Faculty and Staff

What health and safety protocols are in place for Bard employees?

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.

Note: Any employees who have recently visited or are traveling from states identified as restricted by the New York State Department of Health are required to quarantine for two weeks before returning to campus in the fall.

Can I plan in-person events on campus this fall?

If you are interested in organizing an in-person event or activity, indoors or outdoors, you must submit a specific plan for the event and receive prior approval. Faculty and staff should fill out and submit the form found below. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted either with an approval or to discuss adjustments or alternatives. Please note that social gatherings of more than 20 people are still prohibited, and all groups, no matter how small, must adhere to all COVID protocols, including mask wearing and physical distancing. 

Read the Response Team's message about holding in-person events (October 5, 2020) and the Office of Student Activities guide to event planning and Bard clubs during COVID-19.

Do I need to wear a mask on campus?

Yes. 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 physical 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.

The College will coordinate with public health authorities to consider exceptional circumstances.
 
Bard shuttle drivers will refuse entry or ask riders to get off the shuttle if face masks are not worn the entire ride. 

In keeping with New York State regulations, wearing a face mask is also mandatory in all public off-campus locations, including inside all public buildings and businesses and on sidewalks in town.

How will violations of community standards for health and safety be addressed?

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 and other members of the Cares Team can be reached at caresteam@bard.edu. 

For the health of our community, we cannot accept unsafe behavior. We will address violations swiftly, but our capacity to do so is understandably limited, and therefore we must rely on the voluntary restraint that can be reasonably expected of citizens in a democracy. The College is making extraordinary efforts to provide the safe in-person college experience that we know is possible, and we expect all members of the community—students, faculty, and staff—to uphold those efforts through their personal behavior.

We hope never to have to use it, but the College has instituted a reporting and disciplinary process for COVID-19 policy violations. In the vast majority of cases, reminders of the rules and assistance with compliance will suffice. Referrals for more egregious violations will be addressed through the College’s disciplinary mechanisms that can include administrative or board hearings. Students violating COVID-19 policies risk removal or barring from campus. The mask policies apply to all students, both on and off campus, as well as to faculty and staff. If you would like advice on how best to engage with those who are not in compliance, or would prefer an intervention from the College, please contact the Bard Cares Team at caresteam@bard.edu or Bard Security at 845-758-7460. Maintaining community health requires a community effort. 

How can employees get tested for COVID-19?

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.

Employees may also volunteer for the campus surveillance testing program through the Broad Institute. If you would like to join the pool for random testing on campus this semester, please complete the form below. Testing will occur only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the morning (9:00–11:30 a.m.). You will be contacted via Bard email should you be selected for a random test during any week.

What happens if a faculty or staff member tests positive?

All employees will be required to conduct a daily health screening prior to coming to campus. If concerns arise during the 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.

I just found out I had contact with someone with COVID-19. Should I come to work?

No. 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.

What should I do if I feel sick?

Employees experiencing any symptoms or warning signs of COVID-19 should not report to campus. Inform your supervisor and Human Resources, contact your health care provider (by phone rather than walking in), and follow CDC guidelines.

Can I travel during the semester?

All nonessential work travel is prohibited for faculty and staff.

• 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.

Employees who travel over Thanksgiving break must abide by the travel policy and restrictions set forth above and in accordance with New York State, paying particular attention to the list of restricted travel states.

 Can I travel over the Thanksgiving break? What about gathering with friends and family locally?

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. In addition, guidelines for hosting holiday gatherings locally will be provided to all employees.

Are Bard facilities open to the public?

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.

 Can I host visitors on campus?

Only requests for urgent and/or essential visitors will be approved until further notice.

• 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.