Important Conversation with Your Syracuse University Student

Dear Parents and Families:

We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of students back to campus over the next two weeks. We have been preparing for this fall semester for many months to provide a safe environment for learning and living and to create a unique and extraordinary student experience. We know you are preparing on your end as well, and that is why we write to you today.

You are likely discussing starting or returning to college and what to expect. This year, these conversations need to be different. We ask you to talk with your student about your expectations and ours. As you know, we are asking that every student at Syracuse University sign the Stay Safe Pledge, a social compact agreeing to a set of behaviors and actions that protect their health and the health of everyone on campus and in our community. We hope you have discussed the pledge with your student. You have great influence on their behaviors and decisions, and your words are likely to remain with them long after they have left home.

As your student gets ready for this next transition, we need your help to ensure there is a shared understanding of the public health safety measures that must be respected and practiced on campus and in our Syracuse neighborhoods. Central New Yorkers have done an incredible job of controlling the spread of COVID-19. We owe it to our broader community to keep it that way, and our campus community is key to sustaining that progress. That is why we have reconstructed classrooms, libraries and labs to ensure that work gets done in a safe environment. That is why we are not permitting large gatherings of people on campus if social distancing cannot be maintained. And that is why we will be enforcing the Code of Student Conduct if students fail to live up to the Stay Safe Pledge.

We know that young adults often feel invulnerable to potential danger or illness. Yet, just as we try to teach what it means to be socially responsible, we must also remind them of the importance of good public health practices in this extraordinary time. Even if they are feeling well, they could be silent carriers of the virus. By wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and upholding the social compact of the Stay Safe Pledge, they will be helping to protect our faculty, our staff and all those who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of their age or underlying medical conditions.

As we welcome your student to campus, let’s work together to ensure their safety and well-being, along with the well-being of the entire community.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation

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