Employees and students must register their personal travel to any state or country with a travel advisory and employees must notify their supervisors of any such travel as well.

• 2020-21 Tuition and Fees
• Generous Financial Aid available
• Paying your St. Francis College bills

Any student who needs money for expenses related to the disruption of SFC operations from COVID-19 — to pay for things like a new computer or course materials — should apply for funds from the CARES Act. If eligible, you can receive a grant up to $775 with no need to repay. Students can also apply for money to support their education through the Terrier for Terrier Emergency Relief Fund.