Dear Lehman Campus Community:

You may have learned that on Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo extended New York on PAUSE until May 28 for New York City and other regions of New York State that have not met all seven criteria to begin Phase 1 of re-opening, as detailed on the Regional Monitoring Dashboard. As of this writing, New York City has met just three of the metrics to begin re-opening. Because of the two-week extension, the College will maintain the same level of access it has had since April.

While we are not yet ready to talk about a specific date or timeline for re-opening, and that is the Governor's decision, we are beginning to plan for what re-opening our campus could look like. Vice President Rene Rotolo has convened a weekly task force that is charged with making preparations in advance of a re-opening date. In addition, we are working in coordination with the CUNY COVD-19 Response Task Force that is preparing university-wide re-opening recommendations for the Chancellor. At Lehman, our discussions about what we want to achieve when we re-open has included outlining a number of goals in order of priority.

• Creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment to protect the safety and well-being of all campus stakeholders and their families
• Continuing the efficacy of Lehman College as an engine of social mobility for current and prospective students by providing optimal access to services and instruction under the circumstances
• Emerging as a stronger and improved institution 
• Playing a major role in the rebuilding of the Bronx