Health and Safety

Vaccination against COVID-19 is the most effective measure to ensure our community avoids serious illness. That is why The New School requires all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated and receive a booster dose as soon as they are eligible.

Learn more.

For the Spring 2023 semester, everyone is strongly encouraged to take a PCR COVID test within 48 hours after arrival on campus. 

Testing is not required for building access for those in compliance with the university’s vaccination policy. 

Free PCR tests continue to be available on campus at Arnhold Hall, located at 55 W. 13th Street.

Masks are strongly encouraged and but optional on campus. 

Masks are always required in the following campus spaces or circumstances: 

• Student Health Services, Student Disability Services, and COVID testing sites

• Following recovery from a recent infection or after a close exposure to an infected individual, based on university policy

All those in performing arts disciplines may choose to practice without a mask. They are encouraged to test regularly but are no longer required to register as part of the university’s Voluntary Maskless Practice program.

The university strongly supports anyone who wishes to wear a mask at any time, in any environment, and for any reason. Additionally, no one can be required to remove a mask if they choose to wear one nor can anyone require others to wear a mask. Wearing a mask does not indicate one’s vaccination, infection, or exposure status. Free masks remain available at vending machines throughout campus. 

Acceptable Mask Options

Masks must cover both the mouth and nose and must be constructed of three-ply material. Health officials recommend double masking and/or a high-quality, well-fitted mask for the greatest protection. Read more on the CDC website.

The following are not acceptable:

• Masks with one-way valves or vents. These masks allow respiratory droplets to be exhaled through a hole in the material and do not prevent the wearer from transmitting COVID-19 to others.

• Gaiters. These face coverings are made of thin porous material that may intensify the amount of droplets and dispersal of aerosols that may be transmitted to others.

• Bandanas. These face coverings are ineffective barriers for the wearer and for others.

Regular hand washing and sanitizer use is encouraged. Additional hand-sanitizing stations have been added at building entrances and other central locations throughout campus, including every building lobby and elevator lobbies on all floors, as well as in offices, classrooms, research and making facilities, and computer labs.

Frequent hand washing is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Members of the university community are expected to practice frequent handwashing to help keep themselves and the community safe. When soap and water is not readily available, hand sanitizer with a minimum concentration of 60% alcohol is an acceptable alternative. During the pandemic, it is especially important to wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds after one has been in public places and had contact with surfaces (door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping carts, or electronic cashier registers/screens, etc.) likely to be touched frequently by others. Washing is essential before touching the eyes, nose or mouth, where germs enter the body.

With the numerous safety measures that the university has put in place, there will be no social distancing requirements on campus. We will continue to operate at full capacity in all campus spaces, except for Student Health Services, which will follow enhanced safety protocols. Classrooms, common spaces, and residence halls will operate at or near capacity. To accommodate as many students as possible, access to study and rehearsal spaces, the Making Center, specialized equipment, workshops, and instruments will be carefully planned and may be different from prior years. More information about these spaces will be available closer to the start of the semester.

Ventilation and Air Quality

In preparation for a safe campus reopening in fall 2021, the university conducted an exhaustive study of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The assessment was carried out in collaboration with ME Engineers to establish a baseline for all HVAC unit performance and evaluate the effectiveness of these systems on our campus. 

The evaluation found that every space on campus, including all classrooms, offices, and public areas, is sufficiently ventilated. Out of an abundance of caution, the university is providing supplementary HEPA filtration units in some spaces to improve ventilation to an even higher standard; a process we anticipated many months ago and is well underway. 

To ensure that every precautionary measure was considered, The New School worked with Brad Hutton, a former Deputy Commissioner for Public Health at the New York State Department of Health, to review the report’s findings and advise the university on our health and safety protocols. His assessment concluded that the university’s comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic—which includes vaccination, frequent testing, and mask requirements along with proper ventilation of all campus spaces—provides as safe an environment as possible for our students, faculty, and staff. You can read the report here.

Additionally, the university is closely following the evolving guidance from public health agencies and industry associations including the CDC, NYC Test and Trace and other government agencies, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). We continue to collaborate with the NYC Colleges and Universities COVID Coordination Council to share best practices, resources, and public health guidance.

Enhanced Cleaning Protocols

The university’s safety and sanitization protocols for the fall semester include nightly cleaning, disinfecting, and ventilation of all on-campus spaces.

• Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipe dispensers are installed in every building lobby and elevator lobbies on all floors, as well as near offices, classrooms, research and making facilities, and computer labs.
• EPA and CDC approved disinfectants, ultraviolet light, and/or SteraMist™ technology are used to clean and sanitize surfaces.
• High touch surfaces are cleaned throughout the day, and heightened sanitization occurs during overnight cleaning.
• Where feasible, touchless equipment has been installed.

Barriers or clear sneeze guards are installed at service desks (security desks, equipment centers, computer labs, etc.) where employees are at higher risk due to interactions with many people.

The university will initiate its contact tracing and quarantine protocol if a community member is exposed to COVID-19. The purpose of contact tracing is to identify and notify in a timely manner close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 and to educate those contacts on quarantine instructions, symptom monitoring, and steps to take if they become symptomatic. To learn more about this process, click here. Read our FAQ for additional information.

Should a positive case be identified on campus or a safety issue arise in one of our facilities, the university will determine whether a temporary or indefinite shutdown of campus activity is necessary to reduce the risk of exposure and spread of COVID-19.

Depending on the severity of an outbreak, the university may need to transition in-person learning to remote formats and limit on-campus activities for a period of at least 14 days, in coordination with the NYC Department of Health. This includes in-person instruction, academic activity (e.g., research), and task time (e.g., in the Making Center and rehearsal spaces). Remote access to all university resources (including academic, library, etc.) continues. Residence halls will remain open.

Given the fluid nature of the pandemic, The New School may have to adjust campus access due to guidance or mandates from the NYC Department of Health and NYS Department of Health, which may impact academic and residential services.

In the event of a cluster of cases in the residence halls, The New School -- in collaboration with the Department of Health -- may need to quarantine a floor or even an entire hall for a period of 14 days. In that event, the university would provide students with supportive services, including access to food and to alternate remote learning opportunities.