Additional Information for Students and Families Impacted by NYS Travel Advisory

Dear Students and Families:

As a follow-up to the messages Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie and I shared with our community in recent days, I am reaching out with additional details pertaining to New York State’s travel advisory for individuals traveling to New York from states with high infection rates of COVID-19 and from outside the U.S.

As outlined in the advisory, all travelers from impacted states and outside the U.S. are required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to New York. As of today, 10 additional states have been added to the travel advisory. That list now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Minnesota has been removed from the travel advisory as of today. This list will continue to evolve based on infection rates, and we will notify students from impacted states accordingly.

Please know that we continue to engage with New York officials—alongside many of our peer colleges and universities statewide—to advocate for safe alternatives to the existing 14-day self-quarantine requirement. If such an alternative is proposed by New York State, we will quickly communicate that alternative to all impacted students and families. However, at this time we will continue our planning and preparation operating under the assumption that all students traveling from the aforementioned states, as well as all students from outside the United States, must comply with the current 14-day self-quarantine requirement.

Outlined below are further details to assist you as you consider your options for the fall semester. If you have financial concerns associated with your plans to meet the 14-day quarantine requirement, please know there may be financial assistance available. Please review information about emergency funding and complete the financial appeal for U.S. citizens/permanent residents or financial appeal for international students to apply. These requests will be reviewed quickly and based on financial need or hardship.

New First-Year and Transfer Students from Travel Advisory States

• Early Move-In: To accommodate the quarantine requirement, the University is offering new residential first-year and transfer students the option to move in early to their assigned room. We will accommodate as many students as possible. To indicate your intention to move in early and self-quarantine on campus, you must register on the MySlice Housing Portal by Thursday, July 23, at 5 p.m.
  • This will be your same room assignment all year, and you will still have your same roommate.
  • Move-in will be on Sunday, Aug. 2. Only one guest will be permitted to move a student in, for up to two hours, and guests will need to depart campus immediately afterwards.
  • Students will be required to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to Aug. 2.
  • The fee for 14 days for room and three meals per day is $1,000.
• If you do not participate in early move-in, you must complete your 14-day self-quarantine in New York or in a state not listed in the travel advisory in advance of your scheduled move-in date. This can be accomplished in a number of ways (e.g., staying with a relative or friend).
• The University is actively working with local hotels to provide a reduced rate for students who need to quarantine in New York and who will not be quarantining on-campus. We will share a list of hotels providing the reduced rate as soon as possible.
• If you are unable to come to New York or would prefer not to come to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, you can still opt to take your Fall 2020 classes remotely online. In addition, you can receive a credit to your Bursar account for your fall housing and/or meal plan and return to on-campus housing for the spring semester through the spring housing application process.

Returning Residential Students

• If you can self-quarantine in New York or in a state not listed in the travel advisory (e.g., staying with a relative or friend), you must complete your 14-day quarantine in advance of your scheduled move-in date.
• The University is actively working with local hotels to provide a reduced rate for students who need assistance in quarantining in New York. We will share a list of hotels providing the reduced rate as soon as possible.
• If you are unable to come to New York or would prefer not to come to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, you can still opt to take your Fall 2020 classes remotely online. In addition, you can receive a credit to your Bursar account for your fall housing and/or meal plan and return to on-campus housing for the spring semester through the housing spring application process.

Off-Campus Students

• If you can self-quarantine in your off-campus residence, at another residence in New York or in a state not listed in the travel advisory (e.g., staying with a relative or friend), you must begin your quarantine by Aug. 8 in order to have access to campus privileges when classes begin.
• The University is actively working with local hotels to provide a reduced rate for students who need assistance in quarantining in New York. We will share a list of hotels providing the reduced rate as soon as possible.
• If you are unable to come to New York or would prefer not to return to the Central New York region for the Fall 2020 semester, you can still take your Fall 2020 classes remotely online.

Testing

As previously communicated to our students, a negative COVID-19 test must be provided prior to their arrival on our campus. We recognize that in states with high infection rates, scheduling an in-person test is particularly challenging. We are working to identify and implement a pre-arrival testing strategy to support all our students. We anticipate sharing more details on this by the end of the week.

Virtual Information Sessions

We recognize the tough position many of our students and their families are in as a result of the travel advisory and quarantine requirement. To assist you, we will be holding informational Zoom meetings tomorrow, so you are able to make informed decisions relative to your individual circumstances. We ask that only students and families affected by the travel advisory join these sessions as we will focus on answering their very unique questions. These sessions will be held on Wednesday, July 22, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Please visit www.syracuse.edu/fall2020/student-and-family-information for additional details and to participate in a Zoom session.

Should anything change with state requirements, we will notify affected students and families immediately. Additionally, in the event new states are added to or removed from the travel advisory, we will communicate with those directly affected. We know this situation creates undue stress and uncertainty for many of you. We are working to answer your questions and provide updated guidance as soon as possible. Please know that safety of our students and our community remains our priority.

Sincerely,

Amanda Nicholson
Interim Deputy Senior Vice President, Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience