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Student Testing Protocol

September 3, 2021

Dear NJIT Students, 

The purpose of this message is to inform you of the specific requirement for COVID-19 testing you must comply with as a condition of exemption or temporary exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Testing will be conducted on the NJIT campus in the M2CU mobile unit located at the corner of Warren Street and Lock Street, Monday through Thursday. A separate email has been sent outlining the process for scheduling. If you have not received this email please contact testing-chs@njit.edu. The BinaxNOW Ag Card, a rapid antigen test, will be the test administered. A fact sheet for patients can be found at https://www.fda.gov/media/141569/download. 

Testing Responsibilities and Consequences:
COVID-19 testing for students will begin Tuesday, September 7. The testing center will be closed on September 6 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. You will be required to test only once during the week of September 6.  Beginning on Monday, September 13, you will be required to test 2 times per week until otherwise notified. Weekly reminders will be sent to your NJIT email account the day before your scheduled testing.

Failure to comply with the testing requirements will result in the following: 

  1. 1st missed test – Students will receive an email directing them to obtain a COVID-19 test within 24 hours. 

  2. 2nd missed test (the two times do not need to be consecutive) – Students will be notified by the Dean of Students (DOS) office to submit a report on what extenuating circumstances prevented them from taking the test. The report must be submitted within two business days. 

  3. If DOS finds there were extenuating circumstances, you will need to take the test within 24 hours of hearing from DOS. 

  4. If DOS finds there were no extenuating circumstances, or if you fail to take the test within 24 hours of the DOS notification (see 3 above), you will be given the option to take a COVID-19 vaccine or be deregistered without the possibility of filing an appeal. 

Deregistered students will be responsible for paying the tuition and fees they have been billed for the semester. For those receiving financial aid, the aid amount will be prorated as per federal guidelines and an amount of it returned to the funding agency; students will be held responsible for paying the returned amount.

On-campus residents deregistered for failing to comply with COVID-19 testing requirements must vacate their housing assignment within 48 hours of such notice. The cost of housing will be prorated from the date of one's official check out.

For Students who are on-campus only once a week, or only on days when the NJIT testing center is closed (Friday or Saturday only classes), the following off-campus testing options are acceptable:

  1. An FDA approved over-the-counter home test:

  • Follow the instructions for performing the test and for using the result application provided in the kit. 

  • Submit a copy of the result to the Medicat portal, click “Upload” and choose “Covid Report” from the drop-down arrow at the bottom of the page. Test results are to be submitted the same day that the test is done.

  1. A test taken at an approved testing site:

  • Submit test results to the Medicat portal following the process above within 24 hours of taking the test. A rapid test should be used to ensure a quick turnaround time for results (within 24 hours). PCR test results may take more than 24 hours to obtain. 

Protocols for Positive Results:
A student who has tested positive outside NJIT needs to immediately notify the Dean of Students Office and not come to campus. A student who tests positive at the NJIT testing site will be notified by Campus Health Services. All students who test positive on or off-campus will be provided with additional instructions related to requirements for isolation and conditions for return to classes by a Campus Health Services staff member. Campus Health Services will also interview the student for the purposes of contact tracing.

Any student who tests positive with a rapid antigen test may choose to receive a PCR test at their own cost. PCR testing is not provided at the NJIT testing site.

Any student who is confirmed COVID-positive either via on-campus testing or off-campus official testing will be excused from absences, and instructors for classes taken by the student will be notified by DOS that the student should be given accommodations (make-up work, etc.) based on verified medical reasons.

In the absence of official test results, a student will not be excused from classes or given a make-up exam. Excuses of the type, “I was waiting on the results of a test,” will not be accepted unless the student gets clearance before missing a class or an exam from DOS and/or the Director of Campus Health Services.

These requirements are subject to change or modification, consistent with updated guidance from the CDC, or federal and state regulations. We will continue to rely on the three pillars of our Pandemic Recovery Plan — adherence to governmental mandates, reliance on guidance from health experts and agencies, and our own collective informed judgement — and will apply these principles to keep our community safe.

 

Sincerely, 
Fadi P. Deek 
Provost and Senior Executive Vice President


Marybeth Boger
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students