Guidelines for the Spring 2022 Semester

COVID-19 Guidelines for the Spring 2022 Semester

Here at NJCU, we are looking forward to the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. The University closely monitors government guidance and public statistics, refining safety protocols to address the changing health environment. Please review this section of the site for the guidelines currently in place.

Return to in-Person Classes

In-person classes will resume on Monday, January 31. We are happy to report that COVID-19 cases and rates of transmission have decreased substantially throughout the month of January, and as such, we can now return all campus offices to full-time in-person staffing. 

Vaccination Requirements Policy

Students

• All students must be fully vaccinated to attend in-person classes, HyFlex classes, and in-person events, as well as use on-campus services unless they have received an approved medical or religious exemption.
• All NJCU students must submit proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19, with some exceptions as specified below. 
• Complete vaccination is defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or a complete series of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines.
• Classes: Proof of vaccination, or an approved exemption, must be shown to attend classes on campus. Students who fail to comply may be deregistered from their courses.

Faculty & Staff

• In line with our peers, the University determined the need for a vaccine mandate effective November 1, 2021.
• The University's expectation is for all non-exempt employees to have received both doses of a 2-dose series or the single-dose vaccine by December 23, 2021.
• Employees who are granted medical or religious exemptions will be required to have a COVID test up to twice per week.

Vaccination Deadlines

• Continuing students who have already submitted proof of vaccination or have obtained a medical or religious exemption from the University do not need to do anything.
• Returning students taking any on-campus classes in the spring who have not submitted proof of vaccination must do so by 5 p.m., Friday, January 14, 2022.
• New students taking on-campus classes must submit proof of vaccination or request an exemption by 5 p.m., Friday, January 14, 2022.
• international students and students admitted to the University after Sunday, January 9, 2022, must submit their proof of vaccination or request an exemption by January 24, 2022.
• The University will grant a reasonable extension but not guarantee housing or course registrations after the preferred deadlines have passed based on the student's circumstances.

Vaccination Exemptions

There are only two exceptions to the NJCU vaccination requirement:

• Students who will not come to campus for any reason because (a) they are enrolled in online courses only, or (b) they attend courses, clinical placements, or internships at off-campus locations. Those students are subject to any vaccination requirements imposed by the host site.
• Students may qualify under New Jersey law for an exemption for medical or religious reasons. However, those students must request an exemption in writing using the process provided by the University. Please refer to the medical and religious exemption process below.

Vaccination Exemptions Process:  

• Medical Exemptions:
  • All medical exemptions must be received by the Student Health Center no later than Friday, January 14, 2022, at 5 p.m. to be reviewed for consideration.  
• Religious Exemptions:
  • The Office for the Vice President for Student Affairs must receive all religious exemption requests no later than Friday, January 14, 2022, at 5 p.m. to be reviewed for consideration. You may email your request to vpsa@hadeslo.com

Policies for Unvaccinated Students with an Approved Exemption

Students who are not vaccinated because they have been approved for a medical or religious exemption MUST:

• Wear a face mask at all times while indoors on campus, unless alone in their private room
• Wear a face mask at all times when outdoors on campus
• Test twice a week for COVID-19 based on a schedule established by the University.

In addition, unvaccinated students with an approved exemption will have limitations regarding their participation in high-contact activities, such as athletics, performing arts, clinical placements, or externships. 

• Unvaccinated students are not permitted to participate in intercollegiate club sports.
• Students who are unvaccinated and in performing arts degree programs will be required to maintain 6 feet of distance from other people, wear a face mask at all times indoors, and wear a face mask when outdoors unless able to keep 6 feet of distance from others.
• Unvaccinated students participating in off-campus clinical placements, externships, and similar activities must follow the requirements of the host site. If the host site requires vaccination, these students will not be allowed to participate, and the University cannot assure that an alternative host site will be available.

International Students

International Students have special vaccination and course requirements.

Learn More

COVID-19 Testing

Testing will be available 5 days per week for all students, faculty, and staff. Rapid tests from a physician or pharmacy/laboratory that is less than 72 hours old before attending an in-person activity on campus will be accepted. In addition, fully vaccinated individuals are encouraged to avail themselves of on-campus surveillance testing.

Sign Up for COVID-19 Tests Here

 

Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

COVID Home Tests | USPS

COVID Vaccinations

Everyone 5 years or older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in New Jersey and is encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing you from getting sick. They are one of the most important tools to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and getting back to what you love.

How to get vaccinated

Find a vaccine appointment
Use the NJ Vaccine Appointment Finder to find available vaccination appointments near you or sites with walk-in vaccinations (no appointment needed).

• NJ Vaccine Appointment Finder

Attend a pop-up or mobile vaccination event
The State holds pop-up COVID-19 vaccination events, mobile vaccination clinics, and other events across New Jersey. No appointment is needed.

• Find Community Events Near You

Schedule with the NJ Vaccine Scheduling System
Sign up to schedule appointments at vaccine locations that use the State's Vaccine Scheduling System.

• Sign Up

Senior Hotline
If you are 65 or older, you can call a special senior hotline for vaccination scheduling support from 8 am to 8 pm. Dedicated appointment slots are reserved for those aged 65 and older.

• Call 856-249-7007

NJCU Mask Policy

NJCU  follows the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State of New Jersey Department of Health regarding the wearing of face masks as a strategy to reduce the risk of COVID-19 among the campus community. The University will continue to monitor infection rates closely and take additional precautions or remove restrictions as public health conditions warrant.

All students, employees, contractors, guests, and visitors must follow this policy. It applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The procedures below allow masks to be removed in some circumstances, but individuals are always free to wear a mask at any time on University property.

Procedures

Anyone who comes to any NJCU facility must wear a multilayer face covering, regardless of whether the person has been vaccinated for COVID-19. The mask must cover both the nose and mouth.

Indoors:

• Masks must be worn at all times indoors, except when alone in a private room. You may remove your mask briefly when eating and drinking, but only when you can keep at least 6 feet of distance between you and the others.
• Masks must be worn at all times inside University vehicles, including buses and shuttles.
• A limited number of exceptions may be permitted, including allowing performers on stage and intercollegiate athletes engaging in sports activities to remove their masks. Such exemptions will be based on established best practices and approved by the Presidential Advisory Committee

Outdoors:

• Masks are required outdoors in crowded settings or when participating in outdoor activities that involve close contact with other people.

Athletics Spectator Policy

Beginning Saturday, January 8, 2022 all spectators entering the New Jersey City University John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) will be required to show proof of vaccination.

Spectators may demonstrate proof of vaccination in one of two manners:

• Presenting a physical vaccination card AND matching photo ID. 
• Managing your vaccination status with the Docket App.

Children under the age of 15 will be admitted if accompanied by a vaccinated parent/guardian.

As circumstances continue to evolve regarding COVID-19, NJCU Athletics reserves the right to adjust its spectator policies as necessary. 

If you have any questions regarding issues not addressed in the above protocols, please reach out to Jeffrey Jordan, NJCU's Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations via email at jjordan2@hadeslo.com. 

COVID-19 Response Protocol for Presumptive & Positive Cases

If you suspect that you have been infected with or test positive for COVID-19, please follow the steps below according to which category you are in.

Definition of Terms

- Positive Case: Tested positive for COVID-19
- Presumptive Positive: Presumed positive through active or passive monitoring
- Active Monitoring: Temperature screening for fever
- Passive Monitoring: Daily surveys and/or self-assessments

The decision to close part or all of the school is determined by the JCHD in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Health using guidance and criteria set by CDC, WHO, and State of New Jersey.

Visitors and Guests

All visitors and members of the University community who participate in a campus event must:

• Wear a mask at all times when indoors, and wear one outdoors in crowded settings or when participating in outdoor activities that involve close contact with other people.
• Be prepared to show your proof of vaccination or negative test results to event staff at any point during the event.
  • Vaccinated people must be ready to show proof of vaccination. Proof can be in the form of your COVID vaccination card, a photo of your vaccination card, or an official app such as Docket, Excelsior, or Clear. 
  • Unvaccinated people must be ready to show a negative rapid test taken within the last 24 hours or a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within the past 72 hours.
  • Children aged 12-17 must be masked and show proof of vaccination, or a negative rapid test taken within the last 24 hours or a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within the past 72 hours.
  • Children aged 2-12 must be masked.

University Policy on Travel During the Pandemic

Travel is a known risk factor for the spread of COVID-19. To help protect the health of every member of the NJCU community, the University has created guidelines about travel that reflect the most recent guidance from federal and state public health authorities. All of us have a role to play in keeping each other safe, including following this policy to reduce the risk of bringing the virus onto campus after traveling.

Policy:

NJCU follows the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State of New Jersey Department of Health regarding travel during the pandemic.

Applicability:

This policy applies to all university-related travel and personal travel during the pandemic. All students and employees are required to follow this policy. 

University Related Travel:

All University-related travel must be approved in advance by your dean or vice president.

Employees and students who are fully vaccinated may travel domestically for university-related reasons. Travelers must submit proof of full vaccination through HR (employees) or the Dean of Students Office (students) before submitting their travel request.

Approval for University-related travel may be withheld or rescinded if the county you will be visiting is experiencing a high level of community transmission, as reported on the CDC's COVID Data Tracker. Travelers must make arrangements that are fully refundable to the extent possible. If the University rescinds your travel arrangements, you will not be responsible for any non-recoverable costs.

Unless religiously or medically exempt, people who are not vaccinated are not permitted to travel for University-related reasons other than within NJ and the three contiguous states (NY, PA, DE), and only when such travel is deemed essential.

The general ban on international travel for university purposes remains in effect; however, the Dean of Students Office may make special exceptions for fully vaccinated students or the respective Vice President for faculty and staff. In addition, the University will follow the advice of the CDC regarding the COVID situation in the destination country.

With the uncertainty around COVID, all travelers should make fully refundable arrangements to the extent possible.

COVID Safety Requirements for Domestic and International nTravel 

These requirements come from the CDC and apply to all travel, regardless of university-related or personal.

CDC Requirements for Domestic Travel

CDC Requirements for International Travel