FAQs
Health/Safety- What are the Precautions for Various Risk Levels?
When the COVID-19 risk is high
Masks will be required everywhere on campus when the city officially designates the COVID-19 risk level as “high” or if the campus is seeing more than 35 cases per week.
In consultation with departments and the faculty teaching a class, the Office of the Provost may grant masking exceptions for certain class sessions or activities. No unmasking can take place unless officially sanctioned by the Office of the Provost.
At this risk level, food and beverages at events and meetings should take the form of a boxed meal that participants may carry to a separate space during a meal break if they wish to eat isolated from others, or on a “to-go” basis for participants to take with them after the meeting or event.
Field trips must be planned to avoid communal eating by participants.
Third parties renting college spaces may serve food inside the space they rent at this risk level, provided no Columbia employees or students are mandated to attend who are not comfortable being in a mixed-masking environment. Similarly, third parties renting college spaces may set their own masking protocols for the event at this risk level, provided it does not violate any government order and provided no Columbia employees or students are mandated to attend who are not comfortable being in a mixed-masking environment.
The universal masking requirement and the food protocol will be in effect until the city is at “medium” risk for three weeks and cases remain below 35 a week on campus for three weeks.
When the COVID-19 risk is medium
When the city officially designates the COVID-19 risk as “medium” and weekly COVID-19 cases on campus are below 35, masks will be required in all instructional settings* and will be optional elsewhere.
*“Instructional setting” is defined as classrooms as well as spaces where formal interactions between college employees and students take place – this includes classrooms, studios and fabrication spaces (see the full list) and off-campus indoor locations where instruction takes place—or where employees and students meet for appointments or where students drop in for support services. At the library, individuals should be masked when checking out books or meeting with staff, but can be unmasked in the book stacks, at computer stations and in the reading or study spaces.
Note that the college will go from “low” to “high” as key thresholds are met, but numbers will need to be at “medium” for three weeks before the college will go from “high” to “medium” precautions.
Individuals must be masked at all times when visiting the Student Health Center, the campus COVID-19 testing facility, or CareATC.
Classroom masking exceptions may be granted by the Office of the Provost as described above.
Food will be allowed at college events or meetings at the medium risk level under the following conditions: Plated or buffet-style food is allowed at events and meetings but must follow (and not coincide with) any presentation or program or formal meeting, and where possible should be served in a separate part of the space or different space. Consider boxed meals as an alternative so people can eat isolated from others if they wish.
Field trips should be planned to avoid communal eating by participants when possible.
Third parties renting college spaces may serve food inside the space they rent at this risk level, provided no Columbia employees or students are mandated to attend who are not comfortable being in a mixed-masking environment. Similarly, third parties renting college spaces may set their own masking protocols for the event at this risk level, provided it does not violate any government order and provided no Columbia employees or students are mandated to attend who are not comfortable being in a mixed-masking environment.
For the college to go from the “medium” level to the “low” level, the city must be at “low” risk for four weeks and weekly campus COVID-19 cases must be below 10 for four weeks.
When the COVID-19 risk is low
Masking will be optional across campus indoor settings when the city’s risk level is at “low” and campus COVID-19 weekly cases are below 10.
There are no restrictions on food on campus or on field trips.
To go to this level of “low” from “medium,” the city must be at “low” risk for four weeks and weekly campus COVID-19 cases must be below 10 for four weeks.
Masking may continue in some instructional settings. The college will continue to discuss with campus stakeholders possible continued masking requirements in some instructional settings at this level.
These precautions are subject to change based on the health situation and government guidance.