Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Are masks required on all of Northeastern’s global campuses?

• Yes. All students, faculty, and staff across Northeastern’s global campuses will follow the Northeastern face covering protocol. Northeastern requires all employees, students, vendors, and visitors to wear face coverings or face masks while they are in common spaces, including outdoor spaces on campus, and in common gathering areas, shared workspaces, shared academic spaces, or when interacting face to face with others.

1. Are daily health screenings be required on all of Northeastern’s global campuses?

• Yes. All Northeastern students, faculty, and staff are required to complete a Daily Wellness Check before coming to campus.

1. Does Northeastern have recommendations for students before they travel to our global campuses?

• In the interest of protecting the health of our campus community at the start of the fall term, we recommend that you minimize contact with others for 14 days before travel and that you get a test 72 hours or less prior to your arrival on campus, if you are able. Please do not travel to campus if you test positive or if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.

1. Does Northeastern require and provide COVID-19 testing at all of its global campuses?

• Testing is required and provided only on the Boston campus. At our other global locations, other safety precautions will be in place, including daily health assessments, entry screening, face covering protocols, healthy distancing protocols, and daily temperature checks. Each campus location has also identified a list of local testing providers and will provide resources if any student or staff member is in need of a COVID-19 test.

1. How are classes offered?

• All Northeastern locations have adopted an advanced, highly flexible learning model called Hybrid NUflex. From week to week, Hybrid Nuflex allows some students to attend classes in-person while others join remotely via Zoom or Teams. To manage classroom density, some students will be in the classroom while others are learning remotely, in real time.Using a dynamic scheduling app available on Northeastern’s Student Hub, students can indicate for faculty in advance their preferred mode of attendance during a given week. The classroom experience will be immersive, enhanced through video and chat tools that allow people inside and outside the classroom to see each other and enjoy lively two-way exchanges.Faculty will decide how to best deliver their individual courses through Hybrid NUflex. Hybrid NUflex allows students to begin the term remotely and then come to campus or to begin in person and later transition to remote learning, meeting international student requirements.

1. Do students across the global campuses have access to the new Student Hub platform?

• All Northeastern students will have access to the Student Hub, a new, highly personalized and experience-driven platform designed to help students navigate and keep track of their busy and daily lives as university students.

1. Are hand sanitizer stations and disinfecting wipes available on Northeastern’s campus locations?

• Yes. Northeastern will provide hand sanitizer stations and disinfecting wipes at all of its campus locations, focusing especially on classrooms, the entrances to our campus spaces, and in common areas.

1. Has elevator capacity been limited on Northeastern’s campus locations?

• Yes. Elevator occupancy is being limited to two to four people, based on guidelines of the National Elevator Institute Inc., a national trade association for the elevator and escalator industry.

1. Have cleaning and sanitization procedures be enhanced on all of the global network campuses?

• Yes. Each campus will follow Northeastern’s cleaning and sanitizing protocol, using EPA approved disinfectants and cleaning high-touch surfaces more frequently.

1. How does Northeastern evaluate and maintain air quality in leased campus spaces?

• The Northeastern Facilities team has analyzed the air quality and HVAC systems in each of its campus locations, following recommendations and best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as other professional and trade organizations. Northeastern will use additional air filtration units in any buildings that don’t meet our standards for air quality.

1. How have we prepared our buildings for the return of our faculty, students, and staff?

• The operations staff in each campus location are working closely with the Campus Planning and Facilities teams in Boston to prepare our campus spaces for the return of faculty, students, and staff. This includes installing new signage to promote healthy distancing, reconfiguring classrooms and common areas to reduce density and encourage six-foot distancing, and installing hand sanitizer stations throughout campus. For leased properties, Northeastern will verify that the property manager has prepared the buildings’ common spaces in accordance with state and provincial guidelines and university standards.

1. What happens if someone has tested positive and has been on campus? Will classmates or staff be notified?

• In our global network locations, public health authorities will conduct the contact tracing to notify close contacts of anyone who tests positive. It is very important—and in fact legally required by HIPAA and the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States and PIPEDA in Canada—for Northeastern to protect the privacy of each one of our fellow Northeastern community members. To protect the person’s privacy and comply with legal requirements, our case management team and the state public health authorities cannot share the identity of anyone who tests positive for COVID-19. Staff and students will be notified only if they are a close contact of someone who tests positive for COVID-19, and the identity of the person will not be shared.

The Toronto Campus

1. What should a student, faculty, or staff member at the Toronto campus do if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19?

• If you believe you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, we ask that you please complete your daily health assessment, stay home and do not come to campus. If you are a student, a Northeastern case manager will follow up with you to connect you to university resources and to help you connect to the care you need. Please  visit the Toronto Public Health guidance on what to do if you have symptoms of COVID-19.

1. What are the building hours at the Toronto campus?

• Regular campus hours of operation are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday. Students are welcome to use the campus during this time for individual study. Students wishing to visit campus must book space in advance using the booking application at this link. Campus hours will be extended beyond 5PM on some evenings for classes. During these times, the campus will be accessible only to students who are scheduled to be in class.

1. What is the visitor policy on the Toronto campus?

• At this time, all visitors to Northeastern University, in advance of their visit, must be determined to be essential to the university’s mission in order to be approved to visit a Northeastern campus. Approval for any visitors to the university not deemed essential is at the discretion of the appropriate senior vice president. For more details on the policy and visitors that are deemed essential, please see the Visitor Protocol.

1. What is the event policy on the Toronto campus?

• Events will follow Massachusetts state guidelines for gatherings. Indoor gatherings should not exceed 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space. Our global network locations in North America will follow these guidelines as well, unless their local or state or provincial guidelines are more restrictive. All in-person event requests will be reviewed by an events committee and must contain a compelling statement of why the event must be held in person and cannot be done virtually. For more details on scheduling and approving an event, please see the Event Policy.

1. Is eating allowed on campus?

• In accordance with the university policy on locations for safe eating and drinking on campus, eating is not allowed in classrooms or hallways.
• At this time, food on campus is not permitted. Beverages are permitted. There are several food courts conveniently available for use in the building, specifically the 2^nd floor indoor and outdoor food court areas.

1. Are there specific quarantine guidelines students should follow when traveling to the Toronto campus?

• Both the federal and provincial governments require all International travelers to self-isolate for 14 days. This includes travelers from the United States. Ontario has provided guidance on self-isolation which can be accessed here. Students services staff at the Toronto campus can provide additional information on self-isolation accommodations and food services/resources to assist you during this time.

1. Are there specific entry protocols that students, faculty, and staff will follow at the Toronto campus?

• Students, staff and faculty are required to complete the Daily Wellness Check before their arrival on campus and to show the results of their wellness check on entry (students should also complete the ArriveCan wellness screening on a daily basis). Masks or face covering should always be worn, and your Northeastern ID displayed on a lanyard.  Contactless temperature checks will be conducted by authorized staff as you enter the campus.
  • Maintain healthy distancing (at least 2 meters at all times)
  • Wear a face covering as required by Toronto bylaw. Make sure it meets the standards of the Northeastern face covering protocol.
  • Display your Northeastern ID
  • Wash your hands regularly
  • Adhere to occupancy limits and posted signage
• Arriving First Canadian Place (FCP)
  • When queuing for the elevator, please follow the physical distancing prompts via floor markers and/or posted signage.
  • Maximum capacity per elevator cab is four
  • Aim to choose a corner spot to keep physical distancing between you and your neighbour
  • Upon exiting the 46th floor, be sure to exit the elevator single-file
  • There are various physical distancing markers throughout FCP to assist you in navigating the new traffic-flow. Keep an eye out for directional signage and markers that will point you in the right direction.

1. Are there specific cleaning protocols students, staff, and faculty will need to follow?

• A “Clean In & Clean Out” policy will be implemented for study and class areas. There will be sanitizing wipes available throughout campus. Between classes, a dedicated cleaning crew will cover high touch areas such as tables and chairs.

Additional FAQ’s specific to studying in Canada and quarantine requirements can be found on the Office of Global Services website.

Last Updated: October 23, 2020