FAQs

Move-in will take place over two weeks beginning on Monday, August 17. No more than 200 students will return to campus on a given day during this period. Arriving students will be required to make an appointment for a two-hour period to move into their assigned residence and may be accompanied by only one family member or friend to assist with the move. (Protocol for residence hall safety is discussed under the section Residential Living Plans below). Everyone involved with moving into residence halls will be required to wear a face mask at all times.

Resident students have been notified by Residence Life individually with their specific dates and two-hour time windows for move-in. Notifications were sent the week of July 20 to their Manhattan College email accounts. Students will be contacted by Residence Life in early August with additional move-in instructions to allow for social distancing and campus access.

If a student has decided not to live on campus, they need to take the following actions: 

Juniors, Seniors or Graduate Students  

1. Login to the myHousing Portal and cancel your housing contract. 
2. Complete the Residence Hall withdrawal form.
3. Notify Residence Life via email at residencelife@manhattan.edu.

Sophomores (Class of 2023)

1. Login to the myHousing Portal and complete the Residency Requirement Waiver (found under the Important Forms tabs).
2. A response from the Dean of Students office will be provided in 3-5 business days.

New Incoming Students

1. Contact the Admissions office to be changed to a non-resident student. 

International students and students from states on New York's COVID-19 travel advisory list, which is updated daily, will be required to quarantine and isolate for 14 days in a temporary location on campus or at an off-campus location. If students arrive and their state is not on the list, they do not have to go into quarantine even if the state goes on the list the next day. Students are also free to make quarantine arrangements on their own with family members or other facilities (e.g., Hotel, Airbnb). Students who make their own arrangements will need to show proof of arrival and completion of 14 day quarantine to Residence Life/Student Life upon arrival on campus for final move-in. Please note that students required to undergo a New York State mandatory precautionary quarantine may still need to complete a COVID-19 test either on campus or at an authorized testing site.

Quarantine Rules for Canadian Students:  The New York State Health Department has determined that travelers from Canada, like all international travels to New York, should quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. 

Resident students are provided with three meals per day during the isolation/ quarantine period. Health Services will check in on students each day. Students will  be required to complete the symptom tracker every day. 

Unless there is a medical reason why they cannot attend class, students must attend class remotely while in quarantine. The remote model courses are facilitated via synchronous web conferencing with options for video recordings, as well as additional online components to meet time-on-task requirements. Students who are remote for a period of time due to health reasons must keep their professor informed of their status and when they intend to return to in-person participation. 

Since many students who have to quarantine will begin the academic year, academic support such as the center for academic success, assistant deans, etc. will be accessible to them remotely.

All residence halls will operate at a reduced capacity to ensure that students will be able to maintain social distancing (6 feet). Residence Life has allowed for housing selection and placed students in “families” that will share living spaces, kitchens and bathrooms. 

Floormates are considered “families” and can be grouped together according to state mandates and will act as your primary grouping on campus.

Opening-week floor meetings will introduce new norms related to visitation, bathrooms and common areas. Pursuant to New York City and State regulations, all individuals who enter a residence hall will be required to wear a face mask for the duration of time spent in the building. The only exception will be resident students when they are occupying their assigned room/suite.

The following practices will be adhered to by College personnel and facilities partners:

• Post enhanced educational materials throughout the buildings, including common areas and inside student rooms.
• Clean facilities routinely and effectively.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces (e.g., doorknobs, handrails, telephones, etc.) and nonporous surfaces in bathrooms, sleeping areas, etc.
  • Bathrooms within living areas such as suites or apartments should be cleaned by the student residents twice a day and appropriate cleaning supplies will be provided by the College.
  • Traditional halls with communal bathrooms will be cleaned by the College at least twice a day.
• Maintain hand-washing supplies (soap, paper towels, hand sanitizers), general cleaning supplies, and effective disinfectants. 

Beginning on August 31, the College will move to highly flexible teaching and learning models, which will provide in-person, reduced-density learning. Additionally, courses and educational activities are all designed to be able to accommodate remote learning for individuals that are immunocompromised and individuals with physical challenges, as well as for students that may not feel comfortable returning to campus in person.  

Instructional design teams have prepared training and development for all faculty teaching classes this fall, which includes support for both in-person and remote learning. (NOTE: There will be no modification in tuition for those who choose to pursue their studies totally remotely.) Also, there may be some classes that will be taught completely online due to the risk status of the faculty member responsible for the class. Courses that are entirely “remote” or “online” are labeled as such in self-service on Banner.

By default, all undergraduate courses at Manhattan College will be offered in the live dual-model, rotation/flipped model, or a combination. Exceptions include some remote-only courses when a faculty member is not able to return to campus. As in normal times, faculty are creative in how they teach students. The models outlined below offer the basic nature of learning on campus in the fall. Note that regardless of the teaching mode, the same time and effort commitment is required of all students.

Live dual-model (aka hybrid or hyflex) courses offer face-to-face learning to on-campus, in-person students and simultaneously to students who cannot be on campus and must learn remotely. 

Rotation/flipped model courses are based on the concept of a “flipped” classroom, and include synchronous, as well as asynchronous student learning. Due to limited classroom space caused by social distancing needs, cohorts of students take turns having on-campus, in-person and remote learning. The instructor adds asynchronous learning as needed in order to meet the requirements of the course.

Remote model courses are facilitated via synchronous web-conferencing with options for video recordings, as well as additional online components to meet time-on-task requirements. This model is available to accommodate faculty that cannot be physically in the classroom.

Online model courses are rare for undergraduate students at Manhattan College because we highly value in-person, synchronous instruction. Online occurs outside of a physical classroom, and most often offers completely asynchronous learning. Instructors are separated from their learners in time and distance. Online teaching is typically facilitated through technology, such as video conferencing software, discussion boards or learning management systems.

Synchronous learning refers to a learning event in which a group of students are engaging in virtual learning at the same time. Any learning tool that is in real-time, such as instant messaging that allows students and teachers to ask and answer questions immediately, is synchronous.

Asynchronous learning refers to when instructors provide materials, lectures, tests and assignments that can be accessed remotely at any time. Students may be given a timeframe, usually a one-week window, during which they need to connect at least once or twice.

Students who are not able to return to campus for in-person instruction will be asked to declare their remote status by August 17. If you want or need to be remote for the fall term, you are required to declare your remote student status as soon as possible and by Monday, August 17 by logging into your Self-Service and following the directions. 

Students who need to become remote for a period of time due to health or other reasons during the term must keep their professor informed of when they intend to return to in-person participation. Due to logistical and space issues, any student who begins the term as remote and wishes to change their status to in-person will need to obtain permission to do so. 

Students are expected to attend class at the scheduled times and as instructed by their professor, regardless of their remote or in-person status. As during normal times, students must communicate with their professor if they will not be attending class prior to the class meeting time. If they cannot communicate their absence prior to class time, they should notify their professor as soon as possible.

Classes will begin on August 31. We are anticipating that a number of students may need to travel during the Thanksgiving break. A quarantine period upon return would not be academically feasible in the latter part of the semester.

Given that minimizing travel is a proactive measure, and that quarantine requirements have now been imposed by the governor, the College plans to adjust the fall term accordingly. In order to safeguard our campus environment from travel-related risks, all class sessions after the Thanksgiving Break will be fully remote through the end of the fall term.

We now have an updated class schedule for fall 2020 that extends the length of the day from 7:45 a.m. through 9:35 p.m. This schedule allocates at least 15 minutes in between classes to allow for more social distancing while coming and going, as well as time for each student and faculty member to properly sanitize their desks and lecture areas. Some transitions are 20 minutes without lengthening the day.

There is no change to the fall 2020 tuition deadline of August 10. We understand students and families will be making decisions related to enrollment and housing up to the start of the semester. If a student drops enrollment through the week of add/drop (last day of add/drop is September 4), the College’s liability schedule is to refund 100% of tuition and fees. Resident students who withdraw from housing officially prior to their assigned move-in date (formal process via Residence Life) are also entitled to a 100% refund of amounts paid toward room and board billed for fall 2020. 

Please note that any student that was assigned housing and withdraws before move-in will not be refunded the housing deposit.

Resident students do not have to wear masks when they are alone or with their suitemates in their dorm rooms.

Those with medical conditions that may prevent them from wearing a face mask will be asked to procure an approved face shield instead. Students must submit requests for a mask accommodation to the Specialized Resource Center.

• Suitemates and/or roommates are considered family units; therefore, face coverings are not required in one’s own dorm room.
• Those working in segregated spaces (e.g., cubicles with walls, private library rooms, etc.) may remove their masks when alone there.
• Due to health concerns, student-athletes are required to remove masks while competing, training or strength conditioning.
• While on competitive sidelines and in strength and training facilities, student-athletes must maintain proper social distancing when not wearing masks.
• Student-athletes must wear face coverings immediately after competition and training sessions end.

For those with health conditions, remote learning is the primary accommodation. If students are taking a course that requires face-to-face instruction, they should be in contact with their academic adviser or the chair of their department to discuss whether they will be able to complete the course in fall 2020 remotely or if they need to defer the courses to a future semester (for example, a practicum or internship, CPR, etc.)

Students interested in requesting a COVID-19-related medical accommodation should submit their request to health.services@manhattan.edu. The request should provide all the relevant information on appropriate letterhead from a medical professional. Accommodations will be given on a case-by-case basis as the health and safety of the entire Manhattan College community will be taken into consideration.

Alternative accommodations, such as a face shield, are permitted, with an approved face mask accommodation from Health Services. 

As the New York Department of Health advises testing for all New Yorkers, Manhattan College is requiring all students to be tested for COVID-19. 

All commuter and resi-commuter students (those living in off-campus housing) are required to be tested. Students will be required to be tested in the two weeks before the start of classes in order to be allowed to attend classes on campus. Test results should be submitted to the Health Services office through the COVID-19 test portal before August 31. 

All residential students will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing on campus, which will take place on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday testing schedule. Our testing partner will be sending a team of professionals to campus to perform on-site testing in cooperation with the College. Testing will be conducted using a SARS-CoV-2 nasal swab test. Student health insurance information will be collected and billed for this testing. Residential students will be required to test on campus, even if a student submits negative COVID pre-arrival test results in the two weeks prior to return.

However, any student that already has had COVID-19 and received a test to confirm, may submit a copy of the positive viral test or positive antibody test to the COVID-19 test portal to satisfy the Manhattan College testing requirements. Please check with your insurance carrier for coverage before having a test. If you do not have health insurance coverage, you may access no-cost testing at several of these locations. 

 Resources/Testing Locations:

• New York City COVID-19 Information Portal
• CityMD
• Your own private health-care provider

Daily Symptom Reporting Tool

Anyone planning to be on campus must complete the daily symptom tracker. There will be individuals stationed at various campus locations checking your symptom tracker before you can enter certain campus spaces. For more information, visit the Health & Safety page.

Those who exhibit symptoms should contact Health Services for a “telehealth” visit that will direct them to a testing partner. Students who test positive on a surveillance screen — and those with symptoms — are required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days. In addition, positive student cases will be assigned to a contract tracer to identify any College contacts who need to begin quarantine and self-monitoring. These contacts will quarantine for 14 days.

Resident students whose families live within two hours of campus will be directed to isolate at home. Those unable to return home will be directed to an on-campus self-isolation room set aside by Residence Life.

Commuter students will be directed to isolate at home.

The College has  developed an on-campus contact tracing program to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the health and safety of our community. Contact tracing is a priority. The process has proven to be a reliable way of slowing the spread of COVID-19 by identifying those who come into close contact with individuals self-identified as testing positive for the virus. The College’s Contact Tracing program will work with our Health Services and New York City’s Department of Health to help identify any individuals who have come in close contact with a positive person. 

Contact tracing will help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following these steps: 

1. Upon notification of positive cases from Health Services, contact tracers will interview positive individuals to identify people with whom they may have been in contact during the past 48 hours, from the time they exhibited symptoms.
2. Contact tracers will notify and interview all contacts to alert them to their risk of infection and instruct them to self-quarantine for 14 days.
3. Contact tracers will inform individuals placed on quarantine to self-report their symptoms daily through the Symptom Tracker. If they develop COVID-19-like symptoms, the tracker will reflect the change, and Health Services will contact individuals that exhibit symptoms in order to monitor them, and recommend testing when needed. Individuals that test positive will be asked to self-isolate and follow New York City Department of Health guidelines.

The College is seeking One Manhattan Campus Ambassadors to help ease the transition back to campus and keep everyone socially distanced across campus. Volunteers (students, faculty, staff and administrators) are needed to help educate and encourage safe practices for returning to campus. To sign up to be part of the One Manhattan Campus Ambassador program, please click here and complete the form. If you have any questions, please contact Thelma Collado at thelma.collado@manhattan.edu.

The Student Life team is planning several activities for small groups that abide by social distancing and safety guidelines. See a list of activities below:

Recreation and intramurals

Recreation and intramurals will start with socially distanced sports, such as home run derby and mini golf. During the first week, we are holding a virtual 5K co-sponsored by the New York Yankees. Intramurals will still take place this year. 

Performing Arts

Students will still participate in all the ensembles and, just like classes, it'll be a mix of in person/hybrid, concluding with a virtual concert and/or performances. Please note,  live performances will not be held this semester. Please see an example of a virtual performance at the end of last semester by our Singers group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz-q7-jziQM

Student Development

All clubs will be up and running for the fall. Our ninth annual lecture series will be held virtually, and we have already confirmed some amazing speakers. We also plan to hold socially distanced versions of our annual Quadchella day of outdoor live music and big screen movies on the Quad. 

Some other events that will be held remotely or in-person with social distancing measures: 

• Multicultural Center: Latinx Heritage Month Celebration, on-campus All of Us (diversity) Leadership Retreat, and smaller group diversity discussions like the Tiny Talks Series), organized by Hayden Greene, director of multicultural affairs.
• Outdoor Daily Fitness Classes will be offered by Jay Ahmed, director of fitness and wellness, starting August 17. 
• Neighborhood and campus walking tours led by Orientation Leaders (pre-registration required). 
• Community-building group activities with Orientation Leaders will include ice-breakers and small-group discussions on specific topics like adjusting to college life, navigating the campus and other special interest topics. (Pre-registration required).  Students can also join summer hangout sessions.

Campus Ministry/Social Action will offer varied remote and in-person, socially distanced events including:

• Sunday Mass, daily Mass and Sacrament of Reconciliation
• Social justice activities and advocacy with our CRS ambassadors to address issues including global hunger, climate change and economic justice 
• Virtual fair trade activities and in-person free sample giveaways 
• Slice of social justice on topical issues presented by students and faculty
• Live-streamed Agape Latte 
• Virtual retreat weekends 
• Outdoor meditations 
• Weekly wellness check-ins on Instagram 
• Online weekly peer ministry meetings on Google Hangout 
• The Interfaith Leadership Institute on September 17 (CMSA will cover cost of tickets for this online event)
• Manhattan will “send” a delegation of students to the virtual IFTJ (Ignatian Family Teach-In) in October 
• Community engagement opportunities such as the Lasallian Outreach Collaborative and Service on Saturday
• Virtual Social Justice Leadership Program, held over 11 weeks over the course of the semester
• Voter engagement programming