COVID-19 Updates

Westchester Community College’s COVID-19 plans were developed with recommendations from federal, state, and county health professionals to keep the community safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. As the situation concerning the pandemic and the vaccine continue to be fluid, note that our plan will remain subject to change due to new information and updated guidance and/or direction from the State of New York and the Governor’s Office.

STUDENT VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

October 15, 2021

Any student entering college property to take an in-person class or for some other reason, must have one of the following on file with the College:

1. Proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination.
2. An approved medical exemption.*
3. An approved religious exemption.*

*Students who are approved for an exemption to the COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement are required to complete weekly COVID-19 tests.
Please visit the COVID-19 Testing page for more information

Spring 2022 Registration

To attend in-person classes, students must provide proof of compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine requirement or have received an approved exemption BEFORE the start of class.

• Students who are taking classes fully remotely/online are still subject to the provisions of this Vaccine Requirement and may not come to campus for any reason unless they have submitted proof to the college that they are fully vaccinated or have received an approved exemption while completing weekly COVID-19 tests.
• Students who have already provided the college with proof of their completed COVID-19 vaccination or have received notification that they were approved for an exemption to the requirement do NOT need to resubmit their information. The only time a student who is already compliant will need to submit additional/new documentation is if they are updating their status with respect to compliance with the requirement (i.e. providing proof that they completed their vaccine series).

STUDENT COVID TESTING REQUIREMENT

All students entering college property need to comply with COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement (see above). Any student who has received an approved exemption to being vaccinated will be required to complete a weekly COVID-19 test. Testing must occur at the Valhalla testing site of the Westchester Medical Center.
Students who have proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination on file with the College are NOT required to take a weekly COVID-19 test.
All students required to take a COVID-19 Test will need to contact the Westchester Medical Center at either (914) 909-6754 or COVID19CCOPS@wmchealth.org to make an appointment.

• Students must identify that they are a student with the Westchester Community College testing program when making their appointment.
• Westchester Medical Center may contact students to notify them of their requirement and/or schedule a student’s testing appointment.
• Students should not wait for this call but must be proactive and take responsibility for scheduling their test as ultimately it is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are meeting the testing requirement.

When going to Westchester Medical Center for your testing appointment, students should bring a signed consent form. This will identify a student as part of the College’s testing cohort and allow Westchester Medical Center to release testing results to the College. A copy of this form, along with complete information about testing at Westchester Medical Center can be found here under the Message from Westchester Medical Center header.

Students who fail to comply with a required weekly testing requirement will be restricted from accessing campus property. Students restricted from accessing campus property will not be eligible to attend in-person classes (though they may continue in remote coursework).

Student’s restricted from campus will be given a definite period of time they are not permitted on college property. During this period of restriction, students must complete a COVID-19 test at the Westchester Medical Center to regain their access to campus at the close of their period of restriction.

OTHER COVID 19 HEALTH & SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, should maintain a six-foot social distance while on College property, where practicable.
All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks in all indoor College spaces. Exceptions include anyone:

• actively participating in athletic activities;
• drinking beverages or eating meals while social distanced;
• by themselves, including employees when alone in their offices or other spaces;

Coming to Campus

If you are vaccinated:

• You are not required to participate in the weekly COVID-19 PCR testing regimen.
• You must wear a mask at all times when indoors
• It is recommended that you practice social distancing whenever practicable

If you are not vaccinated:

• You must receive a weekly COVID-19 PCR test at Westchester Medical Center’s Valhalla Campus
• You must wear a mask at all times when indoors
• You must practice social distancing whenever practicable

Visitors

NOTE: All visitors to the Valhalla Campus must check-in at the security desk in the Gateway Building lobby Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Visitors to the Harold L. Drimmer Library on weekends can proceed directly to the security desk inside the Library.

Safety Precautions on College Property

When on campus, you will observe the College has implemented several safety precautions:

• Limiting the overall number of people at or in any given location;
• New room occupancy limits for social distancing;
• New hand sanitizers installed in various high-traffic locations;
• New paper towel dispensers to augment air hand dryers;
• Available restrooms are single-occupancy;
• Single use occupancy limit for all elevators;
• Handicap entrances are motion operated;
• Hallways allow traffic to move in one direction;
• Daily and targeted deep cleaning of college facilities;
• Upgraded maintenance levels of air ventilation filters throughout campus; and
• Social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing reminder signs posted throughout College facilities.

Returning to Campus after Exposure to or Testing Positive for COVID-19

Westchester Community College adheres to the CDC and NYSDOH Guidelines which requires a 10-day isolation period for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or a 10-day quarantine period for those who have been identified as a contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19*. If they are asymptomatic, individuals placed on isolation or quarantine may return to in-person classes or work on campus or off-campus sites on day #11.

Students or employees who participate in internships or clinical rotations in nursing homes and other long-term facilities must follow a 14-day quarantine as required by the CDC and the NYSDOH for return to these sites.

*Please note the following:

Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all 3 of the following criteria:

• Are fully vaccinated (i.e., more than 2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or more than 2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
• Vaccinated status has been confirmed by a Westchester Community College Health Office Nurse or by the WCDOH
• Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure

Student Resources

Westchester Community College professionals are working to continue to give you the quality educational experience you expect and deserve! Below you will find the links to resources that can help you get the most of your classes. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to email us at welcomecenter@sunywcc.edu.

List of Student Resources

Health Resources

If you need of physical or mental health resources, please review the resources listed below. If you have any questions or need additional information, please email us at welcomecenter@sunywcc.edu

List of Health Resources

Financial Resources

There are several resources that can help you during this period of economic uncertainty. Links to these resources are provided below. Please do not hesitate to email us at welcomecenter@sunywcc.edu if you have any questions or need additional information.

List of Financial Resources