HR News

Dear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff:

I hope you are having a great summer and enjoying time with friends and family. On campus, we are working hard to prepare for an exciting fall semester, and to welcome new and returning members of the Syracuse University community to campus next month!

Like many of our peers, the University’s approach to public health planning for the fall semester is grounded in the premise that—for the foreseeable future—COVID-19 will represent a concern that is endemic to life on a college campus. For that reason, it is important that our management of COVID-19 on campus and within our community reflect that practical reality. With that in mind, I’m writing today to share an overview of the public health guidelines and protocols planned for the fall semester. Please review this message carefully.

Vaccination

• The University’s vaccination requirement will remain unchanged from the 2021-22 academic year. That is, full immunization against COVID-19 (initial course of vaccine, plus one booster dose upon eligibility) will continue to be required of all students, faculty and staff accessing campus, except for those with approved medical or religious exemptions.
• For incoming students, vaccination records were due to the Barnes Center on July 1. If you have not submitted these records, please do so immediately.

Masking

• The University will discontinue its current color-coded COVID Masking Framework, effective Aug. 15.
• As of that date, masking will be optional in all settings on campus for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, except where masking remains required by the New York State Department of Health (i.e., health care facilities and while on public transportation).
• We strongly encourage all members of the campus community to consider masking based on an assessment of personal risk, especially when in large groups, high-density areas of campus, or in response to an exposure to a known COVID-positive individual.
• The University’s masking policy remains subject to public health orders issued by the Onondaga County Health Department and New York State Department of Health, and will be adjusted if directed by public health authorities.

Testing

• The University’s Testing Center will not reopen in the fall, and we will discontinue mandatory COVID surveillance testing on campus.
• Testing for symptomatic students will be available at the Barnes Center at The Arch.
• Symptomatic faculty and staff should access testing via community providers or utilize self-administered, at-home test kits.
• The University has acted to significantly expand the availability of self-administered COVID test kits for all students, faculty and staff. Specifically:
  • The University will make an initial allotment of free, self-administered COVID test kits available to all members of the campus community at the beginning of the semester.
  • We will also be installing a network of vending stations at locations across campus that will dispense—at a highly subsidized cost­—self-administered COVID test kits to members of the campus community.
  • In addition, free at-home tests are currently available from the federal government.
• Wastewater surveillance testing will continue on campus, as a tool to provide the Public Health Team early data on campus transmission and prevalence trends.

Additional Considerations

• The University will continue to provide isolation housing to students who test positive for COVID-19 and who reside in Syracuse University-owned and operated housing, including residence halls and apartments.
• Students who live off campus and test positive for COVID-19 will be responsible for securing their own isolation housing, if required, at their own expense.
• The University will continue to make cost-free personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and other supplies readily available to the campus community, to include in classrooms, residence halls and other public spaces.
• Given the discontinuation of mandatory surveillance testing and the widespread use of at-home and community-based COVID testing resources, the COVID-19 Dashboard will be retired. However, we will continue to provide public health updates on Syracuse.edu/Staysafe and by email with the campus community as needed.

Like other communicable illnesses, such as the flu, our campus community will continue to face challenges stemming from COVID infections and illness. However, together we have successfully navigated those challenges in the past, and I’m confident we can do the same in the fall and beyond. University leadership and the Public Health Team will remain focused and diligent with regard to monitoring the public health situation on campus and in our community, to include closely following developments related to the increasing prevalence of the monkeypox virus. If necessary, we will take action to adjust the procedures and protocols detailed above in response to changing public health conditions.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to welcoming you to campus this fall!

Sincerely,
J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

Dear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff:

Recently the Onondaga County Health Department has reported a notable decline in new COVID infections and hospitalizations across the Central New York region. This positive trend, combined with significantly reduced population density on our campus given summer break, supports an adjustment to our campus COVID Level and associated masking guidance.

Dear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff:

With the 2021-22 academic year officially behind us, I want to again express my gratitude for the cooperation and flexibility of our students, faculty and staff, who committed to the public health safeguards necessary to maintain a robust residential academic experience over the past year. It has taken a dedicated community effort to get us to this point, and I’m extremely proud of all we’ve accomplished together.

The Syracuse Workforce Run (formerly the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge) will be held on Tuesday, June 21, at 6:45 p.m. at Onondaga Lake Park. The 5K (3.1 miles) race is an annual tradition bringing together employees from organizations across the greater Syracuse area for a night of camaraderie, networking, food and beverages, and friendly competition. Proceeds from this year’s race will benefit the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, a non-profit fighting local hunger and homelessness.

Another installment of the popular Crucial Conversations program will be offered to faculty and staff following Commencement weekend.

The seven-week, in-person series, which is particularly well-suited for managers and supervisors, will begin on May 17 and wrap up on June 28. Sessions will be held each Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at a North Campus location yet to be determined.

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

With less than four weeks to go in the spring semester, our campus is beginning to experience an uptick in COVID cases, a trend that is consistent with what is occurring across the country and here in Onondaga County. As we approach the end of year activities, including final projects and exams, and Commencement exercises, it is important that we take reasonable action to minimize the impact of COVID infections on academic outcomes and experiences. That’s why, effective Tuesday, April 19, our campus will transition to COVID level “Blue.”

Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Families:

As you may be aware, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending indoor masking in Onondaga County. This recommendation is based on three data points, including active COVID cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. The CDC’s action does not represent a federal masking order but is instead a recommendation to our community. The University has no new information to indicate that the Onondaga County Health Department or the New York State Department of Health intend to issue a local masking order in response to the CDC’s most recent guidance.

Last week, the University announced that pending current public health conditions, it would move to masking level “Yellow.” After assessing the current landscape, both here on campus and throughout Central New York, effective tomorrow, Monday, March 14, the University is officially at masking level “Yellow.”

In recent weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, the Onondaga County executive, and many of our national and New York state peer institutions have announced significant changes to public health guidelines. Primarily, these changes relate to reduced indoor masking requirements, including the elimination of mask mandates for children attending K-12 public schools across New York state.