COVID-19 Information and Safety Guidance
The Graduate Center remains open and as dedicated as ever to serving our students through world-class instruction and research support while also creating a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community.
Our faculty, staff, and students are our most important assets. Our priority is to enable all to work, research, and learn in the safest place possible, knowing that may vary depending on each individual’s responsibilities and situation.
Getting the coronavirus vaccine is the single most important step one can take to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19. In close collaboration with CUNY leadership, the Graduate Center is monitoring developments related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and we are following the latest guidance from local, state, and federal agencies. Find more information below.
Important Information
Contacts and Links
If you have any questions about our guidelines or would like a copy of our 2022-23 academic year plan, please email reactivation@gc.cuny.edu or see below for further information.
Faculty, staff, and students who are based at the Advanced Science Research Center will find the ASRC’s detailed ramp-up to in-person research plan here.

Academic Year 2022-23 COVID-19 Information and Safety Guidance
Updated July 18, 2022
The Graduate Center is committed to preserve the wellness and safety of all of our students, faculty, and staff members. Reducing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 on our campus is a community effort that is grounded in mutual respect for each other to foster a safe environment for safe learning, researching and working together. Please refer to the guidelines below for detailed information about vaccination requirements, testing policies, and further COVID-19 information for our campus.
Vaccination
Student Vaccination Mandate Requirements
CUNY mandates that all students taking in-person and hybrid classes have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes a booster once eligible, and upload proof of up-to-date vaccination in CUNYfirst (Student Guide to Vaccination Verification). Maintaining up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination status is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and those with whom you interact with at the Graduate Center.
All students registering for a fully-in person or hybrid class for the 2022 Fall term must upload proof of vaccination to CUNYfirst by ten (10) days before classes begin. Students who do not provide proof of vaccination before classes begin will be de-registered prior to the first scheduled day of classes.
- To ensure that your proof of vaccination is reviewed and approved in time, upload your documentation to CUNYfirst as soon as you are fully vaccinated. The only exception to this rule is the few students who apply for and are granted medical exemptions or religious exceptions.
- All students (except those with approved exemptions or exceptions) must have up-to-date vaccination records in CUNYfirst in order to enter any CUNY facility for any reason.
- If your vaccination documents are already approved in CUNYfirst, you do not need to resubmit them, but they must include proof of being up-to-date, which includes a booster shot once eligible.
- Requests for medical and religious exemptions are made via the Vaccination Verification portal in CUNYfirst. All questions regarding medical exemptions can be directed to the Graduate Center Location Vaccine Authority (LVA) liaisons via email at lva@gc.cuny.edu. All questions regarding religious exceptions can be directed to studentreligiousexemption@cuny.edu.
Students of the Graduate Center are strongly encouraged to receive vaccine boosters once eligible. Please note the following guidelines for booster eligibility:
- Those 18 and older are eligible for a booster shot at 5 months after the completion of two dose regimen of Pfizer, 5 months after the completion of two dose regimen of Moderna or 2 months after the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) shot. The Pfizer or Moderna booster is preferred in most situations.
- Those 12-17 year olds who initially received the Pfizer two dose regimen are eligible for a Pfizer booster 5 months after completing the regimen.
- Those 12 and older 5 months after the completion of a WHO-approved vaccine that is not authorized by the FDA, or 5 months after completion of a mix and match series of WHO-approved and FDA approved/authorized vaccines.
Additional information can be found at #CantStopCUNY Student Vaccination Mandate FAQ.
A user guide on how to upload proof of vaccination can be found here. Questions about vaccination verification and exemptions can be directed to lva@gc.cuny.edu
Faculty and Staff Vaccination Mandate Requirements
All full and part-time faculty and all non-teaching instructional staff (which includes among others, NTAs, CLTs, CAs, and those in the HEO series), and personnel in the Executive Compensation Plan must be fully vaccinated in order to remain employed by the University, unless granted a religious exception, medical exemption or a reasonable accommodation. Ninety-Four percent of all Graduate Center employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The remaining six percent of Graduate Center employees have been granted a religious exception, medical exemption or a reasonable accommodation and participate weekly in the CUNY-19 Testing Program. Additional information can be found at #CantStopCUNY Faculty & Student Vaccination FAQ.
Please refer to the Office of Human Resources' webpage regarding Flexible Work Guidelines and Procedures for Requesting Reasonable Accommodations. Research Foundation employees should consult the RF CUNY website.
To find a vaccination site in New York City, use the City’s Vaccine Finder. To find a vaccination site in New York State, use the CDC’s Find COVID-19 Vaccines search engine.
Testing
PCR tests are available to all CUNY students and employees at no cost. In addition to the COVID-19 testing site located at the Graduate Center on the first floor, there are 19 other COVID-19 testing sites at locations across CUNY. Any CUNY student or employee who needs to be tested for any reason may walk into a site, provide their CUNY ID (EMPLID) or RF ID, and get tested. Results are made available through your Cleared4 account within 24 to 48 hours.
CUNY’s random testing program for vaccinated students and employees is part of CUNY’s multi-pronged strategy to monitor and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The program complements the mandatory weekly testing for students and employees with accommodations, medical exemptions or religious exceptions. Weekly, 10% of randomly selected, vaccinated individuals from across each campus are contacted to be tested for COVID-19. You will receive an email from no-reply@cleared4work.com when you are selected for random testing. The email provides information about the random testing program and the date by which you are required to comply with testing. For a general FAQ’s on the testing program, visit here.
If you are a student and have questions about the random testing program, campus access or your Cleared4 account, please contact the Graduate Center Location Vaccine Authority (LVA) liaisons via email at lva@gc.cuny.edu. If you are an employee, please email the HR liaisons via email at covid-19screening@gc.cuny.edu. Our teams are comprised of staff from the Student Affairs and Human Resources offices. They are experts on CUNY’s and the GC’s COVID-19 policies and procedures and are the GC team that is in place to provide both staff and students with guidance and assistance.
For members of our community who have a medical exemption or religious exception and for staff who are not vaccinated, CUNY mandates a weekly testing program. If you have questions about this requirement, please contact lva@gc.cuny.edu if you are a student, or covid-19screening@gc.cuny.edu if you are an employee. You can check the latest numbers in our COVID-19 Safety Tracker available here.
NYC Health + Hospitals has also made testing available for free on a walk-in only basis and you can find additional New York City COVID-19 Testing sites here. For information about other COVID-19 resources available across New York City, please click here.
Students returning to dorms will be required to be tested before moving in. Questions about the Graduate Center Apartments can be submitted here.
Masking Recommendation
At this time, CUNY does not have a mask mandate. However, the Graduate Center strongly recommends our students, faculty, and staff to wear a mask in crowded and public spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People who are not vaccinated, or over 65 and those at high risk of severe illness should also wear a mask in crowded outdoor spaces. At the Graduate Center masks are available for our community, and you can request one at the front desk and at the main desk in the library (first floor).
Health and Safety
For the health and safety of our entire community, we highly recommend to get regular and recurring testing. If you are sick, stay home. If you do not feel better in three days, please consult your health care provider.
You can test regularly through CUNY’s COVID-19 Testing Program. Students, faculty and staff may take a COVID test at no cost at any one of CUNY’s COVID-19 Testing Sites.
Travel
Graduate Center students, faculty, and staff should follow the CDC domestic travel recommendations and international travel recommendations before reporting back to work or campus. They will also need notify their manager in advance of the travel dates and should quarantine be required.
Any students, faculty or staff engaging in official travel on behalf of CUNY must follow the latest approval requirements for domestic and international travel.
Consider testing if you have been traveling before returning to campus. The Graduate Center community are always welcome to test, for free, at our testing site located in the Foundation Lounge, Room 1102. For current times of operation, please click here.
Recent Updates
Jun 8, 2022
Revised Building Entry Policy & Request for Cleared4 Access Pass for Recurring Visitors
We write to remind the Graduate Center community of the building entry protocols that are still required for CUNY students, faculty, staff, and visitors, and to share information about changes to Graduate Center entry protocols for 1-day visitors.
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