The health and safety of all members of the Vaughn College community is our top priority. As we move forward on a path to reopening we invite you to explore this page for the latest updates.
Travel Assessment Form — to be filled out and submitted by all students, employees (faculty/staff) and guests before coming to campus. See appropriate link below per category.
Mandatory Health Screening Assessment— to be filled out daily by anyone who plans on coming to campus, prior to arriving at Vaughn College. See appropriate link below per category.
If you are in an approved category, visit the sites below to schedule a vaccination appointment in your preferred location. Please note that even if it appears that the location is full, it might be necessary to refresh the page multiple times to make an appointment.
Beginning Monday, November 30, the admissions, advisement and registrar (student accounts and financial aid) offices will be open virtually only. The hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Continuing students can make appointments for student accounts or the registrar office by checking their adviser’s schedule below and logging into Starfish to make an appointment. This is in addition to the current Zoom room hours.
Today the Governor announced that New York will acceptthe CDC’s newest guidancethat those over 65 and immunocompromised individuals should now be eligible for vaccination. It is not immediately clear what constitutes“immunocompromised,” stateofficials say they are seeking additional guidance from the federal government. People 65 and older are currently eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated utilizingthis form.
It is important to note that the state’s supply of vaccines from the federal government has not increased; according to theGovernor, the state receivesabout 300,000 doseseach week, with thisadditional population there are now more than 7 million New Yorkers currently eligible to be vaccinated.
As information becomes available, I will pass it along.
Be well,
Sharon
Members of the Vaughn Community,
Below please find several important news items that concern students and faculty. It will be critical as the updates about the pandemic change that you continue to check your email and Vaughn website at: www.vaughn.edu/about/coronavirus
Vaccine Priorities
As of this morning, the state has added “in-person college instructors” to the list of populations who are eligible to vaccinated beginning today.
Faculty teaching in person should complete this screening form. Note that the form includes several questions about employment and college instructor is not currently listed but according to the Governor’s Office will be added imminently. For those located in New York City, there is a separate scheduling tool, available here.
It’s important to emphasize that while faculty are now eligible to make a reservation for vaccination, demand for vaccines still far outpaces the state’s supply. Our advocacy group, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, is continuing to press for the inclusion of other campus populations including students and staff.
Covid Relief Funding for Students
Just before the new year, new legislation passed that included more than $20 billion for higher education. Similar to the funding that we received last spring, we will be issuing checks to Title IV-eligible students (Title IV includes students who receive federal Pell grants). While we have not received official notification on the distribution of funds from the US Department of Education, right now based on the limited information we have received, we plan to follow similar guidelines when making awards while also including those students who are new to the institution, or whose circumstances may have changed including their satisfactory academic progress or financial circumstances. What is unclear right now is whether a student will need to be registered for the spring 2021 semester to qualify for funds. Based on a similar distribution, students will receive the following:
$1,500 for full-time students
$1,125 for three-quarter time students
$750 for students enrolled with at least six credits
In spring 2020, Vaughn did not award funds to anyone who was not Pell-eligible, and Federal guidelines did not allow the institution to award funds to anyone who was not Title IV-eligible (including those who did not meet the criteria for satisfactory academic progress), or any students enrolled in an online degree program (this does not include those classes that are being offered remotely during the pandemic).
If you are experiencing financial difficulties in meeting your balance from the fall to register for the spring, please reach out to the office of student accounts in the following ways:
Email: Zoom: Monday – Friday 9 a.m.to 6 p.m.
Meeting ID: 935 812 441
Start of the Spring Semester
As of today, the start of the academic semester is Tuesday, January 19. As we did at the beginning of the fall term, we have provided remote and in-person options for almost all courses. Faculty members who require specialized laboratory equipment will be permitted to use those spaces when the new semester begins, but if that should change based on guidance from the Governor’s office, we will let you know. Students, please make sure to check with your faculty member to understand the teaching method for your course.
Aviation Training Institute students are using the month of January to make-up any remaining laboratory work from spring and summer 2020. Your new spring semester begins, Sunday, February 7. Again, please make sure that you are checking your email regularly for additional information about make-up time that you may need to complete your coursework.
We will continue to keep the campus open for students who need a place to study, or access to a computer, but I ask that if you need a staff assistance that you contact them via their zoom room or email to make an appointment first (all Zoom room number are listed at: www.vaughn.edu/about/coronavirus).
We are also committed to keeping the residence hall open. I ask that residence students pay particular attention to your email for important information concerning move-in and health protocols for the spring semester.
While we are still experiencing the full impact of the pandemic, the rollout of the vaccine is a hopeful sign. Thank you for your ongoing teaching and learning efforts throughout this crisis.
Be well,
Sharon
All,
I hope this note finds you and your family members healthy. As I’m sure you are aware, the virus rates are rising in the region and the Governor continues to change the directives to respond to the pandemic. This has been a long nine months and I am so proud of this community’s efforts to stay healthy and strive for a high-quality educational experience. That said, we must remain diligent and be responsive to stay on track.
Anticipated Next Steps Governor Cuomo has asked private higher education institutions across New York to conduct teaching and learning remotely for the remainder of the fall semester beginning after Thanksgiving from Monday, November 30 to Wednesday, December 23.
Many of you are already teaching and learning entirely remotely and this will not impact you. For those students and faculty who have been coming to campus, primarily Aviation Training Institute students for laboratory work, we are working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to allow instructors to complete as much of that in-person work as possible before Thanksgiving. This should allow for most students to complete their requirements without needing additional make-up time.
Academic students and faculty are encouraged to complete work remotely, but for some laboratory courses we understand the need to keep some labs open on a limited basis. Please continue to follow the health and safety protocols that we have in place when you come to campus (e.g. do not come to campus if you do not feel well, complete the travel assessment as needed, complete the health assessment each and every time you come to campus, maintain mask wearing and six-foot distance, etc.).
For those students who need very specific support including use of specific labs, Wi-Fi and other computer technology, the campus buildings will remain open. FAA testing will also continue (written, orals and practical) by appointment only.
Coming to Campus We ask that you only come to campus when necessary and to follow the health and safety protocols. Updated office information including Zoom rooms for service and limited staff presence on campus will be listed on the Vaughn Forward website. To visit an office, please make sure you have an appointment (otherwise there may not be anyone there) and if you bring anyone with you to campus (e.g. family members), they will also be required to complete our travel and health assessments. When possible, we ask that you not bring anyone with you to campus.
If you are a staff member meeting in person with students, please make sure that you also alert them that every visitor will need to complete the travel and health assessments. Your supervisor must also alert Martin Capunay, director of security, events and scheduling, that visitors are coming to campus.
Faculty After Thanksgiving, the expectation is that you will teach entirely remotely. If, however, you need to teach from/access the campus, you should reach out to your department chair (academics) or Domenic Proscia (Aviation Training Institute) and alert them that you would like to come to campus.
Students: Make-up Time, Winter Intersession and Spring Semester Right now, we are planning to hold the scheduled ATI make-up time in late December and into January. Please make sure to regularly check your email and Vaughn’s website (link above) in case that should need to change. We are also planning for a winter intersession for academic students, those classes will only be held remotely.
Planning for the Spring Semester
For those of you who have started the registration process, you will see that we are planning for the same flexible approach in the spring as we used during the fall semester. This allows students and faculty members the flexibility they need. These learning options include:
Hybrid Synchronous: These courses contain face-to-face experiences in a traditional classroom and online experiences via Zoom; course content is delivered synchronously. For Academic courses, this usually will mean face-to-face one day per week in a traditional classroom and on Zoom one day of the week. Once-per-week evening classes will alternate between on-campus and Zoom weeks. For Aviation Training Institute courses, the split between the on-campus and Zoom content will be conducted via a pre-published schedule.
Should there be COVID-19 disruptions, the course will remain fully synchronous, at the originally scheduled time, but will be delivered through the Zoom platform. The institution may require Zoom to be an active secondary stream during on-campus, face-to-face sessions, to accommodate social distancing rules or other issues that may prevent on-campus attendance. Students will be required to purchase a web-camera. This option is available to Academic and Aviation Training Institute students.
Online Synchronous: These courses will start online and remain fully online, regardless of COVID-19 disruptions. Content is expected to be fully synchronous, delivered via the Zoom platform. Students will be required to purchase a web-camera. This option is available to Academic and Aviation Training Institute students.
Online Asynchronous (Traditional Online): These courses operate fully online with all content delivered entirely asynchronously. This option is not currently available to Aviation Training Institute students due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Residence Hall The residence hall will continue to remain open for current residents. The Governor has also issued some very specific guidelines for resident students who plan to return home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Greater information will be coming out shortly from the Dean/Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Elaine T. White.
Flight Training For now, flight training will continue in conjunction with Heritage Flight Academy. They will follow their health and safety protocols and will respond to any directives from the Governor’s office. We will keep students informed of any changes with as much notice as we are given.
Staff In further response to the Governor’s requests, we also plan to have as many staff working from home as possible. Many of you have been successfully doing this for months, and we need that effort to continue. Some offices have been minimally staffed, and I have asked that every office and department, to the extent possible, further reduce their on-campus presence and utilize Zoom for both student-facing and service to other departments.
Questions For those who have specific questions about areas not addressed (e.g. FAA testing will continue by appointment only, please reach out to the following individuals:
Aviation Training Institute Students and Faculty Domenic Proscia
718.429.6600 ext. 139
Academic Students Frank Wang
Academic Success Center
Zoom room: 223-867-2792.
Academic Faculty and Staff For any accommodations, please reach out to Associate Vice President Mary Durkin
Residential Students Becky Falto
Thank you all for your continued cooperation and patience. Wishing you and your families a safe and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.
The Vaughn community shares one last message of the lessons learned and moving forward. Click the photo below to view.
The Vaughn community has once again come together to deliver messages of hope and solidarity for our amazing students who continue to thrive during this crisis. Click the photo below to view our tribute.
All,
I hope this note finds you and your family members healthy. The spring semester took a considerable effort by students, faculty and staff to successfully complete, and I am so proud of this community’s efforts to strive for a high-quality educational experience.
Anticipated Next Steps As you know, New York City finally entered Phase One of the Governor’s New York Forward plan this past Monday with subsequent phases of re-opening planned about every two weeks. Right now, higher education is listed in Phase Four, and if the phases continue on track, we tentatively will be able to re-open the campus in mid-July. We also receive ongoing guidance from Governor Cuomo for how higher education institutions will re-open. As we plan for July, we are also determining what the fall semester may look like. Summer Session II will remain online only, and we hope to begin laboratory make-ups from the spring and summer later this summer once the Governor has declared that New York City is in Phase Four.
Flight Training For our students who flight train at Heritage Flight Academy, flight training is also currently included in Phase Four by the Governor and, as a result, they are not able to train Vaughn students. Again, we tentatively anticipate entering Phase Four in mid-July and will alert students as soon as they are able to begin scheduling flight time.
Planning for the Fall Semester Right now, we are planning for a flexible approach to the fall semester that gives students and faculty members some options and best matches student learning styles with the modality of instruction. Thank you to all of the faculty members who responded to the recent survey as that is greatly assisting us in building our plan. As a result, we are planning for four different types of instruction that include synchronous (at the same time) or asynchronous (self-paced) including:
Face-to-Face Synchronous: These courses are taught fully face-to-face in a traditional classroom. Should there be COVID-19 disruptions, the course will remain fully synchronous, at the originally scheduled time, but will be delivered through the Zoom platform. The institution may require Zoom to be an active secondary stream during on-campus, face-to-face sessions to accommodate social distancing rules or other issues that may prevent on-campus attendance. Students will be required to purchase a web-camera. This option is available to Academic and Aviation Training Institute students.
Online Synchronous: These courses will start online and remain fully online, regardless of COVID-19 disruptions. Content is expected to be fully synchronous, delivered via the Zoom platform. Students will be required to purchase a web-camera. This option is available to Academic and Aviation Training Institute students.
Hybrid: These courses are approximately 50 percent online and 50 percent on campus. Should there be COVID-19 disruptions, the in-person synchronous content will be delivered through the Zoom platform. The institution may require Zoom to be an active secondary stream during on-campus, face-to-face sessions to accommodate social distancing rules or other issues that prevent on-campus attendance. Students will be required to purchase a web-camera. This option is not currently available to Aviation Training Institute students due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Online Asynchronous (Traditional Online): These courses operate fully online with all content delivered entirely asynchronously. This option is not currently available to Aviation Training Institute students due to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
Office hours will be conducted in a combination of face-to-face and on Zoom, depending on the type of teaching modality you have registered for this fall. While we plan for the format of lectures and laboratories, we are also working to support additional training and support for the delivery of those courses including the use of key technology to supplement online courses.
Laboratories Labs are also a critical component for many students, and we are exploring options that would allow students to schedule time in a lab, as well as options for the use of virtual laboratories. As the state’s guidelines become clearer, we will be able to put a structure in place that works well for us.
Residence Hall For those students who plan to reside in the residence hall, we are fortunate that each suite in our residence hall has a bathroom providing us with greater social distancing capability. For the Fall 2020 semester, students may request a single room, where this was not an option for the past academic year.
Returning to campus We are planning for many scenarios for the fall and need the cooperation of everyone to make this work. I ask for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this this “new normal.” We are committed to maintaining a safe and high-quality educational environment for everyone and need your understanding to make it work as smoothly as possible.
We will provide more information as it becomes available. You may also view updates on the College’s website at www.vaughn.edu/coronavirus for updated information. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Be well, Sharon
Students, Faculty and Staff,
Hard to believe, but we have made it to May! This has been an incredible period of working together and staying focused on the students we serve, the faculty who quickly responded to the changed teaching landscape and the staff who worked to support the ongoing operation of the institution. Everyone contributed to our effort this spring, and the link below is one of several videos we will be putting together highlighting the care and and dedication we have to our students and our mission.
As we head into finals, please enjoy our “Voices of Vaughn” tribute!
ATI Makeup/Intersession Schedule – Please note: ATI winter makeup intersessions (makeups for Summer 2020) are running. Spring makeups will be on hold until further notice.
