A Safe Return to Campus

FAQs About Returning to Campus

• Campus Access

  To meet state density guidelines and enable in-person classroom experiences, we must limit access to those who are scheduled to be on campus for class or for COVID-19 testing.

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• Class Schedules and Formats

  Please review the latest calendar and curriculum plans for the 2021 spring semester: 

  Calendar + curriculum

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• 2021 Commencement, Convocation, and Reunion activities

  On February 4, President Reif announced that 2021 Commencement, Convocation, and Reunion celebrations will take place online (see the full text of the announcement).

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• Contract Tracing

  MIT Medical manages contact tracing and determines the risk level to the community.

  If you are contacted by MIT Medical's contact tracing team, please cooperate fully, transparently, and honestly for the safety and well-being of our entire community. MIT Medical does not share contact tracing information and does not play any disciplinary role. No punitive consequences will result from sharing full and accurate contact tracing information.

  Additional information about mandatory reporting, quarantining, and isolation policies can be found on the COVID-19 Graduate Student Policies website.

  MIT COVID-19 Graduate Student Policies 

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• Course Packs

  Students will have the option to order course packs to be printed and shipped to a domestic address. We are also exploring allowing a contactless pickup directly from Copytech (in E52) for those students in the Cambridge area. We are, unfortunately, unable to send course packs internationally at this time.

  If you are picking up a course pack on campus, please plan to do so on a day when you are scheduled to be on campus for class.

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• Entry and Exit

  Prior to coming to campus, be sure to complete your daily attestation using the COVID Pass app.

  Designated entrances for students attending in-person classes are located at E51 and E62 via Main Street. To enter E51 or E62, you'll tap your MIT ID for access. There will be staff on hand to assist should there be any problems with access.

  For maintenance testing, please enter using the E62 Memorial Drive (riverfront) entrance only. You may not enter the testing area from any other door. 

  If you are on campus already for classes and would like to access the E62 testing site, please exit the building and proceed to the testing entrance at E62 (Memorial Drive, riverfront). 

  My COVID pass is up to date, it says I’m cleared for access, yet it still says “none” for buildings I’m cleared for. When will access be turned on?

  • Your pass may say "none" but you have access to E62 and E51 entry points.

  When I tap my ID at an entry point, my ID doesn't register red or green at the entry points. What should I do? 

  • Contact covidapps-help@mit.edu for assistance or seek onsite assistance from our MIT Sloan Operating Committee leader.

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• Events, Activities, and Social Gatherings (on- and off-campus)

  Overall, gatherings of any size with anyone outside of your immediate household are strongly discouraged. For additional guidance:

  MIT Sloan Policy for Student Activities

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• Food & Beverage

  Please review food and beverage policies and ordering instructions here:

  Food + Beverage

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• Graduate Housing

  Graduate students residing in private and multi-occupant apartments have been invited to return to campus. Graduate students living in on-campus residence halls will be included in a phased move-in process. In all cases, our graduate students will be welcomed back to Cambridge this academic year, albeit with limitations on campus density.

  Additional information for Graduate Housing

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• Masks

  All students, faculty, and staff who are coming to campus will be required to wear an approved face mask both inside and outside while on campus at all times. MIT Sloan branded cloth masks will be available to anyone with access to campus. Face masks are critical to limiting COVID-19 transmission.

  A cloth face mask should have at least two layers of material, fit over the nose and under the chin, fit snugly on your face, and be secured with ear loops. Other approved masks include non-medical general purpose disposable masks, and N95 masks. Buffs or gaiters are not approved face coverings for campus access. Masks that have exhalation valves or vents which allow virus particles to escape are not permitted.

  Mask guidance from MIT Medical

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• Obtaining your MIT ID

  The Atlas Service Center continues to operate primarily remotely with limited in-person services due to COVID-19.  This spring, students will need to make an appointment to obtain their ID.  Cards have been printed for all students who have submitted a photograph.  Any cards that are not picked up will be held at the Atlas Center for the student until they arrive on campus. 

  Incoming Graduate Students living on campus:

  The Atlas Center has been coordinating with Housing to print and deliver cards to the residence the student will be moving into.  ID cards will be available for pick-up at the front desk when the student moves in. 

  On-campus students requiring spouse/partner ID’s should submit a request via this link.  The ID will be processed and delivered to the spouse/partner’s residence via Housing.

  Incoming Graduate Students living off-campus:

  Students will need to make a reservation in order to pick up their IDs.  Card pick-up reservation hours are Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4 pm.  Cards have not been printed for students who have not submitted his or her photograph.  While picking up the card in-person is being offered, for those who are unable to come to campus, mailing the card to a current mailing address locally or within the US, is an option.  Cards for international students working remotely in the Fall term will be held at the Atlas Center until they return to campus.

  For your information, the emails sent to students are below.  Emails have been sent to students who are eligible to obtain an ID but have not yet submitted a photograph.  Students who have a printed ID have also been sent instructions on how to make an appointment.

  Students Without a Photo:

  Please submit a photograph for the card to be processed via https://mycard.mit.edu.  ID cards will not be available for pick-up if you have not submitted a photograph.  Instructions for pick-up will be provided once your photo is submitted and the card is processed. Please email atlascenter@mit.edu if you have any questions or concerns. 

  If you will not be on-campus for the spring semester, please contact the Atlas Center when you return to campus.

  Student for whom cards have been printed:

  Your MIT ID Card is ready for pickup from the Atlas Center.  Card pick-up is by reservation only.  To reserve a time for card pick-up please visit https://mycard.mit.edu and click "GET Orders/Reservations". As a courtesy to your fellow students, please make only ONE reservation.  Reservations can be made no more than 6 days in advance. Please note you will need a government-issued photo ID (passport or U.S. driver’s license) to pick up your ID card.  **If you are an on-campus resident your ID will be available for pick-up when you check into your residence, there is no need to make a reservation.**

  Please contact atlascenter@mit.edu with any questions.

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• Printing

  A student printer has been set up and connected in an area just off the E52 Lobby, walking toward E62. The system uses a new contactless cloud print tool, which is available to faculty, staff, and students using the Pharos print system. The print tool allows you to upload files to print without needing any special software or drivers. Faculty, staff, and students have a pre-loaded $300.00 print budget.

  Instructions for printing

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• How to Quarantine

  Quarantine is used to separate someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 and may develop illness away from other people. Quarantine helps prevent the spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they have the virus.

  • Stay home and monitor your health.
  • Watch for fever (100.4^oF), cough, shortness of breath, or any other symptoms of COVID-19
  • If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

  Guidelines for quarantining after travel
  Guidelines for quarantining after possible exposure to COVID
  Guidance on quarantining and vacation time 

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• Smart Watches

  MIT Sloan is making optional Garmin smart watches available to those who are coming to campus for in-person teaching and learning this spring beginning the week of March 1. The watches are a supplemental tool in our effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 on campus. They will allow individuals to monitor their own health metrics to identify potential early signs of a COVID-19 infection.
  
  Read more here

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• Spaces for Virtual Meetings and Classes

   Several rooms in academic buildings around MIT have been designated as “touchdown spaces” for brief use, such as in between on-campus classes. These academic rooms and the W20 Stratton Student Center’s lobbies and larger spaces are available for MIT Covid Pass holders to use. All of these indoor resources are on a first-come, first-use basis and are restricted to the posted Covid-modified capacity of the space.

  Touchdown spaces around MIT

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• Testing

  Please read here for details on testing

  Do I have to follow the MIT Sloan testing cadence? I live far away and I'm not scheduled to come in on one of my testing days. What should I do?

  • Our testing cadence at MIT Sloan requires that you test twice every week with 3-4 days between tests.

  I've already been vaccinated, why do I still need to follow these testing requirements? 

  • Once you have been vaccinated, you will be required to continue ongoing testing. Current research shows that vaccines are most effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalizations, and death. The research does not conclusively indicate that vaccines prevent transmission of the virus. This means that you may be vaccinated and could still transmit the virus to others. 

  I've recently recovered from COVID-19 and have been advised not to test for 90 days. 

  • This exception will reflect appropriately in your COVID Pass notifications. Be sure to follow COVID Pass prompts. 

  I have more questions, who can I contact?

  • Additional testing questions, answers, and scenarios can be found here.

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• Travel

  We are following MIT’s travel policy, which is informed by state policy.  Those who wish to access campus must comply with MIT, state, and federal travel restrictions and policies. Please note that you must register personal travel and may need to self-quarantine upon your return and before you access campus.

  MIT Travel Policy

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• Vaccines

  Please do not contact MIT Medical to ask when you can be vaccinated. MIT Medical is committed to immunizing eligible community members as quickly and safely as possible.

   While some members of our community may have been vaccinated, many have not. To protect our entire community and our Cambridge and Boston neighbors, we will continue to follow the 4Ws for the spring semester regardless of immunization status: wear your mask, watch your distance, wash your hands, and watch your health. Masks will continue to be required throughout campus.

  You must continue your testing cadence even after you've been vaccinated. 

  Additional vaccine-related information can be found here

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• Visitors

  To maintain low building density, visitor access to campus will be significantly limited through the 2020-2021 academic year. For information on rare possible exceptions to the visitor policy, as well as required visitor protocols, please review MIT's requirements for accessing campus. 

  MIT campus access requirements 

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