Good day, The correspondence below was shared with all CUNY students. Be well, Jennifer Jennifer L. Jarvis Interim Vice President Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Queens College 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY 11367 From: On behalf of EVC and Provost Lemons <cunycommunications@cuny.edu<mailto:cunycommunications@cuny.edu>> Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 3:35:00 PM Subject: Spring: 70% of Classes in Person [The City University of New York] Dear Student, We are on track to return to at least 70 percent fully in-person courses on every campus for Spring 2022. This does not mean that online courses are disappearing. In fact, CUNY will continue to offer a much more robust selection of online and hybrid courses than before the pandemic. The reason for a more in-person presence next semester is simple: We now know that most undergraduate students perform better academically when they attend many of their classes in person and are able to interact more directly with their classmates and professors. This is especially true for first- and second-year students and community college students. And so CUNY — as the nation’s most celebrated engine of upward social mobility — has an obligation to you to deliver the mix of course offerings that will help you succeed in college and beyond. For the spring 2022 semester, students will benefit from a more dynamic student life, in-person office hours with faculty, and the many resources our campuses offer. Your safety remains our top priority: * Students taking in-person or hybrid courses this spring must be fully vaccinated when classes begin or they will be withdrawn from any in-person or hybrid classes. The only exception to this rule is the few students who apply and are granted medical exemptions or religious exceptions. To be sure that your documentation is approved in time, upload to CUNYfirst as soon as you are fully vaccinated. DON’T WAIT. For deadlines and additional information visit here<https://maestro.cuny.edu/trk/click?ref=zqtbwp23f_2-1uc942a-0-22ffx389b6x0mDaspdOz4H&>. * Our weekly testing numbers reveal a University that is operating generally free of the virus. Since August 25, the University has conducted 87,016 tests of unvaccinated individuals, of which 271 have been positive, a rate of 0.20%, considerably lower than the city- and statewide figures. You can monitor the results of our weekly testing in the CUNY COVID-19 Safety Tracker<https://maestro.cuny.edu/trk/click?ref=zqtbwp23f_2-1uc942a-0-22ffx389b7x0mDaspdOz4H&>. * CUNY’s random COVID-19 testing program of vaccinated individuals ramped up in the last week of November, adding to the measures we have taken to keep CUNY’s campuses among the safest places to be in all of NYC. Our goal is to test approximately 10% of the vaccinated community every week. Still, with cases on the rise in the country and the growth of the omicron variant we will remain vigilant and ready for additional safety measures should they be required, as we have throughout the pandemic. But for now, we look forward to welcoming many more of you back to a safe campus in January. Thank you for your commitment to your studies and good luck with your finals. Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season! Sincerely, Daniel E. Lemons, Ph.D. Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost