Pace plans to reopen the Pleasantville campus this fall according to the Director of Residential Life, Alerie Tirsch and the Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Capitol Projects, Aisha Moyla. However, they are also in the process of setting up contingency plans in the event that that is not possible.

In the event that Pace does reopen, students can anticipate on-campus social distancing measures, such as new parameter regarding communal facilities and campus events. The specific details of these policies will be set up as the semester draws closer and the situation evolves, and they will be based on guidelines from the CDC and the state of New York.

Pace is currently paying attention to the Phased Plan to Re-Open New York, a recently formed set of regional requirements from Governor Cuomo regarding safety procedures for reopening the state. The document details the CDC’s current list of qualifications that a region should meet in order to reopen and precautions that reopened businesses should follow in order to minimize its employees’ and patrons’ risk of infection. It also establishes the four phases in which business will reopen (so, for example, businesses such as construction and manufacturing are given priority status and will reopen first, while entertainment, recreation, and educational facilities will come fourth).

“We value the safety of our campus community members,” Tirsch said. “Thus we will be developing various scenarios of social distancing so that we are ready to implement a model that complements the decisions and guidelines provided for re-opening.”

Some resident students have not yet had the chance to retrieve the last of their belongings from their spring semester dorms. Spring move out will continue starting on May 15 and students must sign up for a four hour time slot to move out.

“We encourage students to keep an eye on their University email account,” Tirsch said. “We will communicate via email with students letting them know the process as soon as possible.”

The PAUSE order is currently scheduled to lift on May 15. However, students should still visit www.ny.gov regularly to keep themselves aware of any potential changes.

On March 27, Assistant Director of Housing Operations Nilam Kotadia sent out an email on behalf of Tirsch and Moyla, discussing upcoming renovations for residential buildings, including new windows and roofs for Martin Hall and new siding, windows, bathrooms, and kitchen facilities for Row 1 of the Townhouses. These renovations were scheduled to take place this summer, however, this was subject to change if the COVID-19 situation persisted.

According to Tirsch and Moyla, only “critical infrastructure” and “deferred maintenance” projects will proceed for now. The window and roof replacements in Martin have been deemed “critical maintenance projects,” so they will be taken care of once the PAUSE order is lifted. The Townhouse renovations are postponed until further notice. Had the Townhouse renovations taken place, the cost of living in Row 1 would have increased by $500 per semester. However, since the renovations will likely not happen this summer, there will be no cost increase.

Information in this article is subject to change as the situation evolves. The Pace Chronicle will run updates as more information becomes available.