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

Welcome, and Welcome Back!

Monday, August 17, 2020, By News Staff
Share
COVID 19

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Welcome back to Syracuse University. And to those newly joining us, welcome to the Orange family. It is so good to be together again. After a long summer for all of us, it has been a joy to see our new students arriving in phases over these last few weeks. There is nothing better than seeing our community back on campus together, engaging with each other and living the Orange experience. And for those students studying remotely or from afar, you are as much a part of our Orange family as ever.

A lot has happened in the world since we were all together last. The pandemic has taken a horrible toll on lives, families, communities and our country. While a source of stress for all of us, many of you have felt this pain in deeply personal ways. At the same time, there are renewed calls for justice, equity and to end anti-Black racism and hate in all its forms. This should give us all hope.

Just as the last few months have been unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime, so too, will be this fall semester. As we return to our studies, research and academic pursuits, I want to thank everyone who has played a role in bringing us together again. There are many changes we have made to our campus. Some you see: signs everywhere reminding you to social distance and wear a face mask, outdoor classrooms, and over a thousand hand sanitizer stations in our buildings. Other things aren’t visible to the eye: the new air filtration systems in our buildings, the countless hours faculty have dedicated to reformatting their classes, and the time spent by staff to get our campus ready.

We’re together because we want our students to have the best possible experience at Syracuse University. And we want to remain together for the entire semester. That will require all of us to be responsible for ourselves and each other in doing everything we can to create a safe environment. That means wearing a mask wherever you go, practicing social distancing, and not congregating in large groups on or off campus. I know it’s not what we are accustomed to. But nothing is business as usual these days.

Being together means living, learning and working with people who hail from diverse and unique backgrounds. It is one of the things that makes our university such a special place. Let’s extend grace to one another as we make new friends, open ourselves to understanding the experiences of others, and treat our community with kindness. We are a community that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming. What is unwelcome here must be racism, anti-Semitism, prejudice, bias or harassment of any kind. We are an anti-racist campus, and our actions must follow those principles. And it starts with all of us.

As we begin this semester together, let’s enjoy this moment that we have all been working toward and waiting for all summer. We are happy you are with us, wherever you are.  And let’s commit to those things that will allow us to stay together for the semester: wear your mask, keep your distance, and look out for yourself and for each other. Here’s to our new academic year.

Sincerely,

Kent Syverud, Chancellor and President

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Syracuse University and University of Bergen Host Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach and National Security Conference
    Monday, August 4, 2025, By Robert Conrad
  • National Grid Summer College Scholars Program Invests in Energy Literacy
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By Hope Alvarez
  • Bowlers Wanted for Faculty and Staff Bowling League
    Thursday, July 31, 2025, By News Staff
  • Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Diane Stirling
  • After Tragedy, Newhouse Grad Rediscovers Her Voice Through Podcasting
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025, By Chris Velardi

More In Campus & Community

Doctoral Candidate Wins Grant for Research on Infrastructure, Violence and Resistance in Pakistan

Bramsh Khan, a Ph.D. candidate in social science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been awarded a prestigious Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grant. The Wenner-Gren Foundation, established in 1941, is dedicated to advancing anthropological knowledge throughout…

Co-President of Disability Law Society Eyes Career in National Security Law in Washington

Kaitlin Sommer L’26 is always planning ahead. Throughout her life, she has continuously asked herself, “Is there a better or more efficient way to do this?”, “Am I advocating for what I need?”, “How can I figure this out by…

National Grid Summer College Scholars Program Invests in Energy Literacy

National Grid and Syracuse University’s Office of Pre-College Programs have partnered to inspire the next generation of innovators through the National Grid Summer College Scholars Program. The program will support selected Syracuse City School District high school students for the…

Bowlers Wanted for Faculty and Staff Bowling League

Do you enjoy bowling? Would you like to try bowling? Are you looking for a fun activity with your colleagues? The Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Faculty and Staff Bowling League is seeking new…

Lender Center New York Event Gathers Wealth Gap Experts

Nearly 30 Syracuse University faculty and postdoctoral researchers and nationally known thought leaders who study the wealth gap in America explored the issue at a recent event in New York City hosted by the Lender Center for Social Justice. The…

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.