COVID-19

After careful consideration and in accordance with Rutgers University guidance, the Rutgers School of Public Health has decided to extend remote learning – with a very limited number of hybrid courses that would follow appropriate health-related precautions – through the Fall 2020 semester. Students should consult with their instructors regarding specific course concerns and accommodations.

• Learning from Home Resources: The Rutgers Learning Center has a great guide for successful online learning with tips, best practices, and strategies for maximizing your learning remotely.
• IT Support: Our Office of Computing & Technology has created a webpage with detailed guides and resources to help in setting up and using WebEx. For Canvas support, reach out to their Help Desk.

Faculty: Resources for teaching online can be found on Canvas in the Rutgers School Public Health for Online, In-Person and Hybrid Course Development shell – look under Modules – Online Emergency Preparedness. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Laura Liang, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs , or Marian Passannante, Associate Dean for Educational Program Development and Global Programs.

The Summer and Fall 2020 Course Schedules are now online! Registration opens for current students April 6 for both semesters, so students should reach out to their academic advisors to discuss plans. Students can find additional information regarding Summer and Fall Registration on the Student Connect Canvas page. If you have any questions regarding the information below, please email the Office of the Registrar . 

• When does registration open? Online Registration for Summer and Fall will open for current students on Monday, April 6, 2020. Online registration will open for new students on Monday, June 1, 2020. All students are expected to register online by the deadlines indicated on the Rutgers School of Public Health’s Registration Calendar.
• How may I confirm possible pre-requisite requirements? The course schedule will list all courses being offered that semester. Click on the course title to view additional course details. If there is a pre-requisite requirement, it will be listed under “Registration Availability.”
• How do I register? If you are unsure of how to register for courses, review the registration tutorial. If you receive an error message stating “Authorization Failure – Invalid User ID or PIN” please try using a different web browser.
• What is a PIN and where do I get it? To register, students need to contact their academic advisor to receive advisement and obtain their registration PIN. Each eligible student has a registration PIN for Fall and a separate registration PIN for Summer. Please be sure to notify your academic advisor which semester(s) you plan to register for, so you receive the correct registration PIN(s). Please note that the Office of the Registrar is not authorized to provide advisement or release registration PINs.
• How do I register for independent study? Students who need to register for an Independent Study must submit a Contract for Independent Study to the appropriate faculty member for review. Requests for Independent Study must be approved by the faculty member and the Department Chair/Concentration Director. To be registered, students must submit their approved Independent Study contracts to the Office of the Registrar; registration cannot be completed online.
• When is the last day to add/drop courses? Please refer to the Rutgers School of Public Health’s Registration and Withdrawal/Refund Calendar
• Can I re-add a course after dropping it online? Unfortunately, you are unable to re-add a course after dropping it online. To re-add a course, please email Office of the Registrar for help.
• I do not plan to enroll this Fall, how do I proceed? If you do not plan to enroll at SPH during the Fall 2020 semester, regardless of the reason, you are required to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Students who will not be attending during the Fall 2020 semester, but plan to return the following semester, must submit a Leave of Absence form for review and approval. Students who are enrolled in an approved dual degree program and need to take a semester off to complete coursework at their dually enrolled institution must submit a leave of absence form and indicate they are requesting a student scholar status. Students who do not wish to continue their studies at SPH must submit a Withdrawal form prior to the end of the registration period. For more information on our leave of absence and withdrawal policies, please review the Academic Policies and Procedures located on our website.
• I would like to register for a course being offered outside of School of Public Health. How do I register? With advisor approval, students are permitted to cross-enroll and register for course(s) being offered through another school within the Rutgers University network. To cross-enroll with another RBHS school, please submit the Request for Approval of Cross Enrollment form to your advisor for approval. To cross-enroll with another Rutgers graduate school outside of the RBHS network, please submit the Rutgers Exchange Registration Application to your advisor for approval. Once approved, please submit your cross-enrollment paperwork to the Office of the Registrar for processing. All paperwork must be completed in its entirety and must clearly indicate the relevant course information.
• When is the last day to add/drop courses? Please refer to the Rutgers School of Public Health’s Registration and Withdrawal/Refund Calendar.
• Can I re-add a course after dropping it online? Unfortunately, you are unable to re-add a course after dropping it online. To re-add a course, please email Office of the Registrar for help.
• I do not plan to enroll this Fall, how do I proceed? If you do not plan to enroll at SPH during the Fall 2020 semester, regardless of the reason, you are required to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Students who will not be attending during the Fall 2020 semester, but plan to return the following semester, must submit a Leave of Absence form for review and approval. Students who are enrolled in an approved dual degree program and need to take a semester off to complete coursework at their dually enrolled institution must submit a leave of absence form and indicate they are requesting a student scholar status. Students who do not wish to continue their studies at SPH must submit a Withdrawal form prior to the end of the registration period. For more information on our leave of absence and withdrawal policies, please review the Academic Policies and Procedures located on our website.
• I would like to register for a course being offered outside of School of Public Health. How do I register? With advisor approval, students are permitted to cross-enroll and register for course(s) being offered through another school within the Rutgers University network. To cross-enroll with another RBHS school, please submit the Request for Approval of Cross Enrollment form to your advisor for approval. To cross-enroll with another Rutgers graduate school outside of the RBHS network, please submit the Rutgers Exchange Registration Application to your advisor for approval. Once approved, please submit your cross-enrollment paperwork to the Office of the Registrar for processing. All paperwork must be completed in its entirety and must clearly indicate the relevant course information

In response to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Office of Practice is prioritizing finding remote opportunities for students but continues to encourage students to find their own opportunities. There is flexibility over the PRAC 0175: Applied Practice Experience (APE) if it relates to COVID-19 response, for example contact tracing. If you have any questions about whether a project is applicable to the APE, please contact the Office of Practice.

Please direct any questions about PRAC 0175 Applied Practice Experience and PRAC 0716 Practicum Capstone questions to the Office of Practice.

Students:

The Student Wellness Program is available for students to provide free confidential counseling services and they are holding counseling sessions over the phone with licensed clinicians. You can call 973-972-5429 to reach the Newark office during business hours and 732-235-5930 to reach the Piscataway office during business hours.

Our Office of Student Support Services, while not in a formal confidential setting, can also be a resource for you during this time. Michael Vega, Director of Student Support Services, is available via email for students out of Piscataway and Claire Brown, Assistant Director of Student Support Services, is available via email for students based out of Newark, however, both are resources to all students regardless of which location they take classes from. Additional resources:

• Financial Aid
  • New Brunswick:
  • Newark:
• Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance
  • 973-972-4636
• Title IX
  • Susan Hamilton
  • 973-972-9794
• Disability Services
  • Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • 973-640-0058

Faculty and Staff :

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to help you develop a plan to engage in better self-care and make some deposits into your health account. Counselors are available to assist you in managing various concerns that may be affecting your personal or professional life. Contact the EAP at (732) 235-5930, to speak with a counselor or to arrange an appointment. Additional resources:

• Employee Health Clinic at Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOSHI)
  • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • 848-445-0123
• Employee Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • 732-507-8386
• New Jersey Medical School Occupational Medicine
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • 973-972-2900
• Health Care Provider Resource Center
• Well-Being Resources

Student Career Services continue to be provided. Students can still receive support related to resume review, interview preparation, job search, and one-on-one career advising. Please direct any career-related inquires or concerns to Claire Brown, Assistant Director of Student Support Services, or visit the Student Career Services Canvas page.

The Rutgers School of Public Health Office of Research (OOR) continues to support faculty and student research. For the latest information available from U.S. federal funding agencies in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, visit the OOR’s COVID-19 webpage. If you have any questions or concerns about your research, please contact Katie Zapert, Director of Research.

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment is offering virtual opportunities for prospective and accepted students to connect with faculty and staff. The Office of Admissions and Recruitment is offering online information sessions and Q&A’s as well. With ETS testing centers remaining closed for the time being, a GRE waiver process has been established for applicants applying into our MPH and Certificate programs for Fall 2020. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Kamal Kornegay, Director of Admissions and Recruitment.

Our Technical Support Team is ready to assist our School of Public Health community with all remote needs. IT support and instructions on how to setup basic remote technical functionality, including quick links to the Portal, Canvas, Box, WebEx can be found by visiting Office of Computing and Technology Support webpage.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Technical Support Team at 732-235-3231 or email.

Due to the reduced on-campus population, our locations will continue to be secured. They will only be accessible using your Rutgers University ID card – meaning automated schedules for building and room openings are disabled.

ID Cards: Given that face coverings will be commonplace, Rutgers ID cards must be worn at all times while on campus and/or in Rutgers buildings.

Visitors: Visitors with no legitimate business purpose and guests are not allowed in workplaces; this includes visitors who may be friends or family of employees.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sam Barreto Rios , Manager of Facilities and Administration.

If you are looking for other ways to de-stress during this time, here are some resources:

• Elissa Kozlov, a licensed clinical psychologist and instructor in the department of health behavior, society, and policy, discusses strategies for taking care of your mental health while working and studying from home
• Tips for staying physically and mentally healthy at home
• How to set up a healthy and productive home workspace
• Thrive Global
• How to Lead Through a Crisis
• The Do's and Don'ts of Online Video Meetings
• Headspace app

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

World Health Organization

New Jersey COVID-19 Information Hub

Have general questions about COVID-19?
The NJ Poison Control Center and 211 have partnered with the State to provide information to the public on COVID-19:
Call: 2-1-1 • Call (24/7): 1-800-962-1253
Text: NJCOVID to 898-211

Implementing collaborative and robust public health initiatives - like the New Jersey Community Contact Tracing Corps program – is key to breaking the chain of transmission and slowing community spread of COVID-19 as we seek to reopen the Garden State. While our local health departments have been conducting contact tracing since the beginning of the outbreak and routinely perform this work, there is a need to centralize and expand contact tracing efforts across the state. To support local health, the New Jersey Department of Health is building a Community Contact Tracing Corps. To start, the Department is partnering with the state’s institutions of higher education that will employ public health, social work, and students with health-related backgrounds as frontline workers. This diverse and well-trained group of New Jerseyans will be serving the communities in which they live, work, and study. Learn more about the New Jersey COVID-19 Community Contact Tracing Corps Program.