Updated 8.26.2020
The following are answers to questions we have received from first-year students and their parents over the last few weeks. Since the pandemic and international travel situation is still evolving, this information will be subject to update and revision. As we receive important updates, we will also notify students via their NYU email.
General
- What is the COVID-19 situation in Shanghai?
The city of Shanghai has had relatively few cases of COVID-19. As of August 26, the city has recorded 886 cases and 7 deaths. Of those 886 cases, 544 cases were imported by travelers from abroad. Today, there are currently 74 active cases in Shanghai, a city of 25 million people. From the beginning of the outbreak, the city of Shanghai has implemented strict infection control measures, including testing, contract tracing, isolation and quarantine. These measures have prevented community spread and enabled the city to resume relatively normal operations by early May. - What are the social distancing policies currently in place in Shanghai?
Face masks are required on all public transportation - including subways, busses, and taxis. Masks are also required in indoor spaces where individuals cannot maintain spacing of more than 1 meter. Body temperatures are still taken at entrances to many public venues. Large public gatherings are still prohibited or minimized. At NYU Shanghai, out of an abundance of caution, we are following even more stringent guidelines, as detailed in our COVID-19 Code of Conduct. - Can you guarantee my safety?
Shanghai is one of the safer cities in the world at this moment. NYU Shanghai enforces strict social distancing on campus. Our infection prevention and control protocols are more stringent than what is required of us. We follow science, best practices, and city regulations. But no plan is foolproof - it requires students and all community members to take personal responsibility for their own safety as well. Moreover, the course of this pandemic has been unpredictable and unprecedented. While we will take every measure to ensure our campus is safe, and the city of Shanghai has been vigilant about infection prevention, we cannot reduce anyone’s risk of infection to zero.
Academics and Student Academic Records
- When will students enroll in Classes?The NYU Shanghai Academic Advising team has met with all the international students to discuss their study plans. Students should now choose between the Transition Plan and the All Remote plan for their fall course of study and follow up with their academic advisors. The Chinese admissions process has concluded and students will be hearing soon from their academic advisors. Course registration for all Class of 2024 students will start at 9:00 PM, September 7th, Shanghai Time.
- What will online courses look like if my student/I still cannot come to China when the semester starts?
NYU Shanghai’s Spring 2020 semester was conducted largely online. Even when campus re-opened in late April, the vast majority of classes continued in “mixed mode” format, with technology enabling students to participate both live and online. A comprehensive digital teaching toolkit for faculty was developed to optimize students’ online learning experiences. Further descriptions of this experience can be found here, here, and here.
This summer, in response to feedback from faculty and students, our library and technology staff have also made new investments and further improvements to our online and mixed-mode teaching tools.
Arrival
- When is the fall move-in date for Class of 2024? With the delays in the letters of invitation, the actual arrival dates are is dependent on visa processing by certain consulates and flight booking. The university will allow first years to move into residence halls upon the completion of a 14-day quarantine at a government-designated hotel. We recognize that we must remain flexible with these dates and timing - the goal is to get first year students to Shanghai this semester. We have reserved housing bed spaces to accommodate students who arrive at any point in the semester. If students plan to remain remote for the Fall, they will apply for housing in late November for the Spring semester.
- What are the next steps? How do I apply for my visa?
NYU Shanghai will forward a letter of invitation to you as soon as it is ready. Once you receive your letter of invitation, you will submit a visa application and any other required supplemental documents to the designated Chinese consulate. The Chinese government may require a COVID-19 test result as part of this application - we will inform you as soon as we know it is required. Once your visa is approved, please notify NYU Shanghai to discuss flight options. We are currently working to identify various options for travel to Shanghai. A staff member will then be in contact to prepare you for your transition to Shanghai. - What are the travel options to Shanghai? The university had investigated the possibility of a charter flight from the United States given the critical mass of faculty, staff, and students based there. However, due to the gap in time between issuance of the letters of invitation for faculty and the letters for students, most of the faculty have already departed for Shanghai via commercial flights to begin their quarantine. There has been a doubling of China-bound flights departing from places such as the United States and 36 other countries (including the EU and ASEAN countries) this past week. We are now shifting to securing group discount rates for NYU Shanghai travelers.
- Can international students move into the residence hall directly or do they need to finish a 14-day quarantine first?
Based on the current quarantine policy, all people entering China from abroad must quarantine for 14 days in a government-designated hotel. The policy might change if the global pandemic situation improves. We are monitoring the situation and will send out updates should the policy change in the coming weeks. - Will there be NYU Shanghai staff greeting students and accompanying them to quarantine hotels at the airport when they arrive?
NYU Shanghai staff will be in contact with you from the moment you take off to the moment you land, but we will not be able to meet you at the airport. The city of Shanghai’s bilingual quarantine officials will meet each airplane to guide students through the various arrival protocols. NYU Shanghai staff will be on call via phone and text should students run into any difficulty in arrival processing. - Can my family members accompany me to Shanghai? Will we be quarantined together?
Unfortunately, no. Currently, China is limiting entry to individuals with a letter of invitation and a special entry visa. These letters and visas cannot be extended to family members. - What is the cost for quarantine? Will the school cover this cost?
The cost for quarantine hotels range from 200RMB (30USD)/night to 600RMB (85USD)/night. Meals cost 100RMB (12-15 USD)/day. You can decide how much you wish to spend at the arrival airport. Since these expenses are considered travel expenses, they will not be reimbursed by the university. - What is the COVID-19 test process? When and how many times will the student be tested?
China uses both nose and throat swabs to test for COVID-19. A person entering from abroad will take the COVID-19 test at least two times during the 14-day quarantine period. The mandatory test at the Pudong airport is free, while the second test in the quarantine hotel (2~3 days before the end of the quarantine) costs around 100RMB (15USD). There is a chance that you will be subject to additional tests should you arrive on a flight with passengers who test positive. - If the student has residence in Shanghai, will they still be required to quarantine at the designated facility?
All travelers entering China from abroad, regardless of citizenship or residency, will be quarantined in a government-designated quarantine hotel. - I have dietary restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, etc.). Will they accommodate this?
Most quarantine hotels provide vegetarian meals. Students who have dietary restrictions should report this to staff either at the airport or at the hotel as soon as they arrive. - What will my child do during the two-week quarantine? What support can we expect from the university during the quarantine period? What types of activities are and are not allowed?
An assigned staff member will check in on each student daily and, with permission, will connect other students who are in quarantine together via group texts. There will also be some pre-orientation related modules to complete online. We will also host live online sessions so that students can come together for game nights, performances, and general community engagement.
Orientation Week
- When is the Class of 2024 Orientation Week?
The Class of 2024 Orientation is combined with online modules and in-person sessions. Students will receive the link to online modules in early September. The in-person sessions will take place on campus from September 9 to September 11. Orientation is required for all first-year students. For those who are not able to attend the in-person session due to travel restrictions, they can join remotely based on their time zones. Detailed orientation schedule and arrangements will be announced by Wednesday August 26th.
Housing
- Are all first-year students required to live on campus? Can I live off campus if I have somewhere to live in Shanghai?
All NYU Shanghai first-year students live in university housing at the Green Center Towers (Jinqiao) Residence Hall. You can take a virtual tour of the Residence Halls here and here. A hallmark of NYU Shanghai is our policy to house Chinese students with international students in order to promote cross-cultural learning and development. Therefore, all first-year and sophomore students are required to live in the NYU Shanghai Residence Halls. If there are any changes to current policies, students will be notified via email by the Office of Residential Life (shanghai.reslife@nyu.edu). - Will I have a room if I arrive late? We have reserved housing bed spaces for all first year students for when you arrive in Shanghai. If you plan to remain remote for the Fall semester, you can apply for housing for the Spring semester in late November.
- Will the dorms be one person to a room? Will I share the room with someone else? First-year students will be assigned to live in an international and Chinese student roommate pairing.
- When will students receive their housing assignment?
As Chinese students must take and pass China’s national college entrance examinations, which were delayed for a month due to the pandemic, final enrollment decisions for Chinese students will not be made until late August. Therefore, housing applications will not be released to international students until early August. Please note, the housing application will gather your room type preferences, but room assignments and roommate information will be compiled much closer to the start of the academic semester. If you have any questions, please email shanghai.reslife@nyu.edu - How many students will share a kitchen and bathroom/shower?
Students will share kitchens, bathrooms, and showers with their residential community. In the Jinqiao Residence Hall, a residential community typically includes 40 students who share an upper class Resident Assistant (RA) who will help lead year-long programming. Each residential community will share 1 or 2 kitchens, and approximately 10 bathrooms (with toilets, showers, and sink counters). - Can students stay in their room over breaks?
Full academic year students are allowed to stay in their room over all breaks during the academic year, including winter break. Students will be asked to move out of their room before the spring move-out date (please refer to the Academic Calendar). Due to border restrictions and the current risks associated with international travel, we highly encourage and suggest students plan to stay in Shanghai over the winter break.
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