Coronavirus FAQ

Summer will consist of mostly online or remote classes, with a handful of on-campus classes on all three MassBay campuses. Summer class offerings and schedules. In addition to classes, the College will also hold several orientations (known as SOAR) throughout the summer. Here is the Schedule for Summer SOAR.

The fall, 2022 semester will consist of a more robust selection of on-campus courses, however online and remote courses will be available as well. Fall class offerings and schedules can be found here.

Most employees will return to campus for at least a few days per week. To maximize office space and maintain the required social distancing rules, the College has also begun a hoteling program, where employees will share space rather than be assigned individual offices.

Students and employees must upload their vaccination information to Bay Navigator. Instructions for Students to upload their written proof, and Instructions for Faculty and Staff to upload their written proof are here.

For the Summer 2022 semester the following protections are in place. These protections are subject to change for the fall 2022 semester. Please check back for updates.

• Masks are required at all times in our buildings, and they must be worn properly – covering one’s nose and mouth – at all times. Even if you are vaccinated and boosted, or if you have already had COVID-19, you can still catch the virus and transmit it to others. The only time masks can be temporarily removed is when individuals are actively eating or drinking. It is not acceptable to remove your mask for extended periods because you have a coffee cup or water bottle nearby. Employees may remove their masks when alone in an enclosed space, such as an office, as long as they put their mask back on when someone enters the space.
• Three feet of social distance is required wherever possible. Hallways are marked with floor clings to facilitate three feet; classrooms chairs are spread three feet apart; common areas have signage to prevent gatherings in close proximity.
• Restricted Access. The campuses are only accessible to individuals who have provided verified proof of vaccination.
• Testing. MassBay is offering free rapid antigen test kits to students, faculty, and staff who want them.
• Classroom use and configuration. MassBay is limiting the number of enrolled students in classes to a maximum of 18 to ensure all students and faculty can maintain three feet of distance in all our in-use classrooms. Only classrooms with proper ventilation standards are in use.
• Limits on elevators. Each elevator is limited to one person at a time. Those who can take stairs are encouraged to do so to accommodate those who must use the elevator and avoid long lines at the elevators.
• Water fountains. All water fountains are shut down. Water bottle filling stations are available.
• Cleaning. A robust cleaning program will be in place, and disinfecting will take place each evening. Disinfecting wipes will be readily available for individuals to wipe down materials and equipment.

Do NOT come to campus. Remain at home and fill out the COVID-19 Self Reporting form on the MassBayGo app. You will be asked a few questions regarding when you started feeling sick, when you were last on campus, etc. If you would prefer to complete the process over the phone, you may call Public Safety at 781-239-2222. After completing this process, you will be given further instructions by the MassBay COVID-19 Response Administrator, Maria Eklund. After speaking with the Administrator, it is recommended students notify their class instructor(s) that they will be missing class. Similarly, employees should notify their supervisors that they will be out of work. Note: no student or employee is required to specifically tell their instructor or supervisor that they have tested positive for the virus.

MassBay will provide specific instructions to individuals who test positive, based on the most recent CDC and Massachusetts DPH guidelines at that time.

Do NOT come to campus until you have filled out the COVID-19 Self Reporting form on the MassBayGo app. This form will ask you a few questions about your vaccination status and symptoms. Based on the answers provided, you will be provided with immediate guidance regarding campus access. If you would prefer to complete the process over the phone, you may call Public Safety at 781-239-2222. Depending on the answers you submitted while filling out the form, you may receive a call from the MassBay COVID-19 Response Administrator within the next business day for follow-up.

MassBay will provide specific instructions to individuals who are exposed to COVID-19, based on the most recent CDC and Massachusetts DPH guidelines at that time.

Do NOT come to campus. Remain at home and fill out the COVID-19 Self Reporting form on the MassBayGo app. You will be asked a few questions regarding your symptoms and will be provided with immediate guidance regarding campus access. If you would prefer to complete the process over the phone, you may call Public Safety at 781-239-2222

MassBay will provide specific instructions to individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 like symptoms, based on the most recent CDC and Massachusetts DPH guidelines at that time.

Individuals who have uploaded their vaccination status and are cleared to be on-campus will find a green checkmark in their “Campus Pass” tile in MassBayGo, the MassBay app. You must show the green checkmark to the officer at the door when entering the building.

Anyone who has a Campus Pass that shows a red X may NOT come to campus. Any individual with a red X should contact Maria Eklund, MassBay’s Immunization Compliance & COVID Response Administrator, at meklund@massbay.edu, or 781-239-2764.

We will have a computer on-hand at the entrances to the buildings each day. A staff member will look up your access status in Bay Navigator. If you’ve uploaded your vaccination status and are cleared to enter, you will be welcomed into the building. In Wellesley, anyone who does not have a green check or a phone must enter at the flagpole entrance and check in with the COVID concierge at the service window. In Framingham, check in at the security desk.

Please be patient and also be prepared to spend a few extra minutes to gain access to the buildings, especially at the beginning of each semester.

It is wise to check your Campus Pass tile in the MassBay mobile app prior to coming to campus. In Wellesley, if you do not have a green check or if you do not have a phone, you must enter the building at the flagpole entrance. Check in with the COVID concierge at the service window, and they will look up your status. Anyone with a red X is not permitted to enter any of our buildings.

If you have trouble downloading MassBayGo, the MassBay mobile app, you may use your smartphone to access the Bay Navigator website. This will enable you to confirm your vaccination status with a green checkmark at the door.

Please be patient and also be prepared to spend a few extra minutes to gain access to the buildings. Please contact Maria Eklund, MassBay’s Immunization Compliance & COVID Response Administrator, at meklund@massbay.edu or 781-239-2764 with any questions.

Wellesley Hills Campus
On the Wellesley Hills campus, students, faculty, and staff with green checkmarks may use the main entrance by the circle driveway and flagpole, the door near the Carey building elevator, or the breezeway doors. Individuals with yellow checkmarks and those without phones must use the service window adjacent to the main entrance at the flagpole drive. Individuals using the accommodation parking should enter via the breezeway doors. All other doors on the Wellesley Hills campus are exit only, including the north door that faces the Recreation and Wellness Center. 

Framingham Campus
Students, faculty, and staff must use the main entrance next to the public safety office. To enter, you must show your green checkmark in the MassBay mobile app to the security officer. At the beginning of the semester, a staff member will be on hand to assist anyone with a yellow checkmark or those who are having any other difficulty.

Ashland Campus
Students, faculty, and staff must have a green checkmark in the MassBay mobile app to enter the buildings in Ashland.

What is expected of me when I first come to campus?
At this time, the key rules you must follow are always keeping a mask on over your nose and mouth and maintaining social distance of 3-feet.

Throughout this public health crisis, we expect our community to be patient and respectful to one another, and to comply with our common-sense safety rules.

Masks are required for everyone in our buildings, regardless of your vaccination status.

No, there are currently no requirements regarding the type of masks worn by students, faculty, and staff on campus. You may wear a cloth mask, surgical, KN95, N95, etc. Your mask must cover your nose and mouth.

Computer labs, the library, and all other common areas are open and available. Three feet of social distance must be maintained at all locations on campus.

As a reminder, MassBay is sharing the Framingham campus with the Framingham Public Schools. Shared spaces, including the cafeteria, can be used by their staff as well as our community.

Anyone who does not have a massbay.edu email address is considered a guest. Guests must fill out a Guest Pass Form and upload a photo of their vaccination card. Use the link below to access the Guest Pass Form. MassBay Campus Cloud Guest Pass Form

The College will review the Guest Pass Form within 48 hours. Once approved, guests will receive an email that will clear them to come to campus. Guests must show the email affirming their vaccination status to be admitted into the buildings.

Anyone from the MassBay community who intends to invite a guest to campus is asked to share this policy with their guest.

Testing is voluntary. Rapid antigen test kits are free and are available for any student, faculty, or staff who wants one.

Each test kit contains two tests, and they may be picked up in multiple locations on the Wellesley Hills campus including at the front entrance, Student Development, and the Human Resources office. In Framingham, kits can be picked up at the Campus Police desk at the main entrance. In Ashland, you may pick up your kit in Dean Protano’s Office

After hours and on Saturdays, you may arrange to pick up a test kit by calling campus police at 781-239-2222.

MassBay encourages eligible students, faculty, and staff to obtain a booster shot; however, at this time it is not a requirement. For those with Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, booster shots can be obtained five months after your second dose. For those with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you may obtain a booster two months after you received your shot.

Students who are enrolled in classes with clinical hours whose site requires individuals to obtain a booster must comply with the rules of the clinical site, including obtaining a booster shot. This applies, as well, to MassBay instructors whose work brings them to clinical sites.

If you are exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, your booster status will be taken into consideration when determining your eligibility to return to campus.

Individuals may consume food and beverages while on-campus. Food may not be consumed in computer labs, the library, or in classrooms when a class is in session. Face masks may be removed momentarily while in the act of eating or drinking. Individuals must continue to maintain three feet of social distance while consuming food or beverages.

This summer, vending machines are the only food options available on campus. There are drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Bookstore in Wellesley as well. Microwaves are available for those who bring food they wish to heat.

Food options for fall semester are currently under consideration and will be announced when a decision has been made.

Masks can be removed when outdoors where three feet of social distancing can be maintained.

YES. MassBay is committed to students’ success, regardless of our current public health crisis. Student services will continue to be robust by visiting the offices on-campus and virtually by visiting http://www.massbay.edu/studentresources.

Parking is restricted to certain lots for students. Students, faculty, and staff should follow signage to ensure they are parked in the appropriate lot. Parking passes are free and can be picked up in the Public Safety Office, Room 138, in Wellesley and in the lobby in Framingham. In Wellesley, student parking is across Oakland Street from the building; faculty, staff, and visitor parking is adjacent to the flagpole. A grace period will be in place at the beginning of the semester.

Free transportation services are offered to registered MassBay students and consist of Uber rides and the MWRTA shuttle. For details on these services and schedules, visit www.massbay.edu/shuttle.

The only open Bookstore during the 2022 summer and fall semesters will be the one on the Wellesley campus. Textbooks, MassBay swag, and snacks can be purchased in-person, Monday – Thursday from 8am – 4pm, and Friday 8 am – 2pm. Students taking only remote or online courses can only access the Bookstore after they present a green check in the mobile app at the entrance.

Until further notice. We reserve the right to adjust our protocols, policies, and procedures at any time as the pandemic evolves, other factors dictate, and as we respond accordingly.