Hofstra's mask policies, a Public Safety scandal and more.
BY: ALEXA MCNULTY AND SARAH EMILY BAUM
WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEAH CHIAPPINO
Your insider guide to the Hofstra Pride. What students really need to know.
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COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted.
The university’s mask mandate has been lifted as of today, according to an email sent by President Susan Poser. Mask requirements will remain in effect for campus shuttles and the Student Health and Counseling Center, as well as certain events.
Weekly testing will be increasing from 8 percent of the Hofstra population to 15 percent.
As of the fall 2022 semester, non-Hofstra guests with proof of vaccination will be allowed in all residential buildings. Meanwhile, administrators are planning to maintain options for on-campus quarantine housing, a spokesperson from the university told The Clocktower.
As with the spring 2022 semester, most classes will not offer remote or hybrid options.
Public Safety’s new hire was subject to national media scrutiny.
Jovanni Ortiz was hired by the Department of Public Safety in October 2021 as the Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement, a new role meant to bridge the gap between students and the Department. His credibility came under scrutiny when POLITICO reported a series of suspicious, anonymous emails that were sent to reporters falsely touting him as a pick for Vice President Kamala Harris’ cabinet.
POLITICO’s Alex Thompson and Max Tani wrote: “It’s not unusual in Washington for people to try to get their names floated for prominent positions that they are very unlikely to get [...] And, in an online world where identities can be readily hidden, this political art form has evolved, even if it’s done sloppily.”
Formerly, Ortiz was a communications professional for Assemblyman Charles Lavine, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Center for Employment Opportunities. He also worked as a TMZ contributor and a local real estate agent.
A follow-up report raised questions about Ortiz’s leadership of the group known as the South Shore Democrats – namely, claims that Ortiz is the lone member. Ortiz routinely penned press releases as the “founder” of the group, and appeared in The New York Times as such. Ortiz subsequently told Newsday the group is "more of like a Facebook group, not necessarily a club that meets or anything like that."
The emails began flooding reporters’ inboxes in December 2021 – after Ortiz had begun his tenure at Hofstra. When asked for comment, Ortiz told The Clocktower he “didn’t know” about the emails and that he had no intent on leaving his role at the university.
Campus dorms will be renovated and “reimagined.”
An email from Residential Life announced changes for the upcoming semester. Colonial Square, parts of which are currently used as quarantine housing, will once again be fully open for dorming; Constitution Hall will be closed for construction; and Nassau Hall will be closed as the university is “reimagining how that space can be used and will update the community as plans are finalized.”
Gender-inclusive housing will expand from one high rise building floor to two.
Finally, a new Provost and Senior Vice President has been announced.
Dr. Charles Riordan has been appointed as the Provost and Senior Vice President for academic affairs at Hofstra beginning July 1, 2022.
