Cleaning, Safety, and Upgrades

We are following and, in many cases, exceeding the most recent guiding principles from Monroe County Department of Public Health, the state’s “New York Forward” guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization.

Cleaning Protocols

Deep Cleaning: Facilities Management Services (FMS) has increased the frequency of cleaning for RIT’s public areas, including classrooms, lobbies, elevators, door handles, restrooms, and more. Workers perform deep cleaning using EPA-compliant disinfectant.

Academic buildings receive deep cleaning on class days. Classrooms are cleaned and sanitized once per day and academic building restrooms plus common areas and touch points are cleaned and disinfected twice per day.

Offices will not be entered by FMS custodians to ensure that potential contaminants are not spread between offices.

Residence halls receive deep cleaning seven days per week, while residence hall restrooms plus common areas and high touch points are cleaned and disinfected twice per day.

Disinfectant in Classrooms: In addition to the daily deep cleaning performed by FMS workers, spray bottles filled with EPA-compliant disinfectant are placed in each learning space to allow students and faculty to disinfect their areas before and after each class.

Infrastructure Upgrades

Air purification: RIT is installing bipolar ionization systems in its residence halls, apartments, and academic buildings to help neutralize viruses, bacteria, allergens, mold, and other airborne contaminants. Unlike many air purification systems on a standard air filter, the ions interact with biological contaminants to make them inert. RIT’s limited testing of this technology in our own labs shows that it is effective against many airborne contaminants. Preliminary testing of the technology by the manufacturers shows that it is effective against COVID-19. RIT also reprogrammed its air handling units to provide the freshest air possible to learning spaces to provide dilution, as recommended by the CDC.

Transparent barriers: Teaching spaces have a transparent barrier installed at the front of the classroom to serve as a barrier between instructors and students to help block the direct transmission of large respiratory droplets. Similar barriers have been installed at appropriate service desks and reception areas across campus.

Coated exterior door pulls: Main entrance door pulls are outfitted or enhanced with copper-containing materials, which are known to reduce the time that viruses and bacteria can survive on surfaces. More than 600 door pulls on campus have 3D-printed copper plating, copper polish, or copper electroplating to help reduce the spread of viruses on these frequently touched surfaces.

Reducing touchpoints in restrooms: RIT replaced air dryers with hands-free paper towel dispensers in public restrooms on campus to reduce the spread of germs. Foot pedals were also installed on bathroom doors to eliminate the need for many individuals to touch door handles. Touchless soap dispensers will replace the hand-pump dispensers during the fall semester and will be installed as they arrive. Additional automatic door openers have been placed in select bathrooms across campus.

Hand sanitizer stations: RIT placed approximately 1,000 hand- or foot-operated hand sanitizer stations across campus, predominantly near building-entry points and classroom areas.

Enhanced elevator maintenance: Because RIT is reducing the maximum occupancy of elevators, we have additional technicians on campus to repair the elevators as issues arise and keep them running as smoothly as possible.

RIT is working to create an environment that is as safe and clean as possible. Here is a look at a number of improvements added across campus as well as supplies RIT is handing out to students, faculty, and staff. Numbers are approximate.