Message from President Bloom: COVID-19 Update 8/14/20

Published: Friday, August 14, 2020

Dear NJIT Students, Faculty, and Staff

As we approach the onset of our Fall semester and the start of classes, NJIT will welcome members of our university back to campus and deliver a significant amount of in-person instruction as well as residence options for our students. We will do so responsibly and did not arrive at this decision lightly. We have considered the potential risks as well as the mission of our university and have implemented the measures detailed in our Pandemic Recovery Plan (PRP) to provide for a safe learning environment. We are proceeding along this path because of the disciplines we teach, our rigorous and lab-based curriculum, the applied and transformative research being done on our campus, and what we have learned over the years about the teaching and learning of the diverse profile of our student body. 

Though we hoped and had valid reason to anticipate that the State of New Jersey would be in Stage 3 of its recovery by this time, Governor Murphy gave his approval this week for New Jersey colleges and universities to return to in-person instruction with appropriate protocols in place while we remain in Stage 2. The Governor spoke eloquently at a meeting last evening with the state’s higher education presidents about his dedication to in-person learning and its need, particularly for first generation and underrepresented students. Yesterday, he granted authorization for reopening via Executive Order 175, which states, “Effective immediately, degree-granting institutions of higher education may resume all in-person instruction not previously permitted...” Interim Secretary of Higher Education Diana Gonzalez added, “We know how effective in-person learning is as it provides students academic and social supports that cannot be offered as efficiently in remote settings.” We agree with their assessment and note that NJIT’s PRP has been reviewed by the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

With a strong and flexible plan in place that makes extensive use of a converged-learning model, our focus must now turn to implementation. This is a task that will require a high level of responsibility on the part of each and every member of our campus community. It is incumbent that each of us returning to campus:

  • familiarize ourselves with the PRP and what it means for us and our roles at NJIT;

  • take the online trainings that have been created and disseminated;

  • complete our individual COVID-19 viral testing protocol prior to returning to campus; 

  • take and comply with the health check upon signing on to your NJIT account;

  • use the remote sensing temperature stations located around campus;

  • wear appropriate face coverings properly;

  • adhere to physical distancing; 

  • and practice good hand hygiene. 

These are the behaviors that each of us are responsible for and that mitigate spread of this virus. 

We recognize the seriousness of this pandemic and the concerns that have been expressed by some of our colleagues, but we are confident in our ability to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to campus and move forward with in-person instruction through our converged-learning model this Fall. NJIT made significant investments to both improve remote-instructional capabilities and to provide for the health and safety of those members of our university community who will be on campus regularly. These investments will enable us to offer the best and safest educational experience possible, regardless of what we encounter in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

If circumstances change and make it prudent to reduce or refrain from in-person instruction or de-densify our campus at any time, we will not hesitate to do so. We have worked intensely to prepare for whatever challenges this pandemic presents during the Fall semester. The plan we have developed with the input of many members of the NJIT community, expertise from professionals in healthcare and related fields, and the review and feedback from the State of New Jersey will enable NJIT to fulfill its mission of providing a high-quality educational experience to its students, safely.

NJIT will continue to be guided, to the best of our ability, by the priorities of delivering upon the university’s mission and assuring the safety and wellbeing of our community members while providing an excellent academic experience to our students. We look forward to the onset of a new semester and to engaging with all the members of our university community this Fall, in-person and on campus as well as remotely through technology.

Sincerely

NJIT President Joel S. Bloom