Campus Announcement – November 9th, 2020
August 24, 2020 – Campus Announcement
Campus services will be open to students by appointment beginning September 8. Fall classes will be offered online or in a hybrid format. Hybrid courses include both on-campus and online instruction. Online courses may be conducted synchronously (set meeting days/times) and/or asynchronously (no set meeting days/times). The course schedule will indicate these designations.
U.S. and International students are encouraged to apply as New York City progressively flattens the curve to control the spread. For international students, we anticipate that you should still have time to obtain the F-1 visa appointment once embassies reopen and flights to New York City resume.
June 8, 2020 – COVID-19 testing is open to all!
Please find a testing site near you at www.nyc.gov/covidtest or text COVID TEST to 855-48. If you test positive, you will be contacted by a Contact Tracer who will help you develop a care plan. Please answer the call! Learn more at http://testandtrace.nyc.
NY State has a rent relief program for tenants impacted by the COVID19 crisis.
- Read the Mayor’s office for Protection of Tenant’s explainer: http://nyc.gov/tenantprotection
- Call 311 to access the Tenant Helpline to understand eligibility rules
- Apply: http://hcr.ny.gov/RRP
COVID-19: MCNY’s Distribution of Student Emergency Grants through the U.S. Department of Education
Metropolitan College of New York is participating in the federal government’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, and the College has signed and submitted its Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education. MCNY has received $845,481 in emergency funds to distribute to students. We plan to distribute the funds, in as equal proportions as possible, to eligible students over three semesters—in spring 2020, summer 2020, and fall 2020– as we expect that the disruptions of the COVID crisis will continue. MCNY received access to the Student Emergency Funds on April 20, 2020.
Spring 2020
In Spring 2020, we estimated that 841 students were potentially eligible to receive an Emergency Grant under the terms of the CARES Act.
- On April 24, a message from the President was sent to all potentially eligible students asking them to apply for an emergency grant of $350 using a brief form that would indicate their emergency needs related to COVID-19. Subsequent reminder emails were sent.
- On May 8, the College decided to increase the spring award amount to a total of $450, as fewer students applied than anticipated. Students who already received grants received notice that they had been awarded the additional $100.
- As of May 19, a total of 524 students received the grants, totaling $235,800.
Summer 2020
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As of July 6, 2020, 418 students were approved for grants, totaling $209,000.
Fall 2020
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On September 29, an email was sent to 816 potentially eligible students announcing fall student emergency grants of $750 each through the federal CARES Act.
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As of October 14, 2020, a total of $308,250 was distributed to 411 students.
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Institutional Portion – Reporting
- As of August 21, 2020, Metropolitan College of New York has drawn $58,236 of the available $845,481 to cover Covid-related expenditures.
- As of September 30, 2020, Metropolitan College of New York has drawn $156,040 of the available $845,481 to cover Covid-related expenditures.
- As of December 31, 2020, Metropolitan College of New York has drawn $209,132 of the available $845,481 to cover Covid-related expenditures.
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News and updates
Welcome Back to MCNY
Letter from MCNY President, Dr. Joanne Passaro Welcome to the fall 2020 semester! MCNY faculty and staff are excited to begin the new academic year with you, and we applaud you for your resilience and [...]
COVID19 – External Resources for MCNY Students
We hope that everyone is well and staying safe. Our faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends have been reaching out with opportunities and resources that may be helpful to the MCNY Student Community. Be sure [...]
UPDATE – Announcement to Students from MCNY President Joanne Passaro
Dear Students, As you know, Governor Cuomo has mandated that 100% of our staff work remotely, effective this evening. As a result, all MCNY classes will continue to be online until further notice. I know [...]
Letter from MCNY President Joanne Passaro
Dear Members of the MCNY Community,
Metropolitan College of New York continues to monitor the status of the COVID-19 virus. While there is much that is still unknown, we remain in close contact with our peer institutions, as well as New York City, State and federal officials, as we continue regular operations. We know that this situation has many people concerned, and we will do our best to stay in touch with you as we navigate through this challenging time.
Cleaning and sanitizing practices at both campuses have been expanded, and hand sanitizers have been placed at the entrances to each campus. The Health and Safety Committee urges everyone to please use hand sanitizers before entering the campus. We also urge you to wash your hands frequently, while on campus and throughout the day; this remains the best way to prevent the spread of the virus. As a reminder, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) also recommends that you avoid close contact with people who are sick; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; and stay home when you are sick.
Students: if you feel ill, please contact your professors, who will facilitate your ability to complete your classwork in an online environment. Please contact the Office of E-Learning vkioulaphides@mcny.edu if you have questions about using Moodle.
Faculty: VPAA Crookendale has been working with the Office of Technology to schedule four synchronous webinars for faculty to help you hone your ability to teach classes online should the need arise. These sessions will supplement the Moodle resources sent by the Office of E-Learning ten days ago, and because the webinars are synchronous, you will be able to have questions answered during the session you attend. The webinars will be offered four times next week, and we urge all faculty to participate. Stay tuned for an email from VPAA Crookendale in the next day or so with the details.
As we continue our efforts to help assure the health and safety of our community, we are also developing contingency plans to provide academic and business continuity should the public health situation require significant changes in our day-to-day operations. Please sign up for the MCNY alert system if you haven’t done so already, so that you will get important College updates immediately: http://www.mcny.edu/alert. You can also check the MCNY COVID-19 webpage—which appears at the bottom of the MCNY home page and can also be found at https://www.mcny.edu/coronavirus/ —for resources and updates.
Dear Members of the MCNY Community,
As you know, the situation regarding the novel (new) coronavirus, COVID-19, is rapidly evolving. At this time, there are approximately 60 confirmed cases in the US, and no confirmed cases in New York City. These numbers are expected to change, and the College will continue to carefully monitor the situation.
The MCNY Safety and Security Committee has begun its work focusing on the steps we need to take to keep the MCNY community safe as the COVID-19 situation unfolds, and it will send periodic updates to the College community. The Committee recommends that you sign up for the MCNY alert system if you haven’t done so already, to assure that will get important College updates immediately: http://www.mcny.edu/alert.
If you have traveled to areas impacted by COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you might face some limitations on your movement and activity. Please follow instructions of your physician and/or your local Department of Health if that applies to you.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends these everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of this and other respiratory diseases:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask: CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.
Students, if you feel sick, we ask that you stay at home and contact your professors; they will work with you to assure you can keep up with your work. If you do not know how to access and use the Moodle shell for your courses, please contact our E-Learning Coordinator, Victor Kioulaphides (vkioulaphides@mcny.edu); he will provide you with the resources you need to familiarize yourself with Moodle so that you can continue with your coursework in an online environment if necessary.
Faculty, please work with students who are ill and unable to come to class to support them in completing their coursework through Moodle. Victor Kioulaphides (vkioulaphides@mcny.edu) is preparing resources for faculty who may need to brush up on Moodle to be sure that both faculty and students who may fall ill can safely and successfully complete their courses online if needed.
Resources
- 2019-nCoV Website
- What You Need to Know About 2019-nCoV
- What to Do If You Are Sick With 2019-nCoV
- Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Exposure in Travel-associated or Community Settings
- Health Alert Network
- Travelers’ Health Website
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Small Business International Travel Resource Travel Planner
- Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick
- Mental health support while at home
- CDC mental health resources
- Veteran resources
- Know the signs of common COVID-19 scams and get tips to stay safe
- Resource guide for COVID-19
- Resources for New Yorkers with Disabilities during COVID-19 (Food/Supply Delivery, Social Security/Medicaid Benefits, Home Healthcare Services and more)