Instruction and Learning Environments

The health and safety of the entire campus community is the highest priority.

All programs and courses will use at least some remote instruction during the spring 2021 semester.

Six of our seven schools/conservatories will offer some classes with in-person learning.

Only those required courses whose learning outcomes absolutely necessitate face-to-face instruction will be offered in-person this fall. Residency on campus will be limited to those students who are enrolled in these courses and unable to commute—an estimated 26% of our total student population.

In-Person Learning

Because only 26% of students will live on campus, reduced residential density will allow social distancing and proper disinfection of classrooms.

All in-person learning will end by Thanksgiving and the semester will be finished remotely for all students.

Considerations in place:

Classroom meetings will be kept small and divided into rotations to ensure low density.
All classrooms will be configured using six-foot circumferences as a distancing rule.
Class meeting times will be spaced to allow for cleaning and disinfecting.
Egress between classes will be controlled to allow for social distancing.
While the above measures are designed to greatly reduce the risk of any student contracting COVID-19, any student who does become ill while enrolled in face-to-face classes will be provided an individualized alternate study plan to ensure that all requirements may be completed in a timely fashion, and prior to graduation.

Remote Learning

During the summer, faculty are hard at work redesigning courses. They are participating in training sessions taught by Purchase faculty, staff from the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center, and by experts in the SUNY system who have demonstrated innovative and successful transitions to remote delivery.

Remote courses will typically include a balance of synchronous (in real time) and asynchronous (on your own time) instruction; this balance will vary by course and discipline, as determined by expert faculty.

Students will be offered opportunities to learn how to better manage remote access to classes.

Resources will be offered to help students and faculty access appropriate hardware and software.

The Purchase Experience Matters

As we do everything possible to ensure our community’s safety this fall, we also pledge our commitment to offering remote educational experiences that are exceptional and also uniquely Purchase.

During the spring semester, COVID-19 created a lot of challenges. Students, faculty, and staff were forced to adjust to remote learning with very little notice.

This summer, after much specialized training and thoughtful planning, great strides have been made to ensure that even if your experience does not include being on campus, you will still enjoy meaningful and inspiring interactions with faculty, and with your fellow students.

Your small classes will still elicit highly interactive, vibrant discussions. Your engaged, dedicated professors will continue to encourage outside voices to provide new perspectives and enhanced understanding, no matter what your discipline.

In short, we recognize that the lens through which courses are taught at Purchase matters. We are doing everything possible to ensure that a move to remote learning will not compromise the Purchase experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see our FAQ page for answers to many of your questions about Academics and Learning.

Commuters

More than ever, commuters will comprise an important segment of our student population this fall, and we have carefully considered ways of welcoming them safely to campus. Commuters will fall into two categories: those enrolled in face-to-face classes not living on campus and those studying remotely but seeking access to WiFi, computing labs, or Library and CTS resources.

A limited number of computers labs will be monitored with computers spaced six feet apart. Adjacent classrooms will be converted to temporary computer labs to increase the space available to distance appropriately.

WiFi “heat maps” that indicate the strongest WiFi signals in buildings and outdoors on the campus will be available online. Indoor areas (e.g. computer labs, lobby spaces, large classrooms reserved for “internet cafes,” etc.) will be monitored to ensure social distancing.

All commuters must conduct a daily health screening and register their intention to come to campus to use labs or access WiFi within a building.

See the Visitor Policy for details before heading to campus.

Academic Internships and Career Development

Internships will be shifted to all virtual format for safety and equity reasons. Academic internships in-person may be considered provided that all parties agree to NYS health and safety guidelines and protocols. Virtual internship and other opportunities are found on Purchase JobScore.

A Guide to Virtual Internships provides further information about remote internships and other opportunities for experiential learning. Internship sites continue to submit any plans to transition their internship activities to virtual or in person.The required Mid-Semester Workshops will be conducted through Zoom for Individuals and small group workshops including online survey reflections

All student career concerns are addressed virtually—career counseling sessions are conducted via phone, video meeting or other platform that is best for the student or recent alum.

The Library

The Library will be physically closed but will continue to provide virtual reference, research, and instructional support. The Library will also offer a contactless pickup service for regular-loan items and/or interlibrary loan items. Students will order materials in advance online, which will then be placed in a designated area for scheduled pickup. For more information about our services please consult our COVID-19 Library Services & Collections Libguide.

Students with Disabilities

We recognize that the barriers that exist at the intersection of a student’s disability and online course design may be different from those that arise in more traditional face-to-face instruction. Some accommodations students used before may no longer apply to online formats, and some accommodations not considered previously may need to be considered now.

Any student who experiences a barrier in a course and wishes to discuss additional accommodations should follow our process to submit a supplemental accommodation request via Accommodate.

Students new to working with the Office of Disability Resources should follow the steps outlined on our Registering with Our Office webpage to request academic accommodations.

Vulnerable Populations

For students in vulnerable populations and those who may not feel comfortable returning to campus to participate in courses requiring face-to-face instruction this fall, individual academic programs will work with them on a case by case basis to identify a reasonable alternative to required coursework, allowing that additional in-person instruction may be needed in a subsequent semester in order to fulfill program expectations and Student Learning Outcomes.