Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Public Health Framework for Fall 2020

Thursday, May 28, 2020, By News Staff
Share

Dear Members of the Syracuse University Community:

Right now, many Syracuse University administrators, faculty and staff are working tirelessly to prepare our campus to resume a residential experience beginning on Aug. 24. Central to our planning is the development of a robust, comprehensive and science-based strategy to safeguard the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the Central New York community.

With this clear focus in mind, for the past month, the Public Health and Emergency Management Subcommittee of the Fall 2020 Open Working Group has been working to develop a framework to ensure Syracuse University is fully equipped and prepared to safely resume campus operations. The subcommittee—which includes public health faculty members, epidemiologists, doctors, medical and wellness professionals, and representatives from student life, facilities and other relevant departments across campus—recently delivered an initial draft of the framework to Fall 2020 Open Working Group co-chairs John Liu, interim vice chancellor and provost, and Amanda Nicholson, interim senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience, as well as the deans of the schools and colleges.

The subcommittee’s report is currently under review by public-sector health officials. It includes more than 100 recommendations that will serve as a foundation for our schools and colleges to develop and implement strategies that are uniquely tailored to their facilities, people and curricula, and the broader needs and challenges associated with safely resuming face-to-face instruction given the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.

As we await feedback from the ongoing external review, we want to share some of the core findings and foundational guidance included in the subcommittee’s report. These policies and actions, among others, will be taken by Syracuse University to protect and maintain the health and well-being of our campus community:

  • screening the entire student population for COVID-19 at the start of the semester and implementing an ongoing regimen of regular random screening of students, faculty and staff throughout the fall semester;
  • implementing a residence hall wastewater surveillance program to monitor for the presence of COVID-19 across individual residence halls, as well as requiring students, faculty and staff to undergo routine temperature screening;
  • deploying a rapid diagnostic point-of-care testing site, accessible to any student suspected of infection or exposure to the virus causing the COVID-19 illness;
  • developing and implementing, in coordination with local public health officials a robust contract tracing program appropriate to quickly mitigate potential spread of COVID-19 on campus;
  • establishing a residential facility where students who are suspected or confirmed to have been exposed to the virus can be isolated, while they continue their studies via remote means;
  • supporting an expedited ability to identify suspected COVID-19 presence on campus—requiring that all students, faculty and staff who reside or work on campus be immunized for influenza;
  • leveraging a comprehensive COVID-19 health promotion and communications effort that includes physical and digital signage, social media posts and badges, and regular campus notifications—all designed to encourage healthy behaviors while on campus and support proactive prevention and transmission of the virus;
  • requiring face masks or face coverings for all students, faculty, staff and visitors while on campus, in the presence of others, and in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain;
  • providing a facilities revision process to facilitate the installation of partitions and other protective materials as appropriate to safeguard individual and public health;
  • limiting the size of in-person meetings and classes based on the guidance from local, state and federal orders, and generally not to exceed 30 persons; larger meetings may be considered in physical spaces where 6 feet of social distancing can be accommodated; however, the number of participants will generally not exceed 50 percent of the room’s stated capacity;
  • continuing some limitations on travel, as practical, for faculty, students and staff; in addition, visitors and guests will generally be restricted from accessing residential buildings and other campus facilities, unless as part of an official University tour or without prior approval from the relevant dean, director or unit leader;
  • encouraging and supporting individuals with increased risk of severe illness associated with COVID-19 disease, or over the age of 65, with flexible working arrangements;
  • requiring student participation in an online educational seminar, prior to the start of the fall semester and designed to inform students about the health behaviors expected and required during the fall semester;
  • demonstrating an unwavering commitment to enforcing policies aimed at preventing the transmission of COVID-19;
  • providing necessary academic, wellness, mental health and social supports to all members of the University community in an inclusive and culturally competent manner; and
  • creating a COVID-19 public health advisory group, composed of representatives from the medical and public health professions, for the purpose of advising University leadership regarding any COVID-related contingencies impacting the Fall 2020 semester and beyond.

Syracuse University will continue to take a science-based approach to planning for the fall, in a way that prioritizes the well-being of our community when we return to campus in August. While it is unreasonable to assume that we can entirely eliminate the risk of student, faculty or staff exposure to the COVID-19 disease, we are confident that our strategy is comprehensive and informed by the best public health information and guidance currently available.

We will continue to provide regular updates about health and safety actions to ensure a safe and meaningful residential campus experience for the fall and beyond.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Syracuse Stage Hosts Inaugural Julie Lutz New Play Festival
    Wednesday, May 28, 2025, By News Staff
  • Timur Hammond’s ‘Placing Islam’ Receives Journal’s Honorable Mention
    Tuesday, May 27, 2025, By News Staff
  • Expert Available to Discuss DOD Acceptance of Qatari Jet
    Thursday, May 22, 2025, By Vanessa Marquette
  • Syracuse University 2025-26 Budget to Include Significant Expansion of Student Financial Aid
    Wednesday, May 21, 2025, By News Staff
  • Light Work Opens New Exhibitions
    Wednesday, May 21, 2025, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

Michael J. Bunker Appointed Associate Vice President and Chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services

Syracuse University today announced the appointment of Michael J. Bunker as the new associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services following a national search. Bunker will begin his new role on July 1, 2025. He…

Syracuse University, Lockerbie Academy Reimagine Partnership, Strengthen Bond

Syracuse University and Lockerbie Academy are renewing and strengthening their longstanding partnership through a reimagined initiative that will bring Lockerbie students to Syracuse for a full academic year. This enhanced program deepens the bond between the two communities, forged in…

Syracuse University 2025-26 Budget to Include Significant Expansion of Student Financial Aid

Syracuse University today announced a major investment in student financial support as part of its 2025-26 budget, allocating more than $391 million to financial aid, scholarships, grants and related assistance. This represents a 7% increase over last year and reflects…

Engaged Humanities Network Community Showcase Spotlights Collaborative Work

The positive impact of community-engaged research was on full display at the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) on May 2. CFAC’s galleries showcased a wide array of projects, including work by the Data Warriors, whose scholars, which include local students…

Students Engaged in Research and Assessment

Loretta Awuku, Sylvia Page and Johnson Akano—three graduate students pursuing linguistic studies master’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences—spent the past year researching and contributing to assessment and curricular development processes. The research team’s project, Peer-to-Peer Student Outreach…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.