COVID-19 Response

What Guides Our Plans for the Fall

Bard’s plan for fall 2020 is informed by current national, regional, and local conditions and best public health practices. We are following New York State guidance, which includes specific mandates for higher education, and guidance from the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health.

The College has a formal agreement with Nuvance Health, one of the largest health care providers in the region, and with them, has created detailed protocols for testing and screening, daily monitoring of symptoms, contact tracing, quarantine practices, and physical distancing in the classroom and across the Bard campus. Bard also has a contract with The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard for its Safe for School testing program. The Broad Institute has been at the forefront of developing and providing cutting-edge COVID-19 testing and has created this program specifically designed for higher education. Our Health Services Team is following guidance from the American College Health Association and is in close contact with local and regional health officials. 

 Planning for the End of the Semester 

Fall 2020 classes will meet without any scheduled interruption through November 20 and the start of the Thanksgiving break. We expect that many students, faculty, and staff will want to travel over the holiday. For those choosing to travel at this time, Bard’s prohibition on nonemergency travel will be modified. Students who travel over Thanksgiving break will not be able to return to campus for the remainder of the semester. This includes regional and local travel to gatherings with family or friends. If you normally live on campus and spend the night elsewhere and with others—even locally—for the holiday, you cannot return to campus after Thanksgiving. There will be no penalty, academically or otherwise, for students who choose to travel and complete the semester remotely. Tuition and room adjustments will not be made for those students completing their coursework remotely following the holiday. 

Employees who travel over Thanksgiving break must abide by the travel policy and restrictions set forth on the Human Resources website and in accordance with New York State, paying particular attention to the NYS list of restricted travel states. Please review these holiday planning guidelines as you consider your upcoming holiday plans. It’s essential that we take stock of the recent increases in COVID-19 cases regionally and nationally and adjust our plans accordingly.

Students are welcome to stay on campus at Thanksgiving and remain on their meal plans for the duration of the semester (through December 21). After the break, Kline Dining Commons will remain open, student services offices will be open for student support, and classes will continue on their regular schedule until the end of the semester on December 18.
 
The majority of classes will continue remotely after the holiday, and paths to remote instruction will be available for all students who leave at Thanksgiving break and need to complete the semester remotely. The Dean’s office has asked faculty to provide details about their post-Thanksgiving teaching plans to their respective students. The Dean of Students office will also be reaching out to students about their end-of-semester plans, and to assist those who need to stay on campus through next semester. 

In the coming weeks the COVID-19 Response Team will be providing information about protocols for returning to campus for Citizen Science in January, and the spring 2021 semester of in-person teaching.

Arrival Dates and Protocols

We staggered arrival dates and moved much of the arrival documentation online to allow for appropriate physical distancing during move-in. The College welcomed first-year students between August 4–7 and returning students and new transfers between August 20–30. We asked all students to avoid large gatherings and practice physical distancing for at least two weeks before traveling to Bard. All students—whether they live on or off campus—select an arrival date and time for staggered arrival by completing the appropriate form below.

Prearrival Testing

On the advice of our partners at Nuvance Health, Bard has instituted a requirement for all students to take a COVID-19 (PCR) test within five days prior to their arrival and to present proof of a negative test before they arrive. Positive antibody testing is not considered a negative COVID test result and cannot be submitted in place of a negative test result. Students who are able to get a test and result within five days prior to arrival should submit that result to covidclearance@bard.edu. Between the time of the test and arriving on campus, it is important that students adhere to safe behaviors: no large gatherings, wear a mask, and practice physical distancing.

Please contact your primary care physician or county department of public health to identify a local testing center in your area. Some testing centers may require reservations, so please factor this and time to receive your results into your travel and arrival plans. Most private insurance plans will cover the cost of these tests. Bard student insurance will also cover the cost of prearrival testing when using an approved lab with a prescription. For information on student insurance call 800-734-9326.

With the increasing scarcity of tests and expanding wait times for results in some areas, students who are unable to get a test before travel will have the option to get tested as soon as they arrive on campus.

Students who arrive still awaiting test results will be required to shelter in place in an assigned room on campus and participate in all academic activities remotely until they receive their test result. The College will arrange for food and package delivery during this time.

Students who are unable to get tested and provide a negative result within five days prior to their scheduled arrival should contact Bard Health Services at 845-758-7433 or covidclearance@bard.edu about arrangements for returning to campus. Students who test positive for COVID-19 should refrain from traveling; they will not be allowed to return to Bard until they have produced a negative test.

All students, whether they live on or off campus, will be tested between five and 10 days after arrival. Bard will provide testing. This time frame offers the most accurate results following potential exposure during travel. Bard will continue conducting random testing on a weekly basis throughout the semester.

Quarantine Measures

Three populations of students will have to be quarantined upon arrival to the area, as noted below. Any on-campus student who is able to independently complete their required quarantine before arriving on campus should plan to do so. 

• Students traveling from restricted locations. As noted previously, New York State is requiring anyone entering the state from abroad or from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days. The list of restricted states changes daily, so please check to see if your state is listed before planning to travel. New York State regulations require the full 14 days of quarantine for those traveling from restricted locations, even if a student receives a negative COVID test result while in quarantine. 
• Students unable to get tested before traveling to Bard. The College will provide tests to these students as soon as they arrive. They will be required to quarantine until they receive a negative test result. If they originally traveled from a non-restricted location, they will be released from quarantine upon receiving a negative test result.
• Students who get tested before traveling to Bard but do not receive their test result in time to travel to Bard. They will be required to quarantine until receiving their test result. If they originally traveled from a nonrestricted location, they will be released from quarantine upon receiving a negative test result.

Physical Distancing in the Classroom

New York State guidance requires physical distancing and masks. We have conducted a space audit and site visits with Nuvance Health to determine how best to manage physical distancing in the classroom. In addition to applying physical distancing best practices in all of our teaching spaces, we will have longer periods between classes to minimize traffic and use alternative teaching spaces to expand capacity.

Special Circumstances for Online-Only Learning

Students will have the option to take classes entirely online only as an exception. The College is finalizing a system for students to apply for exceptional remote learning status through the academic executive committee. Our primary concern is that students follow a course of study that makes sense for their academic progress. Faculty advising and the support of the deans in the Center for Student Life and Advising are critical to ensuring students have a successful and productive semester. Online learning in undergraduate education at Bard is a path of last resort.

If a student gets ill or returns home, they will be able to continue learning remotely. We will not penalize students for having to move online. Students will still be expected to continue to fully engage in their classes.

International students who cannot travel to Bard for the start of the semester may enroll in Bard’s online courses from their home countries. See "Supporting International Students" below.

Supporting International Students

Many of our international students will be unable to attend classes in person in Annandale in the fall, due to travel restrictions and challenges obtaining visas. We have been working hard to develop options for these students to continue with their Bard education from their overseas locations. For students in Europe who are able to travel to Berlin, we are offering places at Bard College Berlin. For students in China, we are finalizing options with some Chinese universities so that students can take a mix of online courses through Bard and in-person courses on site in China. Through the Bard network and the Open Society University Network, we have partner institutions on five continents, and will work individually with each student on a plan that preserves their visa status and gives them the best possible access to the Bard experience.

We hope to welcome all international students back to Annandale as soon as circumstances allow. We are closely monitoring current travel restrictions to the United States, and advise students to check the website of the U.S. Consulate in their home countries for updates on exceptions for student travel to the United States. In the meantime, we will strive to keep all of our students connected around the world. Students and families with questions should contact International Student Adviser Manishka Kalupahana (kalupaha@bard.edu or 845-758-7328) or Dean of International Studies Jennifer Murray (jmurray@bard.edu or 845-758-6822 x7387).

We were pleased to learn that, in response to the Harvard/MIT lawsuit, which Bard joined via an amicus brief, the Trump Administration has rescinded the punitive ICE guidelines for international students.

The New Common Courses

In addition to planning the logistics and processes of a safe return to the classroom, the faculty have prepared new interdisciplinary courses to engage our students with a unique academic experience relevant to the extraordinary global impact of COVID-19. This fall, the College will be offering a suite of multidisciplinary Common Courses available to all incoming first-year as well as interested second-year students. Each of these courses will address a critical global or local contemporary issue from interdisciplinary perspectives and allow for instruction either in person or online.

 Visitor Access to Campus

• Effective October 20, 2020, there will be tighter restrictions regarding access to campus and campus grounds. Third-party visitor requests will only be approved in exceptional cases and for essential civic activities such as elections, where visitors will be directed to closely controlled facilities operated and cleaned in keeping with New York State and CDC approved COVID-19 protocols. Do not submit a request unless it is urgent or essential to the welfare of our community.
• For the health and safety of our campus community, supervisors must request permission and receive approval for any non-Bard, third-party visitor to campus at this time. This is not required for visitors going into private residences.
• Once approval is received, the authorized visitor will be sent an email from the COVID Check-In Coordinator with a link to the health screening form, which they must complete prior to their arrival on campus.

Use of Face Masks on Campus

Wearing a face mask on campus is mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff. Consistently wearing a face covering has been proven to be one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 (along with physical distancing and hand washing). The College’s policy complies with new public health regulations in New York State requiring any person over age two to cover their nose and mouth with a mask when in a public place and unable to maintain social distancing. Much of the Bard campus can be classified as a “public place,” so both Bard College policy and New York State face mask regulations apply throughout the Bard community.

Face coverings must be worn in all locations on the Bard College campus, both indoors and out, with the following exceptions only:

1. In a private office when working alone.
2. In your own dorm room* and when brushing your teeth or taking a shower (masks must be worn in the hallway between your dorm room and the bathroom), or in your own private family residence.
3. When eating while practicing physical distancing (all Bard community members must wear face masks inside the dining hall at all times, except when seated in any designated dining area). 
4. In a designated mask respite area (which may only be used by one person at a time).
5. For B&G grounds workers only: when working on campus grounds away from buildings and all other people.

Physical Distancing in the Residence Halls

Under New York State guidelines, students who share a room are considered a household. Masks must be worn in communal areas, but are not required when only roommates are together. 

Monitoring Symptoms among the Student Body

• All students will be required to take online COVID-19 training and to sign a pledge committing to adhere to the health and safety requirements to maintain a safe and healthy campus before they return. Staff and faculty are required to go through a similar training and are also submitting health pledges.
• All students, living on campus and off, will be required to complete a daily health screening, just as all employees do every day they come to campus. Our partners at Involvio, with whom we were already working on student engagement activities, have developed a Safe Reopen app, which enables students to complete their screening online. All students will have to show that they have completed the screening and received a “pass” before entering campus facilities including classrooms and the dining commons.
• The college has also established a contact tracing team to supplement the efforts of the Dutchess County health department. All members of this team have taken online training developed by Johns Hopkins University. Bard’s contact tracers, in close coordination with county health officials, will follow up with anyone who tests positive or believes they have been exposed to COVID. This work mainly consists of time-sensitive phone calls. Any Bard employee interested in taking the Johns Hopkins training and joining the contact tracing team is encouraged to contact David Lindholm at dlindholm@bard.edu for further information.

Bard Health Services and COVID-19

As much as possible, we ask Bard students to be in touch with Health Services directly via phone: 845-758-7433. If you are experiencing fever and lung symptoms or you suspect you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please call Health Services for a medical consult before walking in. In keeping with Health Department guidelines, Bard Health Services requests that you not walk into the clinic until you have consulted with the staff over the phone. Phone consultations are recommended to receive the best care and advice and minimize the chance that others will be exposed.

The Bard Health Services website will update current COVID-19 public health information throughout the semester.

COVID-19 Testing on Campus

Students will be able to get tested at Bard Health Services and with our local testing partners throughout the semester. Testing will be available seven days a week. Students will be required to get tested for COVID-19 within five days prior to arriving on campus for the semester, and will be tested again between five and 10 days after arrival. (see “Prearrival Testing” above). Bard will conduct random testing on a weekly basis throughout the semester.

Responding to Positive Cases on Campus

Students with positive test results will be moved to dedicated isolation housing. (See "Quarantine Measures" above.) While keeping a student’s identity and health information secure, we will, in coordination with the Department of Health, begin contact tracing.

Health Service providers will check in daily via Telehealth or in person for mild or moderate illness. We will ensure that students have the medications and supplies they need. Meals will be delivered and isolation housing will include beverages and snacks. If warranted, students will be referred to the emergency room at Northern Dutchess Hospital (part of Nuvance Health) which is 10 minutes away. Bard Counseling Service will be available via Telehealth for mental health care.

Protocol for Students Exposed to Someone Who Tests Positive

If it is confirmed that a student has been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, that student will either self-isolate or quarantine until 14 days have passed since exposure, or until testing negative.

In many cases, students will be able to self-isolate in their rooms adhering to Department of Health guidance. In some cases, students may be relocated to other housing. Students in isolation or quarantine will be supported by health, counseling, wellness, our COVID-19 Contact Team, and Residential Life staff. Meals will be provided along with digital check-ins. Academic support will be provided by academic advisers and the deans in the Center for Student Life and Advising.

Mental Health Resources

We understand that many students have experienced a great deal of change and disruption during these past seven months. Bard Counseling Services, in collaboration with Health Services, Student Government, Residence Life, and Wellness, plan to offer a range of workshops, programs, training, and support groups that use a trauma-informed approach and are guided by racial and social justice principles. Our programming will be geared to support the mental well-being of all students as they begin or return to Bard. 

Bard College remains cognizant and concerned about the disparate impact of this pandemic on people of color and individuals from financially challenged backgrounds, and the additional stress and anxiety during these difficult times. The Office of the Dean for Inclusive Excellence, the Financial Aid Office, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and other campus resources are available to offer assistance in coping with the additional stressors generated by COVID-19.

Bard Counseling is offering teletherapy. Please email counselingservice@bard.edu to set up an appointment. In addition, the Counseling staff is offering a regular column on mental health during COVID-19, and they have added a page of virtual mental health resources.

Bard Wellness has added a host of virtual programming during the pandemic, including meditation, peer health open hours, and "Show and Tail" (virtual Dog Days). They also offer lots of resources for self-care during this time. Visit the Wellness website for details.

 Health and Safety in Bard Facilities

Effective October 20, 2020, Bard will be operating as a closed campus. Access to the campus by members of the surrounding communities and casual visitors is prohibited. A person who does not live, work, or study at Bard will not be allowed access to campus without prior approval from the College. New signage will be posted at campus access points to alert the Bard and wider community of this change in policy. Local government leaders have been notified that this is a precautionary measure in light of regional upticks in COVID-19 cases, and is intended solely to preserve the health and safety of the Bard community. Access to residence hall dormitories continues to be limited to those who reside there, and students living off campus should limit campus visits to classes and outdoor spaces.

Restricting travel is another core element of the College’s COVID safety protocols. The College prohibits nonemergency travel for students outside of our local area (Dutchess, Ulster, Greene, and Columbia counties), and prohibits all work travel and nonemergency travel for our employees. Traveling to visit friends, shop, or even visit family on a nonemergency basis is considered higher-risk behavior, as are visits to campus by friends and family. Among the most common vectors for the spread of COVID-19 are pre- and nonsymptomatic individuals. Unnecessary travel and contact with people outside of the Bard community constitute an ongoing threat to campus safety. Any student who needs to undertake emergency travel should be in touch with the Dean of Students office to work out a travel plan.

To optimize the health and well-being of our students and employees, Bard is establishing “restricted facilities”—classrooms, residence halls, laboratories, dining areas, sports facilities—that are open only to Bard students and employees. Our restricted facilities will:

• Prohibit unauthorized/nonessential visitors. We will webcast as many student artistic events as possible.
• Limit noninstructional gatherings and congregations in communal spaces.
• Limit the number of students in the classroom and provide for physical distancing.
• Designate entry and exit points for buildings.
• Adhere to sanitization and physical distancing requirements, including adequate hygiene and PPE supplies, and reduce common seating areas.
• Limit occupancy of classrooms and other public spaces on campus to 50 percent.
• Enforce physical distancing through placement of signs and barriers.

Health and Safety in the Community

Bard’s plan for the semester takes into consideration our surrounding communities. Bard students who are enrolled for fall 2020 classes and living off campus are subject to the same expectations and policies as those living on campus. All off-campus students must sign a health pledge and adhere to our daily health screening protocols. All students living off campus or visiting local communities must adhere to Bard’s health and safety policies for the fall, including arrival testing, periodic testing, physical distancing, wearing a mask, and quarantine and contact tracing protocols. They are also expected to abide by all state and local health and safety measures. All Bard students are expected to adhere to these rules whenever they are off campus in the local communities for any reason. Students who fail to adhere to these protocols are subject to the same disciplinary measures as those living on campus. Throughout the fall semester we will be reminding everyone in the Bard community of the importance of taking personal responsibility for the safety of others, both on and off campus.

Health and Safety Compliance

The College has established the Bard Cares Team to address instances where students or employees are having difficulty abiding by the community norms of behavior regarding the College’s established COVID-19 protocols. The Team, chaired by Vice President and Dean of the Early Colleges Dumaine Williams, has developed a clear set of steps based in restorative practices to respond to reports seeking assistance, guidance, or a resolution of issues related to compliance with health and safety measures in the Bard community. It also seeks to equip members of the Bard community with information about bystander intervention techniques and other actions we can take to help keep each other safe and accountable. Dr. Williams will share more information about the Cares Team’s membership, approach, and next steps in an upcoming community message. He and other members of the Cares Team can be reached at caresteam@bard.edu. 

 Bard College Travel Policy

• The prohibition on nonessential travel should be extended to the personal lives of everyone in the Bard community: students, faculty, and staff. Examples of essential travel include medical treatment and family emergencies.
• All New York State–­mandated regulations continue to apply to any out-of-state travel, including the requirement to quarantine for 14 days if you travel to a restricted location, even for essential travel.
• If you travel to a restricted location during the semester for any reason, your ability to return to campus may be endangered, and will be determined by the State regulations in force at that time.
• Failure to report travel to a restricted location can lead to barring return to or removal from campus.

Face Mask Guidance for Faculty and Staff

Wearing a face mask on campus is mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff. Consistently wearing a face covering has been proven to be one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 (along with physical distancing and hand washing). The College’s policy complies with new public health regulations in New York State requiring any person over age two to cover their nose and mouth with a mask when in a public place and unable to maintain social distancing. Much of the Bard campus can be classified as a “public place,” so both Bard College policy and New York State face mask regulations apply throughout the Bard community.

Face coverings must be worn in all locations on the Bard College campus, both indoors and out, with the following exceptions only:

1. In a private office when working alone.
2. In your own dorm room* and when brushing your teeth or taking a shower (masks must be worn in the hallway between your dorm room and the bathroom), or in your own private family residence.
3. When eating while practicing physical distancing (all Bard community members must wear face masks inside the dining hall at all times, except when seated in any designated dining area). 
4. In a designated mask respite area (which may only be used by one person at a time).
5. For B&G grounds workers only: when working on campus grounds away from buildings and all other people.

Health and Safety Protocols for Faculty and Staff

All employees will be required to conduct a daily health screening prior to coming to campus, wear face masks, and practice physical distancing and follow all recommended public health guidelines. If concerns arise during the self-administered health screening, they will be required to self-isolate until it is determined that it is safe for them to return. In the case of a positive test result, contact tracing protocols will be initiated. Employees who test positive or may have been exposed will be required to self-isolate off campus for two weeks or until they produce a negative test result.

COVID-19 Testing for Employees

College employees can get tested locally through their health insurance, and should discuss their options with their primary care physician. You can locate your nearest COVID testing site at this site operated by the New York State Department of Health, or at the Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield Coronavirus Resource Center here. More information will be forthcoming for employees who wish to be considered for inclusion in random testing on campus.