Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science
photo of Gates Hall

Story

Facilities Update: Limited Access to Gates, Rhodes Halls Beginning March 18

Gates Hall and CIS Spaces in Rhodes Hall

Following the Provost's guidelines to implement ID-card access strategies to buildings, ensuring that only individuals with a need to access facilities gain entry, we will be limiting access to Gates Hall, and to the CIS spaces in Rhodes Hall, during this period of remote instruction. The restrictions will allow entry only to faculty, staff, and PhD/MS students in CIS, to be used by these groups in accordance with the guidelines for current building use conveyed in communications from the university. 

Beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, these facilities will be accessible only through ID-card access. We understand that these restrictions will necessitate changes to the format of work over the rest of the semester; the university's FAQ on virtual instruction at https://www.cornell.edu/coronavirus/virtual-instruction.cfm contains important guidelines for undergraduates, MPS, and MEng students on how to approach this transition: 

"We recognize how important these activities are for student learning, and that you are undoubtedly disappointed that you will not continue to have access to on-campus labs or specialized equipment. The expectation is that academic activities be suspended as of March 13; however, we understand that you may need a few days to execute an orderly shutdown of your work and transfer needed data to continue your research. Please meet with your advisor to coordinate final access to your lab and develop revised expectations for completing your project so that you can turn your attention to returning to your permanent residence as soon as possible. All such activities need to be completed by 5 p.m. on March 18. 

You should also consult with your faculty advisors about how you can continue your research remotely – if it is at all possible, you should absolutely continue! Departments should develop guidelines for how students can complete their theses in modified ways, if necessary (e.g., write a paper describing the approach, implications associated with possible findings, etc.). We expect these guidelines may vary across departments based on the type of research being conducted." 

If you would like further guidance on these changes, please reach out to your faculty advisor(s) or your department or field's student services staff.

Comstock and Malott Halls

Effective 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, Comstock Hall will remain locked until further notice and only accessible to those with key-card access. 

Effective 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, Malott Hall is closed until further notice.