FAQs

Yes, the CBU campus is open. All faculty, staff, students, and those who need to conduct business with the University are allowed to visit campus without any prior approval. The campus entrance on Central Ave. is open as are both East Parkway entrances. Please note, the Residential Student gate on East Parkway will continue to be available only to residential students and members of the Student Development and Campus Life team.

All persons entering campus (via any of the Central or East Parkway campus gates) will continue to be required to (a) wear face masks at all times while on campus and (b) present the results of the daily CBU COVID CHECK health assessment (which can be found online at www.cbu.edu/coronavirus) or be given a paper version of the health assessment. They may also be required to submit to random touchless temperature checks upon entering the campus.

To promote greater social distancing, CBU community members should follow the directional signage in all buildings. This includes designated entrances and exits for buildings and offices, posted signs regarding traffic flow within areas such as the Business Office, Alfonso Cafeteria or Library, and arrows on floors or walls indicating directions for hallway foot traffic. You can review a map of all entrances and exits below or pick up a print copy at public locations around campus.

Please note, in the case of an emergency such as a fire, all doors should be used as building exits.

Our traditional study spaces such as Plough Library and the Swashbuckler Lounge remain open but will have reduced capacity to allow for social distancing. Students needing places to study or take online courses are invited to use classrooms when they are not in use for scheduled classes. To determine if a room might be available, please consult the “View Room Usage” tool on the Events Management website. (Note: the appearance of availability on the room usage tool will not guarantee that the room is vacant.)

This policy only applies to traditional and computer classrooms in Buckman Hall. It does not apply to rooms designated as labs or studios.

Guidelines:

• Adhere to room capacity as indicated on room signage.
• Maintain 6 feet of physical distancing on all sides.
• Use headphones if you’re using audio.
• If others are already present, ask their permission if you intend to talk (e.g., during a synchronous online class).
• Respect scheduled class times by entering only after members of a class have exited, and make sure to depart before a class session starts.
• Use available sanitation supplies to clean up before leaving.
• Do not leave a mess. Dispose of wipes, towels, gloves, etc. in waste containers in or outside the classroom.
• Do not spray anything on the whiteboards.
• WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES.
• No eating allowing.
• Group socializing is not allowed. Classrooms are strictly for academic use.

Students are strongly encouraged to place online orders through CBU’s online bookstore. Online book orders can be picked up in the campus store between 8:00 and 9:00 am and between 4:00 and 6:00 pm, M-F and curbside between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, M-F. Students studying in a fully remote manner can work with the CBU Bookstore directly to have materials sent via mail or prepared for pick-up.

Campus Safety will be making IDs and assigning parking tags for all new students, faculty, and staff – as well as anyone who needs a replacement ID – in the Campus Safety office in St. Joseph. Everyone must follow posted guidelines for social distancing. If you will be working or studying in a fully remote capacity, you may either wait to get a campus ID until you are able to join us on campus or you may contact Campus Safety at safety@cbu.edu to discuss your needs.

At this time, all CBU resident students should be moved into campus housing following the staggered move-in plan. If you have not moved into campus housing or have any questions about the move-in process, please contact Residence Life at reslife@cbu.edu.

All visitors/delivery personnel must enter through the Maurelian gate (student residential parking lot) and check in at the guard booth. This gate is the entrance that is directly north of the main access E. Parkway Gate. Once at the guard booth, visitors/delivery service personnel will be required to immediately utilize a face mask, complete the CBU COVID-19 Health Assessment and submit to a touchless temperature check. If the individual(s) do not have a face mask, one will be supplied to them at that location.

After being cleared by the guard staff, occupants of the vehicle will be directed to park in the designated waiting area that is marked by orange parking cones, and the visitors/delivery service personnel will be responsible for contacting the student via cell phone.

Visitors/delivery service personnel must remain at the designated waiting area, wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines. It will be the responsibility of the student to promptly meet the visitor/delivery service at the designated waiting area. Students will be required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing guidelines.

Wheeled wagons are available at the guard booth for students who may need assistance in transporting delivery items to their residential facility. When needing a wagon, students will required to leave their CBU I.D. until the wagon is returned to the guard booth. Students who fail to return the wagon will be charged for its replacement.

It is important for every student to review their course schedule, since so many changes have been made. Given adjustments that have been made to be responsive to the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, your courses may have changed in instructional method (whether they are traditional, hybrid, or online) or day/time. You must look up each of your courses in Banner Web to ensure you have an up-to-date understanding of the instructional method and time of each course. We recommend doing this once as soon as possible, and then again just before the beginning of the semester.

Use Banner Web to look up information for each course, using the instructions below. This may be a tedious process, but it is the only way you can confirm your course details for sure!  

1. Log into your Banner Web account (Under “Academic Account Links” at https://www.cbu.edu/mycbu/). 
2. Select the “Student Services” tab at the top of the screen. 
3. Select ”Course Schedule” from the menu. 
4. Select “Spring 2021” under the “Search by Term” dropdown menu, then press “Submit.”  
5. Select the Subject of your course. Ensure that the 3-4 letters next to the select subject match those on your course list (Examples: “Business (BUS)” or “Engineering (ENGR)”). Then press “Course Search.” 
6. Find the three-digit Number of your course in the list provided (Examples: “260” or “101”). Then press “View Sections.”  
7. Select your section of the course, ensuring that the five-digit CRN matches the section on your schedule (Examples: “10608” or “10609”). 
8. You should arrive at a page that provides all the details of your course section, including: 
   a. Books you Need (the “View Books at eFollett” hyperlink)
   b. Instructional Method (located right above the number of credits for the course)
   c. Times and days that the class will meet (under “Scheduled Meeting Times”)
9. Repeat this process for each course.

Traditional: All instruction will take place face-to-face in-person. You will be expected to attend class on campus at the time and place designated on your schedule. 

Hybrid: You will experience a combination of face-to-face and online instruction. You will be expected to attend some class sessions on campus at the time and place designated on your schedule. Some of your class sessions may be online at that identified class time or they may be asynchronous (when students complete their learning through a variety of online learning activities on their own schedule). Your course instructor should communicate their plan of instruction with you. You can also reach out to your instructor with any questions you have now. 

Online: No face-to-face instruction will occur, so you will not be expected to come to a certain classroom—or even campus—to attend this course. Your instruction may occur synchronously (when everyone learns together at the same time through an online platform like WebEx) or asynchronously (when students complete their learning through a variety of online learning activities on their own schedule). Your instructor will also communicate their plan of instruction with you. 

• Online with no time or day listed: Your course will be completely online and without any synchronous (everyone learning together at the same time) instruction. You will be completing your coursework on your own schedule. (We strongly recommend setting aside the same time each week to work on online classes so you develop a routine and prioritize this work in the same way that you would for your other courses. Work with the Academic Services team for suggestions and planning, if needed.) The “Start Here” link at the bottom of the home page of every course in CANVAS will help you understand the technology and software you need to be successful. 

Different course sections may have different instructional methods, especially if they are taught by different instructors with different teaching styles. For example, BUS 103 has one hybrid section and one online section. That means that the students in the online section will not meet in person, while the students in the hybrid section will. Make sure you look up the details for each of your sections.   

If the times and days are blank next to your course, that means that your course will be completely online and without any synchronous (everyone learning together at the same time) instruction. You will be completing your coursework on your own schedule. (We strongly recommend setting aside the same time each week to work on online classes so you develop a routine and prioritize this work in the same way that you would for your other courses. Work with the Academic Services team for suggestions and planning, if needed.) 

CBU’s attendance policies remain in effect for the 2020-21 academic year. However, faculty are expected to exercise lenience for students whose attendance or class participation is disrupted due to COVID-19 related exigencies including but not limited to illness, exposure, or technological disruptions due to quarantine displacement. Moreover, diversity of online and hybrid course designs this year may complicate normal attendance-taking methods. In those courses, especially, faculty should lay out clear expectations for class participation and must document student absenteeism or failure to participate in milestone events in the course. Faculty are strongly encouraged to maintain good attendance records in Bannerweb, and use the Academic Alert process for absenteeism and for students who exhibit a pattern of failing to respond to course prompts.

Students suspecting COVID-19 exposure or infection must contact University Health Services immediately at hharring@cbu.edu or (901) 321-3260. If the situation warrants quarantine or isolation protocols, the Health Services staff will make that determination and notify the CBU Coordinator of COVID-19 Operations. The Coordinator will contact Academic Services, who will then notify the student’s professors.

For the 2020-21 academic year, virtual office hours will be the norm and should be conducted via Webex whenever possible. Faculty should provide students with reliable contact information and regular times when they are able to respond to students promptly. This information should be outlined in detail within course syllabi and should be reiterated to students on a regular basis. Meetings with students should be conducted virtually unless course requirements, disability accommodations, or the academic needs of a student dictate otherwise. Weekly availability should be consistent with university stipulated office hour requirements: 10 hours for full-time faculty; 1-3 hours for adjunct faculty (recommended unless otherwise defined by program-specific guidelines).

If you are still struggling to understand your courses and instructional methods, please email studentsuccess@cbu.edu and a staff member or academic advisor will be able to assist you. 

More than ever, it is important to keep a calendar/planner of your various assignments for each course, their deadlines, and your class meetings. That could look like a physical notebook or an online app such as Outlook or Google Calendar. If you have a class that is completely online and does not meet in person, carve out some time in your weekly schedule for you to complete work for that course. Your advisor can assist. If you will be working with a Peer Mentors, Peer Tutors, and/or Resident Assistant, you will have even more pathways to support a daily schedule that will work best for you.  

Students are now able to see which of their registered classes are online, which are hybrid, and which are still face-to-face. Students who desire a different mode for their courses should look at the University course schedule to see if there are other sections offered that are in their desired format.

Students who need to study fully online must fill out the online-only request form (Spring ’21) available to all registered students. The purpose of this form is to provide assistance and advising for change requests. We will do our best to align a student’s desired course format with available options.

Students with underlying medical conditions requiring online instruction as an accommodation will receive priority placement in available online courses. Students with this request should also use the online-only request form to initiate this process.

Along with students requiring medical accommodations, our international students will receive priority placement in online courses. Please use the online-only request form.

No. If you like your classes as scheduled, you don’t need to change a thing.

CBU has taken multiple measures to ensure a safe learning environment for our students and faculty. Our classrooms will receive daily deep cleaning, and each room is capped at a maximum capacity for physical/social distancing. Directional signage is in place to manage traffic in and out of buildings and classrooms as well. Masks are required both inside campus facilities and outside on campus property. Classrooms have been supplied with hand sanitizer and cleaning products for anyone who would like to use them. If supplies need to be restocked, faculty or students should contact the Dean’s office in each school or email covid19-info@cbu.edu with the classroom information.

As part of our coronavirus mitigation practices, our CBU Compact requires that faculty and staff will participate in COVID-19 testing as requested. Employees must stay home if they are sick or have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. All employees should consult with their healthcare provider to determine if they should obtain a COVID-19 test at a local testing facility. They should also contact their supervisor and Human Resources who will advise them on any quarantine requirements or if a negative COVID-19 test result will be required before returning to campus.

Beginning August 31, 2020 and continuing throughout the academic year, CBU will initiative weekly random testing. If you are randomly selected, you will receive a phone call and an email from Human Resources with specific instructions. The minimally invasive, self-administered testing will be done on campus at the Health Services modular building located between the Thomas Center and Rozier Hall during regular business hours.

If faculty and staff are working entirely remotely and not coming to campus at all, they will not be randomly selected for testing. Supervisors are responsible for registering all exclusively remote faculty and staff with Human Resources.

Students, faculty, staff, and all campus visitors are required to wear protective face masks in all public spaces on campus including, but not limited to, classrooms, offices, lounges, reception areas, hallways, study areas, dining facilities, athletic facilities, and public outdoor spaces. Students may be dismissed from class for not wearing masks, and it is not the faculty member’s responsibility to provide masks to students. (Disposable masks will be made available to students in designated spaces around campus). In the event that a student refuses to leave a class for not wearing a mask, class activities should be suspended, and the faculty member is to contact Campus Safety at (901) 321-3550 for immediate assistance.

CDC recommends that people wear masks that have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric; completely cover your nose and mouth; and fit snugly against the sides of your face without gaps. Do not wear masks that are made of fabric that makes it hard to breathe (for example, vinyl) or masks that have exhalation valves or vents which allow virus particles to escape. (N95 masks are widely considered by experts to be the most effective mask available, but public health agencies have widely recommended that N95s largely remain reserved for those who work in healthcare and for those in more at-risk populations.) CDC MASK GUIDELINES