HR News

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

This week, we will mark two milestones in our collective efforts to sustain Syracuse University’s residential campus in the face of the COVID-19 health emergency. The first is to record the 50,000th COVID test conducted on this campus since the start of the semester. The second is turning the page on the calendar to the month of October. These two milestones are inherently connected. The significant level of testing and ongoing virus surveillance on our campus—combined with the extraordinary buy-in on the part of our students, staff and faculty to uphold our COVID-prevention protocols—is very specifically the reason we’re able to welcome the month of October together on campus.

As we look ahead, we must remain ever vigilant of the threat that COVID-19 represents to our individual and collective safety and well-being. That threat is heightened by the approaching flu season. A concurrent outbreak of two respiratory illnesses (influenza and COVID-19) on our campus could have devastating consequences for individual and community health, make COVID-19 cases more challenging to detect and diagnose, and also potentially overwhelm the capacity of the local health care system. That is why, in June, the University’s public health committee included in the Syracuse University SAFE COVID Response Plan a formal recommendation that all members of the Syracuse University campus community receive a flu vaccination. The University has acted on that recommendation and throughout the month of October, we will offer no-cost flu shots to all members of our campus community.

In addition to information about the upcoming flu shot clinic, in this message I will also provide updates related to:

• Revisions to the COVID Dashboard and Daily Tracking
• Expanded Surveillance Testing
• Next Round of Student Testing
• Stadium Testing Center
• Revisions to Isolation and Quarantine Protocols
• Flu Shot Clinic
• Weekend Activities

Revised Dashboard and Daily Tracking: Over the last several weeks, I have received feedback and suggestions from members of our community related to how we could enhance the readability and visual presentation of the COVID-19 dashboard. Many of you have requested more frequent dashboard updates. In response to this feedback, we recently refined the dashboard to make it easier to understand and more “mobile friendly.” We are also moving from updating the dashboard three times per week, to now updating the dashboard seven days a week, no later than 5 p.m. every day. Please continue to regularly visit the Syracuse University COVID-19 Dashboard to get the most up-to-date information about positive tests and active cases at Syracuse University.

Surveillance Testing; Student, Faculty and Staff Participation: Beginning tomorrow, Sept. 30, our ongoing virus surveillance testing program will transition from repeated testing of all students, to large-scale “freedom from disease” sampling of the student population. Faculty epidemiologists from the Falk School have designed this freedom from disease sampling protocol that is based on randomized ongoing testing of students. The protocol also opens the University pooled salvia surveillance testing to faculty and staff participation. Additional logistical details related to this next phase of our surveillance testing program will be shared in a subsequent message. However, beginning tomorrow, faculty and staff who wish to participate in COVID screening may visit the screening location on the Quad weekdays between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The test we are offering is a pool saliva test, created by SUNY Upstate Medical University and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Negative test results will be communicated via email and any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 will be notified via a direct phone call.

Next Round of Student Testing: And while we have transitioned our virus surveillance testing program to large-scale “freedom from disease” sampling that does not mean we are finished with all-student testing. In fact, the current plan is for at least two more rounds of testing the entire student population. Specifically, we plan to hold our next round of mandatory testing for all students in late October. We are finalizing details now, including the schedule, and will share this with our community shortly. In addition, we will also plan to test all students shortly before we conclude the residential semester on Nov. 24. You might ask why we would test all students just days before they depart campus for the winter break? We plan this testing to safeguard the families of our students—and the communities our students call home—by ensuring that COVID-positive students are not unknowingly leaving our campus and putting others at risk.

Stadium Testing Center: As we enter the cooler, snowier months in Syracuse, we will soon be opening a permanent, indoor testing location at the Stadium. This location will be available for students, faculty and staff. Further details on opening date and hours will be communicated soon.

Isolation and Quarantine Protocol: Through our testing and contact tracing efforts, as well as our students’ diligence in recognizing and reporting signs and symptoms of COVID-19, Syracuse University has swiftly moved students into isolation and quarantine when needed. Over the last few weeks, we have heard from students in isolation and quarantine, as well as parents and family members, about the experience, communication and facilities. This feedback has been important to evolving our processes and resources to better meet the needs of our students and families. We appreciate your candid feedback and have made changes to address concerns, some of which are outlined below. In an effort to educate the campus community about the isolation and quarantine procedures, I am sharing brief overviews about the isolation and quarantine process at Syracuse University.

Isolation: Students who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate for 10 days. If a student opts for University-provided isolation accommodations, they can be relocated by medical transport to Skyhall for their isolation period. Students also have the option of isolating in their off-campus housing based on their living circumstances. For those in University-provided isolation accommodations, here are some components about the isolation experience:

• Each student will receive a complete Isolation Resource Guide that details the isolation process, procedures and resources.
• A medical provider from the Barnes Center at The Arch will be in contact with the student daily to check in on their health and well-being.
• A Syracuse University staff member will serve as the student’s “pod leader,” providing support and answering questions. The Dean of Students Office will also provide support.
• Three meals are provided each day and delivered directly to Skyhall. The Food Services team will accommodate any dietary restrictions, allergies or special requests.
• Students can have outside food delivered to Skyhall between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., so long as they pay for their food (and any tip) online.
• Laundry services are available for free on every floor of Skyhall.
• A tent located outside Skyhall is available for students to schedule outdoor time for activities and exercise.
• Students can receive packages from roommates, friends, family and faculty dropped off at Skyhall or mailed to Goldstein Student Center. The Bookstore can also make deliveries of items ordered or sent from family.
• A support group for parents/families with students in isolation is being offered by the Barnes Center at The Arch.

Quarantine: Students who have been in close contact with someone known to have COVID-19, even if they do not have symptoms, need to quarantine for 14 days. Close contact means sharing the same household, direct physical contact or being within 6 feet for more than 10 minutes. If a student opts for University-provided quarantine accommodations at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center, they will be relocated by medical transport. Students also have the option of quarantining in their off-campus housing based on their living circumstances. For those in University-provided quarantine accommodations, here are some components about the quarantine experience:

• Each student will receive a complete Quarantine Resource Guide that details the quarantine process, procedures and resources.
• Lodging at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center and three predetermined meals are provided to students for free.
• A student contact tracer will be in touch with the student daily to check in on them.
• A Syracuse University staff member will serve as the student’s “pod leader,” providing support and answering questions. The Dean of Students Office will also provide support.
• Students can have outside food delivered to the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so long as they pay for their food (and any tip) online.
• Students can receive packages from roommates, friends, family and faculty dropped off or mailed to the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center. The Bookstore can also make deliveries of items ordered or sent from family.
• A support group for parents/families with students in quarantine is being offered by the Barnes Center at The Arch.

Flu Shot Clinic: As Chancellor Kent Syverud reported during the Sept. 23 University Senate meeting, we need our community—students, faculty and staff—to get their flu shots this year, unless you have a compelling religious or medical exemption. Beginning Oct. 5, flu shots will be available, at no cost to you, at two locations: the Stadium and the Skybarn on South Campus. We will be sharing more information within the next few days, including the flu shot clinic schedule, how to submit exemption requests, how to sign up for a vaccination and how to submit proof of vaccination if you have already received one from another provider.

Weekend Activities for Students: As a reminder, it is critically important that our students remain in Central New York. Equally important is that families and friends from out of town avoid traveling to the area. Combined, these two practices help prevent COVID-19 from being brought to our community. To facilitate safe and fun weekend activities, the University continues to update its events calendar with all kinds of activities and events, such as movie screenings, apple picking, fire pits and s’mores, glow skate and so much more.

I remain proud of the way our community continues to take action—individually and collectively—to keep our students, faculty, staff and neighbors safe and healthy. As I’ve said before, there’s no playbook for operating a large research institution in the midst of a global pandemic. We have learned a lot over the past five weeks, and I deeply appreciate the thoughtful and constructive feedback received from many in our community. We are applying that feedback and evolving our practices every day. Please continue to share your input and suggestions.

Stay well. Stay safe. Take care of yourself and each other.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

The University’s health plans for faculty and staff provide coverage for telemedicine to ensure that covered members have access to care. Access is widely available through both individual providers as well as MDLIVE, a national telemedicine provider that gives patients 24/7 access to a network of board-certified doctors, pediatricians and licensed therapists. The University will continue to provide access to telemedicine to those covered under the health plans and for most services, cost sharing equivalent to in-person office visits will apply effective Oct. 1, 2020.

Additional information on telemedicine and how to schedule an MDLIVE visit can be found on the MDLIVE: Telemedicine Benefit page.

As recently announced by Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost John Liu and Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Andrew R. Gordon, the University now offers an institutional membership in the caregiving website Care.com to benefits-eligible faculty and staff.

This benefit provides eligible employees with premium, unlimited access to Care.com to find child care providers, tutors, errand runners, senior caregivers, pet walkers and sitters, house cleaners and more through the world’s largest network of caregivers.

Care.com allows users to explore detailed caregiver profiles in their area, post jobs, access its Safety Center and background check options, send real-time payments to caregivers, and learn about household payroll and tax assistance.

To learn more, including how to register for a membership, visit the Office of Human Resources’ Care@Work by Care.com webpage.

Benefits-eligible employees with children approaching college age can learn more about Syracuse University’s Dependent Tuition Benefit through a Zoom presentation on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will be repeated on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at noon.

The presentation will provide an overview of the University’s three Dependent Tuition Programs (SU Tuition Waiver, Cash Grant and Tuition Exchange), as well as an opportunity for questions and answers.

Click here to register for either session. Those attending are encouraged to review the Dependent Tuition Benefits and the Dependent Tuition Policy, which are available online at hr.syr.edu.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available. If you require any accommodation in order to fully participate in this program, please notify Pam Gavenda at pegavend@syr.edu.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042 or hrservice@syr.edu.

To all our University Faculty and Staff:

We greatly appreciate all of your efforts everyday on behalf of our students and the mission of the University.  You have shown grit, desire, passion, determination, pursuit of excellence, and commitment.  You have persevered through many unanticipated obstacles over the past several months. You have embraced the challenges with grace and great resolve.  The University and our students are in a better place because of you.

We will face many more challenges but on this Labor Day, thank you for your great work!

Andy Gordon

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Dear Faculty and Staff,

We are writing today to reflect on what we have heard from you regarding the challenges for faculty and staff caregivers. Particularly, we heard about challenges presented by the decreased availability of childcare due to social distancing and the hybrid and remote learning approaches taken in school districts in and around Syracuse. We also heard from you about additional caregiving responsibilities for elderly or disabled loved ones that are complicated by the pandemic. We acknowledge those challenges and the upheaval they have created in many of your lives since March. In response to your input, we are writing to share available resources and current initiatives that are underway to address some of the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• Existing Resources
• Flexible Work Arrangements and Workload Considerations
• Caregiving Exchange Bulletin Board
• Complete the Virtual Tutoring Survey
• University Membership in Care.com

Existing Resources
Syracuse University offers and is extending a number of benefits to help faculty and staff with caregiving responsibilities. These include:

• Dependent Care Subsidy Program—although the application deadline already passed, the University is re-opening the application process through Dec. 4 to provide eligible faculty and staff the opportunity to receive subsidies of up to $3,000 for their eligible dependent care expenses in 2020. Visit the Dependent Care Subsidy Program webpage on the Office of Human Resources (HR) website to apply.
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account—deadlines for 2019 claim submissions have been extended, and 2020 mid-year changes in elections are permissible during the pandemic. Please visit HR’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for details.
• Carebridge, the University’s faculty and staff assistance program, can connect faculty and staff with information, resources and referrals for caregiving.

Flexible Work Arrangements and Workload Considerations
We have heard that additional flexibility would be helpful. The Office of Academic Affairs will collaborate with deans and department chairs to increase flexibility in the allocation of faculty workload. Our listening sessions have also raised concerns about the impact of the pandemic on career progression for faculty. We are studying possible solutions to those concerns, including those that have been suggested by faculty, and will continue to engage in dialogue over the course of the fall semester.

For staff, HR has provided additional guidelines on flexible work arrangements during the pandemic, and staff who have caregiving challenges are urged to consult with their supervisor regarding appropriate options. If needed, employees and supervisors should also consult with their senior HR business partner for additional guidance.

Caregiving Exchange Discussion Board
We heard in this summer’s listening sessions that faculty and staff would like to connect with colleagues who also have caregiving responsibilities. These connections are more difficult to make while social distancing. Academic Affairs has arranged for a secure discussion board on the Answers platform, called the Syracuse University Caregiving Exchange (login required), where faculty and staff can share caregiving resources and needs and connect with colleagues who have similar needs and may be willing to share collaborative arrangements. This resource is open to all faculty and staff with a valid NetID.

Complete the Virtual Tutoring Survey
Faculty and staff have expressed an interest in support for learning help for your own K-12 children. Academic Affairs is assessing interest in a pilot program that is under consideration to provide virtual tutoring support for K-12 children of faculty, staff and students. We encourage anyone with an interest to fill out the brief survey.

University Membership in Care.com
The University has reached an agreement to provide an institutional membership in Care.com, a secure online digital platform that connects individuals and caregivers. Additional information will be provided to faculty and staff regarding this benefit and how to access it in the coming weeks.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your ideas, concerns and thoughts.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

A series of dialogue sessions for supervisors that began earlier this summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd will continue this fall with “In the Moment—Bridging the Gaps of Race Dialogue,” sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources.

As racial tensions, polarized perspectives and heinous acts of violence continue to plague our country, this series of dialogue sessions is offered for supervisors who want to support their staff and engage in conversations that encourage inclusion and build understanding around these critical issues.

Supervisors will have two opportunities to participate in this half-day, intensive workshop:

• Thursday, Sept. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to noon: Register now.
• Thursday, Oct. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to noon: Register now.

Due to the desire to engage all participants in active dialogue, the capacity for this series is limited to 25 attendees. Once the maximum registration has been reached, others who are interested will be added to a wait list.

“Participating in the dialogue series was a good entry point to an important conversation,” says one participant from the summer sessions. “It helped to frame big picture ideas and point out different perspectives, while providing a safe space to be uncomfortable. Participating in the program provided me with direct support to take action and helped me make the right connections on campus to keep the conversation going with my team.”

The dialogue series will be led by Senior HR Business Partner Delphia Howze, who has extensive experience in diversity and inclusion management.

“It has been an honor to lead each session on this important topic,” says Howze. “Together, we’ve had the opportunity to learn, inquire and engage in discussion about a topic that often times makes us uncomfortable. In an effort to be a greater support and trusted resource, supervisors have leaned into the discomfort of this subject to acknowledge the impact of some of the challenges that our employees face regarding race and racism in our society. It has been a productive program and I look forward to future sessions.”

“We must create space and time to not only acknowledge the long-standing moment our country is experiencing relative to racial injustices, but discuss and implement thoughts, reactions and responses,” says Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keith A. Alford. “Supervisors who participated in the series have shared that this was indeed a worthwhile experience, and they are implementing with coworkers the content learned. This is a critical time in our society and everyone on campus can be a part of making it transformative.”

Additional details regarding the supervisor series can be found on the In the Moment—Bridging the Gaps of Race Dialogue webpage.

Effective Monday, Aug. 31, a new question has been added to the Daily Health Screening Questionnaire for faculty and staff, which is a critical component of minimizing the likelihood of COVID-19 spread and keeping campus safe for the entire Orange community.

At the beginning of the questionnaire, users will be asked to indicate if they will be visiting or working at a Syracuse University facility that day. If the faculty or staff member indicates they will not physically be on campus or at any other Syracuse University facility, the survey ends after the first question.

This change will help strengthen and streamline reporting on the daily health screening results, while also establishing consistency of habit for our faculty and staff.

As a reminder, faculty and staff are required to complete the questionnaire each day they are physically on campus or at any other Syracuse University facility, no matter how briefly, and without any exceptions. Additionally, as of Aug. 24, all students, including student employees, are required to complete their daily health screening through the Barnes Center at The Arch/Medicat.

If you have questions about this process for faculty and staff, contact HR Shared Services by email (HRservice@syr.edu) or call 315.443.4042.

Dear Colleagues:

In October 2018, New York State issued new guidelines for sexual harassment policies and procedures for all employers in the state requiring that all employees complete sexual harassment prevention training annually. In keeping with this obligation, all faculty and staff of the University are required to complete this training on an annual basis. You can learn more about the guidelines by visiting SU News.

Based on the feedback that we received regarding last year’s course, we are pleased to announce that we are rolling out a new module in the form of a recorded webinar, followed by a short quiz. The training should take no more than 60 minutes. Please click the following link to access the training: 2020 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.

The training can also be accessed through the webpage: inclusion.syr.edu/training-development and must be completed no later than Oct. 1, 2020.

Your successful completion of this requirement will assist the University in fulfilling its commitment to provide an educational and work environment that values all individuals and respects the rights and dignity of all members of our campus community.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the training, please visit the 2020 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training FAQ. Alternatively, you may contact Christina Percoski, training specialist, Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services, at crpercos@syr.edu or 315.443.4049.

To request a disability-based accommodation and/or auxiliary aids under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact ada@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

John Liu
Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

The Fall 2020 semester has officially begun, and we are halfway into the first week of academic coursework. While campus looks and feels different this year, what remains the same is the positive energy and excitement that comes with the start of a new academic year.

As I walk around campus and speak with students, those conversations fill me with optimism. I am optimistic because it is clear to me that our students understand what is at stake not just for them, but for all of us and this community. This will be hard, and our semester will not proceed without bumps in the road. However, as one student reminded me, “there isn’t anyone alive who has been through something like this before, so we have to learn, be compassionate along the way, and acknowledge that we’re all in this together.” That is perfectly right. All of us—administrators, faculty, staff and students—must learn from and act on opportunities to be better, be compassionate along the way, and always do so together.

As we did over the summer, throughout the academic semester we will continue to communicate with you frequently by way of these campus messages. In addition, I want to remind you that Syracuse.edu/fall2020 continues to be the digital home of all vital information and updates related to our health and safety strategy. Please visit it regularly. In the meantime, I want to provide some important updates that are relevant to our entire community:

1. Masks or Face Coverings are Required
2. COVID-19 Dashboard
3. COVID-19 Checklists
4. Expanded Student Dining Spaces and Places
5. Safely Socializing in a Pandemic
6. Safe Transportation
7. SU I.D. Card Pickup

Wear Your Mask!: As more and more members of our community arrive on campus, I want to remind you of our mask policy: Syracuse University requires face masks or face coverings for all students, faculty, staff and visitors while on campus and in public settings—indoors and outdoors.

COVID-19 Dashboard: This week, we began updating the Syracuse University COVID-19 dashboard three days a week. Updates will be made on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the foreseeable future, no later than 5 p.m. each of those days. The dashboard includes metrics, statistics and trends associated with the presence and prevalence of COVID-19 within the Syracuse University community. Please bookmark the site: www.syracuse.edu/covid-dashboard/.

COVID-19 Checklists: Syracuse University has developed a series of COVID-19 checklists for students, faculty and staff to provide direction in situations where a member of the Syracuse University community has tested positive for or suspects they have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. The checklists, including a downloadable and printable PDF, can be found on the Fall 2020 Open website. The checklists cannot fully address the unique nature of every situation and are intended to provide general guidance related to the most appropriate and required actions in response to positive test results or suspected exposure to the virus. Members of the Syracuse University community should contact the Syracuse University COVID-19 Project Management Office (PMO) at 315.443.6180 or sucovid@syr.edu with additional questions or concerns or to receive further guidance.

Expanded Student Dining Spaces and Places: The University is taking action to expand both indoor and outdoor spaces available to students for dining. Specifically, yesterday evening the indoor dining areas at Brockway Dining Center and Shaw Dining Center were opened and a limited number of seats, consistent with New York State public health guidelines, are now available to students. Sadler, Graham and Ernie Davis dining centers will open for indoor seating on Friday, Aug. 28. In addition, a tent with picnic benches that will seat 60 (socially distanced) individuals was installed at Ernie Davis, and today a similar tent and picnic bench space is being installed in front of Day Hall. In addition, this semester students can use their meal plans (meal equivalency) to order take-out or dine in at Kimmel Food Court and to order take-out through the GrubHub app from the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center.

Safely Socializing: Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. There’s nothing Syracuse University wants more than for everyone in our community to have a safe, healthy and rewarding semester. We believe this goal is achievable. It just requires all of us doing our part by participating in events and gatherings in a safe way. For those of you who are new to our community and for those who are unfamiliar with it, the University has a robust community calendar: calendar.syracuse.edu/events/. From student-focused events—in person and virtual—to lectures, seminars and workshops, there is an abundance of offerings for community members looking to engage and interact with fellow students, faculty and staff. Additionally, for our students, we have posted a printable PDF about tips you can use to socialize in a safe manner. It can be reviewed and downloaded from the Fall 2020 web site.

Parking and Transit Services Introduces New Safety Measures: The Syracuse University Parking and Transit Services Office has worked closely with its partners at Centro and implemented changes to safeguard the health and safety of its passengers. Campus shuttles, buses and trolleys will operate with different rules this semester to adhere to the latest public health guidance provided by Onondaga County and New York State.

SU I.D. Card Pickup: As the Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services Office works to reduce foot traffic and crowding in its office, new procedures have been implemented for requesting a replacement SU I.D. card. Students in need of a new card may fill out an I.D. replacement request form, and staff and faculty members should email idcard@syr.edu to request a new or replacement card. Cards will be available for pickup at the I.D. Card Services trailer on the Shaw Quad from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, Aug. 28. After that time, cards will be available for pickup at the service window in 206 Steele Hall during normal University business hours.

As I have often said, there is no playbook for opening a college or university while confronting a global pandemic. But together we are creating it, play by play and day by day, in a way that prioritizes the health, wellness and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the Syracuse community. I remain grateful to all in our community who have worked so tirelessly to ensure an exciting, meaningful and rewarding fall semester.

Stay well. Stay Safe.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation