For University wide guidelines and policies, please visit NYU Returns: NYU's hub for COVID-19-related guidance and information.
Information for Spring 2021
NYU Arts and Science has made the decision to keep the Physics Department main office open in the Spring 2021 semester. In order to minimize in-person contact, the main office would only be staffed by minimal personnel in modified office hours. If you like to speak to a specific staff member, please send an email to arrange for a Zoom appointment. For urgent issues, please contact NYU security or building management at the first floor lobby.
Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 10AM-4PM
- Wear masks or face coverings at all times unless you are alone in your office. Non compliance will be reported to security and may result in NYU ID deactivation.
- Please keep right in hallways and on staircases to maintain social distance.
- Please do not linger in public areas. If you do not have official business in the physics department, we reserve the right to ask you to leave.
- Do not bring guests to the physics department.
- The use of common area furnitures and blackboards are strongly discouraged. Depending on the compliance, we might choose to remove common area furnitures later in the semester.
- Water fountains:
Will be operational. Please use disinfecting wipes to clean handle before and after use. - Kitchens:
Will be open. Coffee machines will stay operational. Please use disinfecting wipes to clean handle before and after use. Please do not congregate around coffee makers. Depending on compliance, we might remove the coffee makers later in the semester.
The department will not supply communal milk for Spring 2021. You can purchase your own milk and creamer, and keep them in the refrigerators with a label. - Microwaves and refrigerators:
Please use disinfecting wipes to clean handle before and after use. - Ice maker:
Ice maker has not been sanitize for more than 6 months. Ice is not safe for consumption. - Bathrooms:
Bathrooms are being tested for airflows. Doors should be kept open to minimize touching door handles after handwashing. - Hallway furnitures and blackboards:
Strongly discouraged. Depending on compliance, furnitures might be removed later in the semester. - HVAC modification:
For the Spring 2021 semster, the ventilation system at 726 Broadway Physics floors will be reprogrammed to bring more than 90% external air all the time. Furthermore, the return air will be filtered to a standard known as MERV 15. That is designated as removing 85% to 95 % of particles 0.3 microns to 1 micron in size. This includes the size of droplets that would contain corona viruses. MERV 15 is just two levels below HEPA which is the system present in clean rooms and some hospital ICUs. Furthermore, the filters will be changed with a frequency of about double the normal rate. Such heavy reliance on external air flow in spaces such as conference and class rooms that hold more than one person means that temperatures might be lower than we are normally used to. - Package deliveries:
Package deliveries would be stored in the holding cabinets in the lobby. An email would be sent by security to the physics package pick-up mailing list. Student workers would also check for package deliveries regularly when they are available.
- Online only classes: No classroom assigned. Online only.
- In-Person classes: No cohorts. Students can choose to attend in person or remotely.
- Hybrid (or bleneded) classes: The number of students in class exceeds classroom occupancy guideline. Students attending in-person will be divided into cohorts. Or they can choose to attend remotely.
Graduate Students Cohort Assignments and Building Access for Spring 2021
- If you choose to attend your class in person, check NYU Classes to see your seat assignments and whether your class has been divided into cohorts.
- Graduate student office space assignemnt: Please contact Gary Mandarano.
- Office key distribution: Please contact Gary Mandarano.
Dear Undergraduate friends,
We are writing to inform you of the university and department rules concerning your use of, and access to, our spaces - floors 8, 9 and 10, 726 Broadway. NYU is rightly taking this crisis quite seriously. There is a lot at stake. We are the largest private university in the country and we are in a city that was devastated by the virus. We have to get it right! That means we will be strict on these rules and there can be no exceptions. The university has a punitive process that it intends to apply to "violators". I suggest you review that policy among the material sent you for this term. So with that:
- The only access you have to 726 is for your classes, and meetings with professors of those classes (office hours) although most of those are likely to be remote.
- There is no lingering before or after class. No hanging out in the lounges, empty class or conference rooms for study or socializing. In fact, the lounge furniture might be removed.
- None of the 10th floor Physics Office facilities are available to you. These include Xeroxing, paper cutting, printing, office supplies.
- We cannot permit any eating, snacking or drinking, except of the chilled water in the fountains, anywhere in our space.
- Implicit in number 1 is that no guests are to be brought into the building.
- Also implicit in number 1 is that in-person participation in research is temporarily suspended for undergraduates. This policy will be reviewed after about a month when the disease trend in our community becomes clear.
- After hour access is suspended until further notice.
- The SPS office is not available. Its lock will be changed. If you have any personal items currently stored there, you may remove them by contacting us.
- Goes without saying, but masks are to be worn at all times in our building and you must remain at least 2 meters from anyone else. (Note MKS units)
These are indeed draconian rules, and quite a change from the way we are used to live as a community in physics. But, we have no choice. It is our individual responsibility to prevent a serious recurrence of this disease. If you have any questions feel free to write me, but please remember, no exceptions.
Best
Frank
Frank A. Moscatelli
Clinical Professor and
Chief of Staff of Physics
New York University
- If you choose to attend your class in person, check NYU Classes to see your seat assignments and whether your class has been divided into cohorts.
- "Remote Rooms are on-campus spaces where you can attend a class remotely or collaborate with others. Study Rooms are on-AND off-campus quieter spaces with less distractions, whether you need to study or simply have downtime between classes." Plans are being made and finalized for students to reserve these rooms through the NYU Mobile App.
- Please set up your NYU Classes Course Sites, if you have not already done so.
- Set up a Zoom meeting for your course before the first day of class. For more details on Zoom and NYU Classes, please visit NYU Classes Zoom (main article)
- For in-person teaching, please arrange seatings using the Seating Assignments tool in NYU Classes prior to the first day of class.
- If you need support for remote teaching equipemnt,
- For instructors teaching physics classes in person at 726 Broadway, please visit this Google Doc for more information(For people teaching in person at 726 Broadway only).
- For instructors teaching physics classes in person elsewhere, please visit the list of classrooms supported by NYU Campus Media. A mobile Zoom cart should be available for remote teaching. Contact Campus Media (Tel: 212-998-2655) if you have any issue.
- If your class has more than 300 students, please fill out this request form to Add Large Meeting (500) feature to your Zoom account.
- Additional information from the NYU Zoom team: NYU Zoom: Zoom Classroom Instructions for Faculty. And NYU Zoom main page.
- If you want to make your blackboard or a video feed to stay uninterrupted by other speakers in the recording, please Spotlight the video in Zoom. Visit this Zoom support page on Spotlight Video for instructions.
- Since webcams are in great shortage, if you need one in a pinch:
- If you happen to have GoPro, see How to use a GoPro as a webcam.
- The other option is to install the Zoom App on your smartphone and connect to your Zoom meeting.
Please contact your lab administrator for special guidelines and PPE locations.