Ongoing COVID-19 Update for March 16, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to evolve here in Central New York, including the first confirmed case in Onondaga County being confirmed a short time ago, and across the United States and the world, Syracuse University has taken proactive steps to align and balance our commitment to students and academic excellence, with actions appropriate to safeguard the health and wellness of our campus and the Central New York community. This continues to be a dynamic decision-making environment. As new information and guidance from federal, state and local health officials becomes available, we will continue to evolve our COVID-19 response planning and preparedness strategy. As such, I am writing today to share new information with the campus community.

Syracuse Santiago Program Suspended: Over the weekend, the University made the difficult decision to suspend our academic program in Santiago, Chile, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Impacted students and their families were notified immediately. Syracuse Abroad staff members are currently working with students to help them return home quickly and safely. These students will continue their coursework online for the remainder of the semester. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Syracuse Abroad office at 315.443.3471 or suabroad@syr.edu.

Information for International Students:  The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program recently announced accommodations for international students studying in the United States. International students can continue their studies online and/or as distance learning in the United States or abroad without negatively impacting their student (F-1) or scholar (J-1) status. Student immigration records maintained by the Center for International Services will remain active as long as students continue to remain registered full time. Any questions or concerns regarding your status may be directed to international@syr.edu.

Barnes Center Services: Beginning Tuesday, March 17, students seeking health care and counseling services at the Barnes Center at The Arch are asked to call 315.443.8000 to schedule an appointment rather than use the online Patient Portal. The Barnes Center staff will complete a triage process first via phone. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. On-call services remain available after hours. For more information about services and hours, visit the Barnes Center website.

Building Access: As much of the University’s workforce transitions to a remote arrangement, to enhance the safety and security of the community, we will implement steps to limit access to some University buildings traditionally open to visitors and others during the workday. Specifically, many academic and administrative buildings will transition to swipe card access (SU I.D.) only. Please be advised that if you are coming to campus for any purpose and need to access your office, remember to carry your SU I.D. card.

South Campus Access: For similar reasons, we are also taking steps to control and monitor access to South Campus. Effective today, March 16, anyone entering or exiting South Campus must do so through the welcome center located off East Colvin Street (Skytop Road from East Colvin). Employees, students and guests will be required to show or swipe their identification card at the welcome center to gain access to South Campus. This access restriction will not prevent cleared visitors, meetings, deliveries or scheduled bus service.

Working Remotely: In a message to all faculty and staff yesterday, Andrew Gordon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, provided new guidance specific to working remotely. These actions are part of our ongoing effort to reduce the density of employees on campus, consistent with social distancing best practices positioned to mitigate the potential of COVID-19 exposure. This guidance includes:

• Effective Tuesday, March 17, and through March 30, only essential faculty and staff should report to our Syracuse campus.
• Supervisors will determine essential personnel and advise employees of that determination.
• All faculty and staff who are not required to report to campus will coordinate remote work arrangement with their immediate supervisor.
• Faculty and staff working in our centers in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles should expect direction from your supervisor related to reporting procedures.

The University otherwise remains open, and we will continue to provide necessary services to support our students, faculty and our academic mission. Please contact your supervisor directly if you have specific questions.

As Chancellor Syverud highlighted in his Sunday evening message, we are in the early stages of a public health emergency. There will be challenges ahead. Our willingness and capacity to come together and support each other in the days and weeks to come presents an opportunity to demonstrate to each other and our community what it means to be Orange.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation