FAQs

On this page, we hope to answer all your questions, but if you find we’ve missed something, reach out to us at COVID19-info@cbu.edu and we will provide you with additional information.

Is the CBU campus open?
Yes, the CBU campus is open at all faculty, staff, and students who have complied with the COVID-19 vaccine requirement or have been allowed an exemption for religious or medical reasons.

All persons entering campus (via any of the Central or East Parkway campus gates) will continue to 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. Guests to campus must also provide the health assessment results and are required to wear face masks while on campus.

Do we still have an attendance policy?
CBU’s attendance policies remain in effect. 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 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 to use Starfish for the Academic Alert process for absenteeism and for students who exhibit a pattern of failing to respond to course prompts.

Will faculty hold office hours?
For the 2021-22 academic year, full-time faculty may continue to schedule virtual office hours for up to half of their required ten (10) hours per week. 

What is CBU doing to ensure that classrooms are safe?
CBU has taken multiple measures to ensure a safe learning environment for our students and faculty. Masks are required inside all campus facilities. 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.

Are masks required in classrooms?
Students, faculty, staff, and all campus visitors are required to wear protective face masks in all enclosed public spaces on campus including classrooms, offices, lounges, reception areas, hallways, study areas, dining facilities, and athletic facilities. 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 the academic schools upon request to Academic Affairs). 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

But if I’m eating during class, I can remove my mask?
As a supplement to the requirement for masks to be worn in all interior spaces on campus, eating is prohibited during all on-campus class sessions. Students and instructors may remove masks temporarily to sip drinks, but masks must remain on otherwise.

Is CBU offering COVID-19 testing to faculty and staff?
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.

Can I reserve a room for an event?
If you would like you discuss your space needs, please contact the Office of Events Management at events@cbu.edu.