The Path Forward
As of August 1, 2021, Bay Path University will welcome faculty, staff, and students back to the Longmeadow campus. Our decision is based on current public health information and the significant reduction in COVID-19 cases reported at both the local and state level, as well as the University’s continual commitment to our guiding principles that have ensured the health and well-being of our entire community.
We look forward to holding in-person undergraduate and graduate classes, prospective student tours, athletic games, events, and other activities. While we greatly anticipate reopening our physical campus, the pandemic has also taught us how to leverage technology to ensure our learning and working environments are accessible and inclusive, and we will continue to accommodate and incorporate those at a distance into our community.
As we navigate our way to this new normal, our COVID Task Force will remain operational, monitoring the pandemic and responding with the appropriate measures. Although much success has been achieved against this unprecedented pandemic, please be aware that new developments with COVID-19 may require the Task Force to implement a change in protocols and plans. Consistently, Bay Path’s greatest strength as a community is rooted in the most basic of human qualities: care, responsibility, and empathy. In the coming months, by working together, we will be able to secure a safe and rewarding learning and working experience for all.
Fall 2021 Information for Students, Faculty, & Staff
Will I need to be vaccinated to attend classes in person?
Yes. All undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff who will be on campus after August 1 will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide the appropriate documentation. Please refer to the vaccination policy .
How do I submit my vaccine documentation?
Once you have received your Covid-19 vaccine, please submit and upload your documentation through the my.baypath.edu portal and select vaccination status.
What if I can’t get the vaccine for health reasons?
Please consult your healthcare provider if you are eligible for a medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you would like an exemption from the vaccine due to health reasons, you must submit a medical exemption form to dbaker@baypath.edu . The medical exemption form for students, faculty, and staff is available on the my.baypath.edu portal and must be submitted by July 26.
What if I don’t want the vaccine for religious reasons?
A request for a religious exemption will be reviewed and granted on a case-by-case basis. Students can submit their religious exemption form to Dean Anne Chapdelaine: achapdelaine@baypath.edu . Employees can submit their religious exemption form to Javier Padilla, assistant vice president and director of human resources: japadilla@baypath.edu . The religious exemption form for students, faculty, and staff is available on the my.baypath.edu portal and must be submitted by July 26.
If I am completely remote, either studying or teaching, do I need to be vaccinated?
No. You will not need a vaccination at this time.
I am a commuter student: Do I need to be vaccinated?
Yes. All students who attend classes or will be on campus for any reason are
I have not been able to be vaccinated: Will Bay Path provide a means for me to be vaccinated?
Free vaccinations are provided at a CVS Pharmacy located .2 miles from campus. You can make an appointment at CVS, or any other site in Massachusetts, by going to the COVID-19 Vaccine Finder Form .
What are the approved vaccines at Bay Path?
Currently, Bay Path University approves three vaccines authorized and recommended by the FDA and CDC:
Pfizer-BioNtech
Moderna
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen
I am not vaccinated: What procedures must I follow to be on campus?
Unvaccinated students, as well as faculty and staff, are required to wear face coverings indoors, and also outdoors when social distancing of six (6 ) feet or more cannot be maintained. Unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff are permitted to be on campus ONLY
If there is a case of COVID-19, what protocols are in place to protect the community?
If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 or a variant, you will be required to return home to ensure the health and safety of the Bay Path community and your own. For extenuating circumstances, Bay Path has designated a separate student housing area for isolation/quarantine.
Will there be COVID testing? UPDATED
A positive pool test will result in all students being contacted within that pool sample. Students will be required to retest using the BinaxNOW rapid test . This test will be performed and processed in Health Services with results reported in 15 to 20 minutes of sample collection.
Failure to comply with the testing/vaccination policy will result in the individual being referred to the Student Conduct system within the Dean of Students office.
Students with a Religious or Medical Waiver will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 Test 72 hours prior to their arrival on campus and are required to test every 7 days:
Residential Students with Approved Exemptions moving into residence halls are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test dated within 72 hours of move in and will need to have a polymerase chain reaction(PCR)* test weekly starting the week of September 6th.
*A (PCR) test is performed to detect genetic material from a specific organism, such as a virus. The test detects the presence of a virus if you are infected at the time of the test. The test could also detect fragments of virus even after you are no longer infected. (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21462-covid-19-and-pcr-testing)
Commuting students with Approved Exemptions will have to submit a negative COVID-19 test between 9/3/21 - 9/7/21 if planning to attend classes starting the week of September 6, 2021. The COVID -19 test cannot be dated any earlier than 9/3/21 to be in compliance with the 72-hour requirement. Students have the option of being tested weekly on campus, free of charge, in Health Services, or submit a negative COVID-19 test from an off-campus testing center at the student's expense. Results must be uploaded to their Medicat health record portal . (must be logged into the My Bay Path portal for the link to work)
Starting the week of September 6, 2021, all vaccinated residential students are required to submit to a COVID-19 pool test every 21 days, see testing schedule below. This method is structured to have 2 – 10 samples per vial that will be sent to the Broad Institute for processing. There will be 40 – 60 tests done each week. Testing will be completed on a three-week cycle as follows:
Week 1: First floor of Wright Hall, Bollum Hall and Theinert Hall
Week 2: Second floor of Wright Hall, Bollum Hall, and Theinert Hall
Week 3: Third floor of Wright Hall and third & fourth floor of Bollum Hall
What do I do if I experience COVID-19 symptoms?
If you are a resident student and are not feeling well , you should call Health Services for an appointment at 413.565.1104, during the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Should you require medical attention outside of these hours, residential life staff will be available to help you take the appropriate next steps, including a visit to local urgent health care or one of the local hospitals. If needed, local Emergency Medical Services will respond.
Faculty, staff, commuter students and other community members should not come to campus and seek consultation from a health care provider. Students who test positive for COVID-19, should contact health services at 565.1104. Faculty and staff should inform Human Resources.
Will masks be required indoors? UPDATED
With the number of regional COVID-19 cases increasing and a greater risk of transmission due to the more infectious delta variant, Bay Bath University will now require anyone in a campus building or on a campus shuttle to wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status .
This new policy takes effect August 18, 2021 and applies to all university facilities including buildings on the Longmeadow, East Longmeadow and Concord campuses.
This policy requires all students, faculty, staff and visitors to wear a face covering that covers the mouth and nose when indoors.
As part of the current mandate:
In-person meetings or group activities in conference rooms or other indoor spaces should be conducted with all participants being masked—regardless of vaccination status.
In the classroom, instructors and students must remain masked.
When eating in Blake Dining Commons, the Carpe Diem Cafe’, kitchenettes, or other public or shared spaces on campus, everyone should remain masked and only remove their face mask to eat, and then re-mask when done.
In residence halls, resident students may be unmasked in their room with their roommate(s) or on their assigned floor. At all other times, students should be masked.
Face coverings are not required outdoors, except for those who have an approved vaccination exemption.
Face masks are required for all persons using the University shuttle.
Face masks will not be required when:
Working alone in a private office
Working alone in a shared space
Working in a cubicle with a barrier between people and when not providing services to anyone
Disposable face masks will be available at centralized locations throughout the campus. Students returning to the University for the fall semester are encouraged to bring with them reusable face masks.
Will masks be required outdoors?
If you are vaccinated, then you are not required to wear face coverings outdoors. If you are unvaccinated, you are required to wear a face covering outdoors when social distancing of six (6) feet or more cannot be maintained.
Will Bay Path be providing masks? UPDATED
Disposable face masks will be available at centralized locations throughout the campus. Students returning to the University for the fall semester are encouraged to bring with them reusable face masks.
Can I use the microwaves and refrigerators in the residence halls?
Yes. All common areas, including kitchen facilities, will return to pre-COVID 19 access and use.
What are the dining hall hours?
The Blake Dining Commons will return to the following schedule:
Monday through Friday Breakfast : 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.Lunch : 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Dinner : 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday Brunch : 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Dinner : 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Will the Carpe Diem Café be open?
Yes. The hours will be the following:
Monday – Friday , 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Saturday , 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Will the Ryan Center Café be open?
Yes. The hours will be the following:
Monday – Thursday , 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Friday , 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
What are the dining hall protocols? UPDATED
When eating in Blake Dining Commons, the Carpe Diem Cafe’, kitchenettes, or other public or shared spaces on campus, everyone should remain masked and only remove their face mask to eat, and then re-mask when done.
Are there restrictions for the number of people who can gather?
There are currently no restrictions.
Will events be held on campus?
Can I have a visitor/guest in the residence hall? UPDATED
The guest policy will go into effect on October 1, 2021. No outside guests are permitted in the residence halls until this date.
The guest policy for the Fall of 2021 will allow for external guests (defined as anyone who is not a Bay Path University residential student ) to be permitted within the residence halls. Resident students will be required to submit a ‘request a guest’ form 48 hours in advance of their guests arrival. Guests who are not vaccinated will not be permitted in the residence halls . The “request for guest” form will be reviewed by the residential life professional staff, and you will receive an email to your BPU email address with the result. All approved guests must check-in and out with either CPS and/or desk attendants upon arrival or departure from campus.
Approved guests must be over the age of 14 years old (per campus guest policy)
Approved guests must be able to provide a valid photo ID, vaccination, and telephone number at their time of arrival
Any residential student who brings a guest to campus without following this policy will not be permitted to have their guest enter the residence halls. Failure to comply with the policy will result in the host resident being referred to the Student Conduct system within the Dean of Students office.
Will the Breck Fitness Center be opened?
Beginning September 7, the Breck Fitness Center will be open at pre-pandemic capacities to those with a valid Bay Path University ID. Alumni can access Breck Fitness Center after providing vaccination status via the portal, and with a valid Bay Path ID (contact Vicki Braim at vbraim@baypath.edu ).
Hours of operation will be:
Monday through Friday : 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.Saturday : ClosedSunday: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Can I use the lockers in the Breck Fitness Center?
Yes. Lockers will be available for use.
Will the Breck Fitness Center be opened to the community?
Alumni can access Breck Fitness Center after providing vaccination status via the portal, and with a valid Bay Path ID (contact Vicki Braim at vbraim@baypath.edu ).
Will the Hatch Learning Commons be open this semester?
The Hatch Learning Commons will return to normal operations beginning Monday, August 2, including offering physical and virtual services on Saturdays. All other activities, schedules and densities will return to pre-COVID-19 status.
Questions regarding access to the Hatch Learning Commons can be directed to Peter Testori, dean of academic support services, assistant coordinator, Title IX at: ptestori@baypath.edu
Will the Hatch Learning Commons be opened to the community and alumni?
Members of the local community will be permitted inside Hatch Learning Commons ONLY if they are accompanied by a Bay Path student, faculty or staff person with a valid BPU ID/access control card.
Alumni can access Hatch Learning Commons after providing vaccination status via the portal, and with a valid Bay Path ID (contact Vicki Braim at vbraim@baypath.edu ).
Will the Fleming Gift and Bookstore be open?
Yes, the Fleming Gift and Bookstore will be open:
Monday through Friday : 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays : 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Transportation/Van Shuttle
Will there be van shuttle services on campus?
Beginning September 7, Bay Path University shuttles will resume normal operations with full seating capacity. Safety protocols, including daily disinfecting of vehicles and required mask wearing for all riders and drivers, will continue at this time.
Will faculty or staff be able to travel to conferences, events, or business on behalf of the University?
Currently, this restriction is being reviewed for fall 2021.
General Health and Safety
What are the health recommendations in order to maintain a safe and healthy campus?
We recommend maintaining everyday preventive actions to contain and minimize the spread of COVID-19 and similar respiratory viruses, including:
washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds — especially after you cough and sneeze and before you eat. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and throw the tissue in the trash;
clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are frequently touched, including laptops and mobile devices. Also, we recommend you use antimicrobial wipes, such as Clorox or alcohol wipes, to disinfect your phone, laptop, mouse, keyboard and tablet;
and if you are sick, avoid contact with others (in classes, group meetings, work settings, common areas, etc.). Staff members should not come to work.
How will I gain access to University buildings and residence halls?
All buildings will continue to be secured 24/7. Access will only be available to those who have been issued a Bay Path ID/Access Control Card. All faculty, staff, and students are required to continue to submit their daily symptom check in order to maintain card/ID activation.
What will facilities do to provide an environmentally safe learning and working space for the community?
In addition to routine custodial cleaning, the University has implemented an enhanced cleaning frequency to clean and disinfect common areas and commonly touched surfaces in occupied buildings. Touchpoints such as entrance handles, handrails, elevator buttons, tables, restroom stall handles/doors are cleaned at least once daily, five days a week, using EPA-registered disinfectants . In addition, Bay Path is using Victory electrostatic sprayers to disinfect classrooms, laboratories, and common areas. Hand sanitizing dispensers are also distributed across campus.
Are visitors allowed on campus?
Please refer to our Policy on University-Sponsored Campus Meetings, Events, and Gatherings for complete details.
Visitors and guest policy in the residence halls
The guest policy for the Fall of 2021 will allow for external guests (defined as anyone who is not a Bay Path University residential student) to be permitted within the residence halls. Resident students will be required to submit a ‘request a guest’ form 48 hours in advance of their guests arrival. Guests who are not vaccinated will not be permitted in the residence halls . The “request for guest” form will be reviewed by the residential life professional staff and you will receive an email to your BPU email address with the result. All approved guests must check-in and out with either CPS and/or desk attendants upon arrival or departure from campus
Approved guests must be over the age of 14 years old (per campus guest policy)
Approved guests must be able to provide a valid photo ID, vaccination, and telephone number at their time of arrival
Any residential student who brings a guest to campus without following this policy will not be permitted to have their guest enter the residence halls. Failure to comply with the policy will result in the host resident being referred to the Student Conduct system within the Dean of Students office.
Will there be campus tours?
Yes. Campus tours will resume—please contact admissions for more information . Prospective students and their family members who are not vaccinated must wear a mask and follow socially distance protocols (six feet) while on campus.
Will Mills Theatre be open for events?
Mills Theatre will be open for events, however, due to capacity restrictions, all requests for Mills Theatre must be approved by contacting John Stankiewicz, head of public safety, at: jstankiewicz@baypath.edu .
Will outside vendors be allowed on campus?
Yes. Vendors or suppliers, who are invited by authorized staff or faculty member to support or participate in educational or operational activities, are permitted on campus and must follow the University’s vaccination protocol (i.e., if unvaccinated, they must wear masks indoors, and outdoors if social distancing cannot be maintained.)
