Archived COVID-19 operational announcements

This page contains the full archive of the various measures that we have been employing within IDeATe as the university responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.  For a summary of the latest operational guidance, see our main COVID-19 operations page.

Recent updates

Wednesday 21 September 2022, 3:15pm EDT

The continued risk mitigation protocols in place at IDeATe have allowed day-to-day operations for the academic year to largely stabilize under normal operation while the university remains in a transitional services posture.  As we look through Fall 2022 and the foreseeable future:

  • Hunt Library resumes its regular building hours.
  • Normal IDeATe student access to classrooms and lab spaces resumes according to our usual access model for the academic year.
  • The IDeATe Lending Office establishes regularly staffed hours.  Borrowed items are expected to be returned to the Lending Office while it is open; our temporary after-hours drop-off procedures have been discontinued under normal operations.
  • Designated staffed laser cutter hours resume for eligible IDeATe students.
  • Open Fabrication Hours are available for the campus community.
  • Our classrooms remain equipped with standard hybrid classroom technology for use as necessary.
  • IDeATe Administrative Offices remain generally staffed Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm. Advance appointments remain strongly encouraged for all services not listed above. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to set up an appointment, ideally at least 1–2 business days in advance.

Please be mindful that all services will either be suspended or significantly reduced for holidays, academic breaks, and over the summer; check individual pages or email help@ideate.cmu.edu for details.

As usual, minor adjustments to the above schedules may be made for operational or staffing reasons at any time.  In the event that more major adjustments are needed due to emergencies or shifting COVID-19 guidelines, they will be communicated through the appropriate channels (including this page if necessary).

Wednesday 1 June 2022, 5:30pm EDT

Now that Spring 2022 is in the books, IDeATe staff are using the summer, as usual, to focus on larger and longer-term projects in preparation for next fall. This means that many of the regular services we offer during the academic year are reduced, by request only, or by appointment only:

On-site staffing: IDeATe has shifted into our usual summer mode. Our Administrative Offices remain generally staffed Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm, though there may be some unannounced exceptions. We will be busy tending to many projects throughout the facility, so advance appointments are strongly encouraged for all services. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to set up an appointment, ideally at least 1–2 business days in advance.

Classroom/lab access: Normal IDeATe student access to classrooms and lab spaces is suspended for the summer, and will resume on Monday 29 August 2022. (Ongoing summer classes are unaffected.) IDeATe administrative staff and instructors can facilitate brief, one-off access to retrieve items. Stop by the IDeATe Administrative Offices in Hunt A9 during regular business hours, or make an advance appointment.

If you need to make an appointment, use equipment, or have a project that requires regular or recurring access to an IDeATe space, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu. Provide details about the scope, nature, and duration of your project.

Lending: The IDeATe Lending Office is closed throughout Summer 2022 for inventory. If you have special requirements with an academic purpose, please use the online IDeATe Lending request form. Please understand that all requests must be approved by IDeATe administrative staff, and approved requests may take a few business days to fulfill.

Regular lending hours will resume with the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

Laser cutter access: There are no regularly staffed laser cutter hours or Open Fabrication Hours during the summer. All laser cutter access is by appointment only. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu 1–2 business days in advance. Availability is subject to staffing and conditions permitting.

Buddies are required at all times. Please arrive on time for appointments. Late arrivals may be declined at staff discretion.

Designated staffed laser cutter hours and our regularly scheduled Open Fabrication Hours will resume with the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

Tuesday 19 April 2022, 3:30pm EDT

Due to a recent uptick in illnesses and injuries amongst our student workers and staff, IDeATe’s staffing for the Hunt A9 offices, the Lending Desk, and laser cutters (including Open Fabrication Hours) are currently all experiencing occasional service gaps.  These gaps may remain highly variable over the coming days and weeks and could increase without notice.  We expect that this may affect the remainder of the Spring 2022 semester, including the final exam period, and we encourage all instructors and students to plan accordingly.

As of this writing, we have been able to limit the gaps to a few hours here and there by shifting personnel around.  We will continue to do whatever we can to maintain some minimum level of staffing during core business hours (11am–3pm), on weekdays.  Please understand that our ability to promise service at specific dates and times is currently significantly reduced.

If you have specific concerns or questions, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu as far in advance as possible.

Monday 31 January 2022, 10:45am EST

With the university’s return to its “transitional posture”, we have broadly returned to our procedures from Fall 2021, including a resumption of our Open Fabrication Hours, effective Monday 31 January 2022.

Wednesday 12 January 2022, 2:30pm EST

As we finalize preparations for the Spring 2022 semester which begins on Tuesday 18 January 2022, the university’s recent shift to a “modified services” posture for the start of the semester comes with some important temporary modifications to our procedures within IDeATe:

On-site staffing: IDeATe is expected to be staffed for general on-site service for Spring 2022 with predominantly in-person instruction. On Thursday 6 January 2022, the university announced a shift to a “modified services” posture including a temporary shift to predominantly remote instruction for the start of the semester, which is expected to last through Sunday 30 January 2022.  Advance appointments for all services remain strongly encouraged by sending requests to help@ideate.cmu.edu at least one business day in advance, as our on-site staff may be busy attending to various areas of the facility throughout the day. Occasional interruptions in service may occur. Please plan ahead.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: With the university’s shift to a “modified services” posture effective 6 January 2022, students are prohibited from using IDeATe classrooms as a venue to attend their remote class sessions. The few IDeATe courses designated with an IPO (In-Person Only) teaching modality will continue in-person as scheduled throughout the remote instruction period.

Although we expect to maintain our usual classroom/lab access model, which we returned to in Fall 2021, under the “modified services” posture, students are discouraged from accessing classrooms unless absolutely necessary. While in classrooms, students are expected to minimize their time spent in such rooms while adhering to all university Covid protocols regarding required physical distancing, wearing facial coverings, etc.

Instructors will maintain access to the classrooms and may elect to teach their remote sessions from their scheduled classrooms, if desired. Instructors may gather any necessary supplies and materials for students to use during this period; however, instructors are advised to remain flexible as many students may not be able to come to campus to pick up supplies during the remote instruction period. Pick-ups must be coordinated with IDeATe staff at help@ideate.cmu.edu, who will arrange for an approved pick-up location.

Lending: The IDeATe Lending Office reopens for Spring 2022 on Tuesday 18 January 2022. Check outs and returns may be completed during our normal lending hours, as staffing permits, and is the preferred method of contact for all Lending transactions. We expect, though, that staffing may be somewhat patchy during the remote instruction period, so please plan ahead. If and when Lending is closed, after-hours returns can continue to be dropped off at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime Hunt Library is open, leave the items on the return table and sign the log sheet.

Laser cutter access: The IDeATe laser cutters are available for Spring 2022 during designated hours beginning Tuesday 18 January 2022. For safety, authorized users must work with IDeATe staff present at the laser cutter or bring a buddy. See the laser cutter hours for availability.

Our campus-wide Open Fabrication Hours are temporarily suspended under the university’s “modified services” posture. We expect to be able to resume this service according to the normal schedule, 5:00 to 6:00pm on weekdays, once the university returns to its transitional posture.

IDeATe Collaborative Workspace: IDeATe students maintain access to the IDeATe Collaborative Workspace in Hunt A5 through the remote instruction period; however, students may not gather in number in this space while the university is in its “modified services” posture. While in this space, students are asked to remain purposeful in their activities and to follow all university Covid protocols, including not lingering any longer than is necessary to accomplish their tasks.

Monday 13 December 2021, 2:00pm EST

Congratulations to everyone on making it through the Fall 2021 semester! We are easing into a much-needed break and IDeATe will be taking a long winter’s nap, too:

Laser cutter access: Designated laser cutter access hours for Fall 2021 end at 5:00pm on Tuesday 14 December 2021. Access to laser cutters over the winter break will be by appointment only; please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make arrangements. The last day for Open Fabrication Hours before the winter break is Monday 13 December 2021. These services will begin their designated hours for Spring 2022 on Tuesday 18 January 2022.

Lending: IDeATe Lending closes at 6:00pm on Tuesday 14 December 2021; the vast majority of outstanding items are due back by that time. Contactless dropoff of late items may continue to be conducted in the Hunt A9 office vestibule through Wednesday 22 December 2021. IDeATe Lending will reopen on Tuesday 18 January 2022.

On-site staffing: IDeATe offices and facilities will be closed from Saturday 18 December 2021 through Sunday 2 January 2022. No appointments will be made during this time. IDeATe offices will reopen after the holiday on Monday 3 January 2022.

Tuesday 5 October 2021, 3:00pm EDT

After successfully making our way through the first few weeks of Fall 2021, here are some updates on the transitional procedures we’ve been able to stabilize on for the rest of the semester:

On-site staffing: IDeATe is expected to be staffed for general on-site service for Fall 2021 with predominantly in-person instruction. Advance appointments for all services are strongly encouraged by sending requests to help@ideate.cmu.edu at least one business day in advance, as our on-site staff may be busy attending to various areas of the facility throughout the day. Occasional interruptions in service may occur. Please plan ahead.

Building hours and library spaces: Hunt Library has established regular hours for Fall 2021. See the Hunt Library page for the latest hours.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: Our usual classroom/lab access model has returned for Fall 2021. Instructors are expected to help maintain any required physical distancing while in the space. Additionally, our Open Fabrication Hours have restarted for Fall 2021 and are now held from 5:00 to 6:00pm on weekdays.

Lending: The IDeATe Lending Office is open for Fall 2021. Check outs and returns may be completed during our normal lending hours. Additionally, after-hours returns can continue to be dropped off at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime Hunt Library is open, leave the items on the return table and sign the log sheet.

Laser cutter access: The IDeATe laser cutters are available for Fall 2021 during designated hours. For safety, authorized users must work with IDeATe staff present at the laser cutter or bring a buddy.  See the laser cutter hours for availability.

3D printing: We have returned to our usual 3D printing access model. Students previously given access to Stratasys Skylab continue to maintain that access as long as they remain enrolled at the university. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu with any questions about print approvals or to ask for an evaluation as to whether or not a specialized print may require other 3D printers. Approved personal prints will be billed to student accounts. IDeATe staff will typically bring completed prints to the outer A5 room, near the sink. Student access to the 3D printer area is prohibited except to retrieve completed prints. Do not loiter in the 3D printer room.

IDeATe Collaborative Workspace: The IDeATe Collaborative Workspace has been established in Hunt A5 and is available to all IDeATe students, staff, and faculty. Stop by to work on projects, homework, or just hang out for a bit.  Hand tools, including glue guns, are available in the room, along with some freebie bits and bobs that people may want to use in their projects.  Plus there’s Legos and the like.

Monday 24 May 2021, 5:15pm EDT

Now that Spring 2021 has wrapped up, IDeATe’s activities this summer will be focused primarily on preparing for Fall 2021, which means a few more temporary adjustments to our services:

On-site staffing: IDeATe will not be staffed for general on-site service during Summer 2021 as we prepare for a transition to what is anticipated to be predominantly in-person instruction for Fall 2021. Advance appointments for all services are strongly encouraged by sending requests to help@ideate.cmu.edu at least one business day in advance, as our on-site staff presence may be limited and we may be busy in meetings or attending to various areas of the facility throughout the day. Please expect occasional interruptions in service and plan ahead.

Building hours and library spaces: Hunt Library is open reduced hours for Summer 2021. See the Hunt Library hours page for the latest updates.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: Our usual classroom/lab access model remains suspended for Summer 2021. Instructors will maintain keycard access at all times Hunt Library is open to facilitate academically necessary access on a one-off basis, and are expected to help maintain proper physical distancing while in the space. IDeATe lab spaces are not presently reservable by students or instructors. Per our currently-approved Return to Campus plan, regular or recurring access outside of scheduled class settings is not yet permitted at this time; please email help@ideate.cmu.edu with any concerns or to discuss potential arrangements.

If you need to retrieve a personal item or project which was left in an IDeATe classroom or lab, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make arrangements as soon as possible as end-of-year cleanup in our classrooms begins in late May. Personal items and project materials left behind once cleanup begins may be thrown away, recycled, or reused.

Lending procedure: The IDeATe Lending Office remains closed for Summer 2021. If you have special requirements with an academic purpose, please use the online IDeATe Lending request form. Please understand that all requests must be approved by IDeATe administrative staff, and approved requests may take a few business days to fulfill.

Laser cutter procedure: The IDeATe laser cutters remain closed to general community use through Summer 2021. We have limited laser cutter availability for IDeATe instructors and students to cut one-off academically-necessary projects. Contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to arrange an appointment.

3D printing procedure: Students previously given access to Stratasys Skylab continue to maintain that access as long as they remained enrolled at the university; however, we will not be checking regularly for new submissions during Summer 2021. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to request approval of print jobs submitted through Skylab, or to evaluate whether a specialized print request may require other 3D printers.

Instructor support: IDeATe is still evaluating what level of classroom assistance and/or regular deliveries we can support for Fall 2021.

Monday 1 February 2021, 4:45pm EST

A few operational updates now that the Spring 2021 semester has begun:

On-site staffing: For Spring 2021, IDeATe is resuming our Monday–Thursday business week for on-site staffing and facility purposes, with coverage generally from 8am to 6pm, as long as Hunt Library is open. Our facilities will effectively be closed on Fridays.

Appointments are strongly encouraged by sending requests to help@ideate.cmu.edu, as we will have a significantly reduced on-site staff presence to reflect our reduced schedule of courses with an on-site component. Please expect occasional interruptions in service and plan ahead.

Building hours and library spaces: Hunt Library is open reduced hours for Spring 2021. See the Hunt Library hours page for the latest updates.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: Spring 2021 access will be handled according to our earlier guidance issued on 4 December 2020; however, keycard access to access-controlled lab spaces will only begin for eligible students once in-person instruction resumes.  On 19 January 2021, the university announced that that date would be pushed back to Monday 15 February 2021, at the earliest.  Student keycard access is expected to end no later than the last day of classes, Friday 7 May 2021.

If you need to retrieve a personal item or project which was left in an IDeATe classroom or lab, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make arrangements. Our Open Fabrication Hours remain suspended until further notice.

Lending procedure: Spring 2021 access is being provisioned according to our earlier guidance issued on 4 December 2020, and for most courses began on Monday 1 February 2021.  Those privileges are expected to conclude on Friday 7 May 2021. Note that IDeATe laptops will not be made available, except as needed for students in IDeATe courses with course-specific computing requirements that are not able to be accommodated in any other way.

Classroom lost-and-found: Many personal items previously left behind in our classrooms since the start of the pandemic response have been relocated to a lost-and-found area. If you have not yet made arrangements to review this area, either in-person or remotely, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make an appointment as soon as possible, as we will need to begin clearing out this area beginning in late-February 2021.

Friday 11 December 2020, 3:30pm EST

The university has shifted its campus posture from “modified services” to “restricted services” in response to worsening pandemic conditions and additional temporary mitigation orders which take effect throughout Pennsylvania from midnight tonight.

Although Hunt Library has reopened through Wednesday 23 December to accommodate students seeking quiet space for final exams, IDeATe will be maintaining the limited on-site staffing and service restrictions announced on 5 December and 8 December for the time being.

Tuesday 8 December 2020, 4:00pm EST

As Hunt Library is currently closed, routine 3D printing — whether for IDeATe courses or otherwise — is suspended effective 5 December 2020 until further notice. Instructors and TAs with specific needs for course prep should contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to make arrangements.

In the coming days, we will be reaching out individually to students with certain high-value items from IDeATe Lending to make arrangements for their return prior to the winter holidays, where possible.

Saturday 5 December 2020, 6:00pm EST

In consultation with CMU Community Health and Well-being and University Leadership, University Libraries have announced that, effective immediately, all University Libraries are closed to the public through at least 18 January 2021, due to rising case counts of COVID-19 in Allegheny County. On-site visits to Hunt Library will not be permitted during this closure. For the latest updates to Libraries procedures, see the Libraries COVID-19 page.

Libraries and IDeATe personnel will still be working within the Hunt Library facility on a limited basis to conduct essential work and continue to offer remote/virtual services, with the exception of the winter holidays beginning the afternoon of Wednesday 23 December 2020 and continuing through Sunday 3 January 2021. Please contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to coordinate all IDeATe-related service requests.

Details on building opening dates and hours for Spring 2021 will be determined in January. At present, and subject to a review of the situation after the winter break, University Libraries plan to resume opening of their locations to the public on Tuesday 19 January 2021. Check the Hunt Library hours page for the latest updates.

IDeATe will communicate further operational updates pertaining to the building closure in the coming days.

Friday 4 December 2020, 3:00pm EST

As we transition through the remote instruction period and toward winter break and Spring 2021, here are our latest updated and continued operational plans:

On-site staffing: All IDeATe services will remain by appointment only through 29 January 2021, subject to Hunt Library building hours and university holidays. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to request and coordinate an appointment or pickup.

Building hours and library access: Hunt Library is open reduced hours over the remote instruction period and winter break. In particular, the building will close for the holiday break on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 December 2020, and is not expected to reopen to the campus community until Tuesday 19 January 2021. Please check the schedule published on the Libraries website for the latest details. Hunt Library will re-establish regular hours for Spring 2021, which are still to be determined.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: Access which was previously provided to students in Fall 2020 courses with in-person components meeting in our classrooms expired on Tuesday 24 November 2020 with the end of the in-person instructional period. If you need to retrieve a personal item or project, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make arrangements.

For Spring 2021, student keycard access to access-controlled lab spaces will be limited to in-person instructional periods, which are expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2021. Access will be limited and time-restricted in the same general manner as in Fall 2020.

Lending procedure: With the end of the in-person instruction period, outgoing lending for students enrolled in Fall 2020 IDeATe courses has concluded effective Tuesday 24 November 2020 due to student equity concerns, reduced staffing, and inventory preparation for Spring 2021.

Spring 2021 lending privileges will be restricted in the same general manner as in Fall 2020. These privileges are expected to start on Monday 1 February 2021 and conclude on Friday 7 May 2021, but these dates may change if a shift to remote instruction is undertaken. Note that IDeATe laptops will not be made available, except as needed for students in IDeATe courses with course-specific computing requirements that are not able to be accommodated in any other way.

Laser cutter procedure: The IDeATe laser cutters remain closed to general community use through Spring 2021. Our arrangement with TechSpark will remain in effect. For general access to the TechSpark facility, IDeATe students may enroll in and complete 24-210 Special Topics: Maker Series: Inventive Projects, a variable-unit pass/fail mini course offered in both Mini-3 and Mini-4. They must also continue to meet all EH&S and IDeATe safety training requirements, which are accepted by TechSpark.

Tuesday 24 November 2020, 3:00pm EST

With the end of the in-person instruction period, IDeATe’s on-site staffing will maintain an appointment-based system for the remote instruction period and the winter break, beginning Monday 30 November 2020 and continuing through Friday 29 January 2021, subject to Hunt Library building hours and university holidays.  Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to request and coordinate an appointment or pickup.  Regular spring staffing hours, to be determined, will begin on Monday 1 February 2021.

Contactless return of Lending items and prearranged pickups may still be conducted in the vestibule of the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9, at any time Hunt Library is open.

Wednesday 2 September 2020, 10:30am EDT

Welcome back!  Whether you’re joining us virtually or in-person, we hope the start of the fall term has been treating you well so far.  Here are a few follow-ups to specific procedures which were still being developed at the time of our broader operational update on 20 August:

Laser cutter arrangements: While the IDeATe laser cutters will remain closed to general community use this fall, IDeATe has arranged with TechSpark to provide laser cutter access to interested IDeATe students.  24-210 Special Topics: Maker Series: Inventive Projects is a variable-unit pass/fail mini course offered in both Mini-1 and Mini-2.  Students who enroll in 24-210 for one (1) unit are entitled to one hour per week of reserved laser cutter time at the TechSpark facilities, as well as unlimited walk-in time as capacity allows.

Students who want or need laser cutter access during the first half of the semester should sign up for one unit of 24-210 A1 before the Mini-1 Add deadline this Friday, 4 September.  If adding the additional unit would cause financial or administrative hardship, please reach out to IDeATe at help@ideate.cmu.edu and we will look into potential alternative arrangements.

IDeATe instructors and TAs who need to cut one-off projects should continue to make appointments with IDeATe via help@ideate.cmu.edu.

Fall 2020 Lending requests: The online IDeATe Lending request form is now open.  Remember, requests will only be considered for students enrolled in Fall 2020 IDeATe courses where the item is considered academically necessary, and all requests must receive approval from both their respective course instructor and IDeATe administrative staff.  Approved requests will be prepared for contactless pickup daily (Mon–Thu) at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9.

Spring 2020 Lending returns: As mentioned previously, outstanding due dates have been extended to Wednesday 30 September 2020, and notices were sent today to borrowers to this effect.  For borrowers with high-value or high-importance items, this is expected to be the final extension granted.  All other borrowers may use the links contained in their most recent transaction notice to request a further automatic renewal online, if needed.

Students who are in Pittsburgh should return their items by contactless dropoff at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9.  Students who remain remote should contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to make shipping arrangements if necessary.  Do NOT ship any items to IDeATe without first coordinating with IDeATe by emailing help@ideate.cmu.edu AND receiving explicit permission to do so.

On-site staffing: We have begun our on-site staffing schedule Monday–Thursday, 8am–noon and 1–6pm.  Please keep in mind that this schedule is approximate, is subject to change without notice, and that we may be busy in meetings or attending to other areas at any given time.  If we are in the Hunt A9 office and you need assistance, please ring the doorbell or call the phone number on the posted door sign.  Contactless pickup/dropoff may be conducted in the vestibule at any time Hunt Library is open.

Thursday 20 August 2020, 4:00pm EDT

With the return to hybrid instruction right around the corner, IDeATe will be employing updated operational procedures for Fall 2020 in alignment with federal, state, local, and university health guidance. The following procedures, as always, are subject to change as public health responses to local conditions shift; however, we want to communicate various expectations for how our operations will look at the start of classes.

On-site staffing: For Fall 2020, IDeATe will generally be operating on a Monday–Thursday business week for on-site staffing and facility purposes. Our facilities will effectively be closed on Fridays. Many services will be available only by appointment request to help@ideate.cmu.edu. We will have a significantly reduced on-site staff presence to reflect our reduced schedule of courses with an on-site component, so please expect occasional interruptions in service and plan ahead.

The primary Pandemic Safety Officer for IDeATe is George Minick. Backups are Kelly Delaney, Tim Parenti, Cody Soska, and Robert Zacharias.

Building hours and library spaces: Beginning Monday 31 August and continuing through Tuesday 24 November, Hunt Library will open at 7:45am each weekday (except Labor Day, Monday 7 September). The building will remain open until 10:15pm on Monday–Thursday evenings, and until 6:00pm on Fridays. These hours serve primarily to accommodate the classes scheduled inside the building and, as such, many spaces will be closed to the public. Please do not congregate anywhere in the library before or after classes; instead, please use the designated outdoor “touchdown spaces” as short-term transit areas. If you need a longer-term space, various seating throughout the library will be reservable online. Please review and be aware of University Libraries’ latest COVID-19 procedures.

Classroom/lab access and procedures: Our usual classroom/lab access model remains suspended. Beginning Monday 31 August, student keycard access to access-controlled lab spaces will be provided only to those actively enrolled in a Fall 2020 full-semester or mini class which is actively meeting in that space, and will initially be limited to 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after designated class times. Please do not arrive earlier or linger later, and adhere to all posted classroom occupancy limits.

Instructors and TAs will maintain keycard access at all times Hunt Library is open to facilitate class setup, and are expected to help maintain proper physical distancing while in the space. Due to registrar scheduling constraints, IDeATe lab spaces are not expected to be made immediately reservable for any purpose. If this changes, we will notify the community via email announcements and updating this site.

All students and instructors are asked to tap their ID card upon entering an IDeATe lab in order to facilitate contact tracing. Additionally, since the Minimum Requirements to Return to Campus require a reversion to remote work to be accomplished within 24 hours should circumstances warrant, classrooms may be closed on short notice. Students are advised to take their physical projects with them to and from each class to avoid losing access to stored projects, while instructors should be aware of this limitation and be prepared to adapt instruction as necessary.

Special building and classroom access procedures are being developed to accommodate our micro courses with an in-person component which are held over weekends while Hunt Library is closed. These procedures will be communicated to affected instructors — and, in turn, enrolled students — as those dates approach.

Classroom technology and instructor support: Computing Services has installed baseline A/V equipment in all S3-assigned classrooms for Fall 2020, including IDeATe Studio A (Hunt 106B), Fabrication Lab (A5), Physical Computing Lab (A10), and Media Lab (A10A). Each lectern will have a phone number which can be used to contact IDeATe and/or Computing Services staff for troubleshooting, triage, and on-site support if needed. The Eberly Center has additional resources for instructors on using this technology and managing a hybrid classroom, and can be reached for consultation at eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu. We will not be equipped to provide any classroom deliveries this semester.

Spring 2020 classroom lost-and-found: Our classroom spaces have been cleared in preparation for the Fall 2020 semester. Items left behind in Spring 2020 have been relocated to a lost-and-found area. Please email help@ideate.cmu.edu to make an appointment to review this area beginning Monday 31 August. We plan to maintain this lost-and-found through at least January 2021 to accommodate those who are remaining remote this fall, but those who are in Pittsburgh should plan to retrieve their items within the first few weeks of classes if possible.

Returning outstanding Lending items: We have further extended the due dates on all outstanding items to Wednesday 30 September 2020; however, those who are in Pittsburgh should plan to return their items as soon as they are able, once they have completed their modified arrival quarantine period. Contactless dropoff will be conducted at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9, beginning Monday 31 August. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime Hunt Library is open. For safety, returned items will be quarantined before being processed.

For borrowers with items of particular operational importance or value (including, but not limited to: laptops, cameras, VR equipment, and sewing machines), this is anticipated to be the final extension granted. Students with such items who remain remote should contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to make shipping arrangements if necessary. Do NOT ship any items to IDeATe without first coordinating with IDeATe by emailing help@ideate.cmu.edu AND receiving explicit permission to do so. All other borrowers will receive an email later in August with a link to an online form which will allow an automatic renewal of their items through Tuesday 24 November 2020 if they are still needed. Students who are not in Pittsburgh and will not be graduating in Fall 2020 will also be able to request consideration for a January 2021 due date through this form.

Lending procedure: We will begin accepting requests to borrow items from IDeATe Lending on Wednesday 2 September via an online form. Student lending privileges will temporarily be limited only to those enrolled in Fall 2020 IDeATe courses where the item is considered academically necessary. In particular, IDeATe laptops will only be made available as needed to students in IDeATe courses with specific computing requirements that have been communicated in advance to IDeATe administration.

All lending requests must receive prior approval from both their respective course instructor and IDeATe administrative staff, and will be prepared for pickup daily (Mon–Thu). Contactless pickup and dropoff will be conducted at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime Hunt Library is open. For safety, returned items will be quarantined before being processed.

Laser cutter procedure: We will have limited laser cutter availability by appointment for instructors and TAs to cut one-off projects and classroom samples. Contact help@ideate.cmu.edu to arrange an appointment. We are still exploring possible models to provide laser cutter access to students enrolled in certain Fall 2020 IDeATe courses, which we do not expect to begin prior to 8 September.

3D printing procedure: Student access to Stratasys Skylab will continue to be provisioned as usual for IDeATe courses which require it. Those enrolled in a Fall 2020 IDeATe course must continue to provide the course name and number in the comments field of their submissions which are required for their IDeATe course. All other prints will be billed to student accounts. Specialized print requests which may require other 3D printers should be emailed to help@ideate.cmu.edu for evaluation. Student access to the 3D printer area is prohibited.

Completed prints will be collected from the printers daily (Mon–Thu) by IDeATe staff and will be made available for contactless pickup at the main IDeATe office, Hunt A9. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime Hunt Library is open.

Monday 27 July 2020, 2:15pm EDT

Educational preparation work for Fall 2020 has begun in our Hunt Library facility in a limited capacity.  While the ongoing situation remains fluid, we wanted to provide some updates on these preparations and the plans we have been forming for the return to hybrid instruction announced in June.

Student projects and belongings: As part of our preparation efforts, we must begin cleaning up student belongings and projects which were abandoned in our classrooms due to the sudden disruptions in March.  All that we are able to identify as personal belongings will be consolidated into a lost-and-found area for each classroom.  We will make every attempt to identify valuable personal items and contact the owners where possible/known; however, we cannot make guarantees in this regard.  If you are concerned about a particular item, please contact help@ideate.cmu.edu by Friday 7 August with as many descriptive details as possible.

Abandoned class projects derived from materials provided by IDeATe will either be discarded or broken down for parts to return to their respective labs.  We will attempt to save for the lost-and-found any project component that is clearly identifiable as a valuable personal item.  Contact us by Friday 7 August at help@ideate.cmu.edu with any request to move a project to the lost-and-found instead.  Please be as descriptive as possible in providing details so we can identify the correct projects.

The lost-and-found will be made available by appointment once classes resume and will be maintained as necessary through at least 31 January 2021 to accommodate those who will remain remote in the fall.  We will encourage students to arrange to retrieve their belongings as soon as it is feasible.

Building access: For the Fall 2020 semester, Hunt Library will not be open 24/7 as usual; rather, the building will only be open as much as is necessary to accommodate its classes during the workweek, and will be subject to occupancy limits and additional guidelines for all non-class purposes.  Exact hours are still being determined and will be posted to the Libraries website.  Weekend access will be strictly limited to those attending IDeATe micro courses, and will be coordinated directly closer to those dates.

Instructors who need access to our Hunt Library classrooms in August for essential preparatory work are asked to email help@ideate.cmu.edu as soon as possible.  We will work with you to coordinate a one-off appointment or to arrange more regular access.  We will be including these plans in an updated on-site work proposal to be submitted for approval.

Lending: Lending remains unavailable through the remainder of the summer.  Although we are not expecting to have routine walk-in borrowing available for the Fall 2020 semester, we are working on adapting our lending operation to accommodate the borrowing of IDeATe course-essential equipment on an appointment basis.  Further details will be posted here in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, all previously borrowed items remain due on Friday 4 September 2020 for now.  Details on how returns will be handled for both local and remote students will be communicated in August.  In particular, students who are planning to be local to Pittsburgh should ensure that they bring their borrowed items back to campus for return to IDeATe.

Instructor support: The Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation is now set up as the first point of contact for any remote teaching needs, as they are preparing a range of resources and support for instructors, including access to a new menu of tested tools and techniques.  Instructors who have specific technology needs for remote/hybrid instruction should first contact the Eberly Center at eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu for a consultation, so that these needs can be tracked and managed at a university level.

If the Eberly Center is unable to coordinate a full solution for a particular instructional need, instructors are asked to seek second-level support from their home department (where applicable) before contacting IDeATe for further resources.

Classroom support: Additional technology is being installed throughout campus over the summer, including installation of new standard minimum video and microphone capability in all registrar and key departmental classrooms.  More details on which IDeATe classrooms may be receiving this support are forthcoming.

Friday 8 May 2020, 2:00pm EDT

Unfortunately, we remain unable to open Hunt Library and IDeATe Lending for services including the return of equipment, so we are temporarily partnering with CMU Postal Services to accept returns of borrowed items in the short-term.  Our focus is on high-value items: specifically those held by graduating students and those held by returning students who are unable to retain their items over the summer.  Returning students are not expected to return their items until Friday 4 September.  If you’re unsure which guidance applies to you, please contact help@ideate.cmu.edu.

Students who are local to Pittsburgh, or who are planning to return to Pittsburgh to attend to personal matters before Monday 15 June, may choose to pack their items in a box, case, or bag, as compactly as possible, to prepare them for drop-off.  Securely attach a legible label to the package with the following address, and include your own name in the return address:

Library Returns – IDeATe
CMU Postal Services
5000 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA  15213

Properly packaged items may be dropped off at the CMU Post Office’s package pickup window on the lower level of the Cohon University Center; their current hours are Monday–Friday, 10:00am–2:00pm (check Postal Services’ website for the latest updates). Use the entrance to the CUC along the The Cut near the bookstore; all other entrances are locked. CMU ID is required to enter the building.  Please email us at help@ideate.cmu.edu once you’ve dropped off your items so we know to check for them as we’re able.

Do NOT ship any items to this address without first coordinating with IDeATe by emailing help@ideate.cmu.edu AND receiving explicit permission to do so.  Certain items may require special care or handling, and we may be able to provide a pre-paid shipping label in many circumstances.

Thursday 23 April 2020, 3:45pm EDT

With the recent extension to the current Stay-at-Home order in Pennsylvania and continued uncertainty regarding the resumption of normal operations, we are now actively encouraging all students who still have obligations to IDeATe Lending to hold onto their borrowed items for the immediate future, regardless of whether they are graduating.  

At this time, there are no formal deadlines for May and August 2020 graduates; we will be relying on borrowers to make good faith attempts to return their borrowed items after we reopen and when it is safe.  Students slated to return to campus in Fall 2020 are expected to maintain responsibility for the care of their borrowed items until that time, and have been given a provisional due date of Friday 4 September 2020.

Today, we sent detailed instructions to local graduating students with items valued at $75 or more for the case that they might need to leave town and return their items before we are able to reopen; please email any questions to help@ideate.cmu.edu.  Returning students who feel they are unable to keep or store their borrowed items until fall should email help@ideate.cmu.edu to coordinate arrangements.  Please do not attempt to ship any items to us at this time without first arranging it with us directly.

Wednesday 8 April 2020, 3:30pm EDT

Hunt Library and all IDeATe facilities remain closed until further notice.  Today, we sent emails to individual students with items borrowed from the IDeATe Lending Office to make arrangements for the return of these items.  There are three main approaches being taken:

  1. For those who have items with a total replacement value of $75 or more, we are requesting that students respond by Wednesday 15 April with details about their current situation and the whereabouts of their items so that we can begin to coordinate the necessary arrangements for their eventual return on a case-by-case basis.  Of these students, those returning to campus in Fall 2020 will also have their due dates extended to 10pm on Friday 4 September 2020, which is the end of the first week of fall classes, although we will work with these students to coordinate earlier returns to the extent they are safely possible.
  2. For those graduating in May or August 2020 who have items with a total replacement value of less than $75 will not be required to return the items they have borrowed, although they will be welcome to return these items if they are able and a safe opportunity arises.
  3. For those returning to campus in Fall 2020 and who have items with a total replacement value of less than $75, we are proactively extending all due dates to 10pm on Friday 4 September 2020, which is the end of the first week of fall classes.  This is in response to Provost Jim Garrett’s 31 March announcement that summer programming will continue online through early August.  If a safe opportunity arises for in-person return of items before the end of the Spring semester, we will communicate those opportunities here and in direct communications.

Remember, unless indicated otherwise, patrons remain responsible for the items they have borrowed until they are able to be returned to IDeATe.  Borrowers with any questions should reach out to help@ideate.cmu.edu.

Thursday 19 March 2020, 5:30pm EDT

This evening, president Farnam Jahanian announced that all University Libraries will be closed to patrons and the public effective at 6pm on Friday 20 March 2020, until further notice.  This is in compliance with Governor Tom Wolf’s directive that all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania must close for the time being, and includes all access to all IDeATe labs, studios, and Lending in Hunt Library.

Wednesday 18 March 2020, 11:00am EDT

Access to IDeATe Labs and Studios

We have shut off student access to the Fabrication, Media, and Physical Computing labs, as well as the Soft Technologies Studio and the Wood Shop. This measure is to align with the university’s guideline communicated on 15 March 2020: “All students will only be able to complete their coursework remotely and online to give everyone as much of a consistent experience as possible. Faculty and TA office hours, advisor appointments and other academic supports will be available online or by phone.”

Faculty, TAs, and IDeATe administrative staff who normally have access have retained that access and can facilitate academically necessary access, but are expected to discourage group congregations and encourage proper social distancing. Access will be limited to Hunt Library’s reduced hours.

Students with special circumstances or who need to make an appointment to access these labs should email help@ideate.cmu.edu.

Studios A and B will remain accessible to students, faculty, and staff within Hunt Library’s reduced hours. We have adjusted the tables and chairs in the Studios so that they are more amenable to social distancing and have posted temporarily reduced occupancy limits accordingly.

IDeATe Lending

IDeATe Lending is closed until further notice, and is not expected to resume normal operations and routine borrowing for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.

In the meantime, IDeATe instructors may request equipment and coordinate student requests by emailing help@ideate.cmu.edu. Pick-up will be by advance appointment only, and is subject to staff and equipment availability.

IDeATe students should route equipment borrowing requests through their instructors. Student borrowing requests will not be considered without both verified instructor support and demonstrable academic need.

Students remaining local to Pittsburgh may make use of our temporary drop-off location in the IDeATe Administrative Office in Hunt A9 to return borrowed items. Simply tap your keycard to access the vestibule anytime during Hunt Library’s reduced hours, and follow the instructions on the table to sign your items back in. Administrative staff will process returns of items as they are available.

For the time being, wherever possible, most due dates on existing transactions have been extended to 6pm on Tuesday 12 May 2020, the last scheduled day of the final exam period; however, borrowers are encouraged to return items as soon as they are no longer needed, if it is safe to do so. In the coming weeks, we will begin reaching out to anyone who has checked out items to see what arrangements can reasonably be made for return. Those with questions are encouraged to email help@ideate.cmu.edu.

Friday 13 March 2020, 4:00pm EDT

Access to IDeATe Labs

We are operating under the assumption that students are either unable to be on campus or are following guidelines to stay away as much as possible. While faculty and staff will still have access to the IDeATe Labs, student access will be shut off for now. Studios A and B will still be accessible within Hunt Library’s reduced hours and we have adjusted the tables and chairs in the Studios so that they are more amenable to social distancing.

IDeATe Lending

IDeATe Lending is closed at least until Wednesday 18 March. If IDeATe Lending reopens during the Spring 2020 semester, it will be under limited hours or by appointment. We will reach out to anyone who currently has checked out items in a few weeks to see what arrangements can reasonably be made for return.