The Daily Orange has received dozens of questions from readers about Syracuse University’s plans to resume in-person classes this fall. This page will be updated as we learn more information. Here are the questions we have answers to so far. If you don’t see your question here, we are still working on getting you an answer. 

Note from Syracuse University: Answers about SU policies are subject to change at any time, based on new guidelines and/or mandates from the country and state.

Satisfying New York’s mandatory 14-day quarantine

Q: How do I prove that I’ve quarantined? 

A: If you’re quarantining with a friend or family member: a note from the friend or family member attesting you’ve completed the 14-day requirement.

If you’re quarantining alone: simply affirming you’ve met the requirement.

Q: What if my state is added to NY’s travel advisory after Aug. 8?

A: If a student’s state is added to the New York quarantine requirement list after Aug. 8, that student will not be able to enter the SU campus until they complete the two-week quarantine. Affected students who are planning to live in campus housing will be able to start classes online as they quarantine off campus, then be cleared to move into campus housing. Off-campus students may also start classes online, then transition to in-person classes after they finish the 14-day quarantine. SU advises students to email [email protected] to discuss their specific plan.

Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie advised students to quarantine in New York or “cold” states that aren’t close to being added to the travel advisory. 

Q: What are the reduced rate hotels for SU students who can’t quarantine in campus housing?

A: SU on Thursday released a list of hotels that are offering reduced rates for quarantining students. The D.O.’s breakdown of those options can be found here.

Map of hotels offer reduced rates for student quarantine: 

Q: What if I live off campus?

A: Off-campus students from “hot” states need to start a 14-day quarantine in New York state or another “cold” state by Aug. 8 if they want to start in-person classes on Aug. 24. However, off-campus students unable to arrive by Aug. 8 can start their classes online, then transition to in-person instruction after their 14-day quarantine.

Q: Why do off-campus students from “hot” states need to start the 14-day quarantine on Aug. 8. Why not Aug. 10?

From SU: “The University is suggesting Aug. 8 as a start date for quarantine for a number of reasons.  First, we know that travel arrangement – particularly by air – can be challenging.  We are suggesting that students and families give themselves extra time in the event that there is a travel complication.  Second, if returning students plan to end their quarantine slightly before the beginning of classes, it provides an opportunity to take care of personal business before classes begin while reducing density in high traffic areas of campus such as health screening and testing locations and the Bookstore.”

Q: What if I can’t afford to quarantine for 14 days?

A: SU will provide financial assistance to students who can’t afford to quarantine at their own expense, said Amanda Nicholson, interim deputy senior vice president for enrollment and the students experience. Students can apply for the emergency aid here: https://students.syr.edu/machform/view.php?id=313976

Q: What about international students?

A: International students also must follow the 14-day quarantine requirement. International students living off campus can start the semester online, then transition to in-person classes. SU officials are working to send an email to international students by the end of this week. “If all else fails,” Nicholson said international students can do fully online semester.

Q: Does my parent or guardian need to quarantine to help me move in?

A: No, but only one person can help you move in, and they can only stay for two hours. You also can’t swap out one parent for another during the two-hour period. “We really just need you to get in and, unfortunately, leave just as fast as possible to reduce the density of going in and out of the building,” Nicholson said. This rule also applies to South Campus apartments.

Q: If I live off-campus and my roommate is required to do the 14-day quarantine, can I be there, too?

A: It’s ideal that any person quarantining has a separate bedroom and a separate bathroom. Cleaning supplies, such as household cleaning wipes and bleach, must be provided in any shared bathroom, according to New York’s FAQ on the travel advisory.

Q: Couldn’t someone just lie about quarantining? How will SU monitor students in quarantine?

A: SU will be monitoring students who are quarantining in campus housing. For those quarantining in hotels or off-campus with a relative or friend, SU will be relying on an “honor system,” Nicholson said. SU might request an address or phone number from the person you’ve staying with if additional verification is needed. Violations of New York’s quarantine order could result in fines up to $2,000.

Q: I’m a returning student. Can I quarantine in my South Campus apartment? 

A: No, returning sophomores, juniors and seniors must all quarantine off campus.

From SU: “Allowing all students from travel advisory states to move in early would create a situation for move-in where we would have difficulty managing social distancing and would create challenges in meeting the New York State quarantine requirements.”

Q: If I’m from a non-hotspot state but pass through a hotspot state, do I need to quarantine in NY? 

A: You don’t need to quarantine if you are passing through a hotspot state for less than 24 hours, including if you are traveling by car, bus, plane or train. 

Q: Do I have to quarantine if I’m not from a state listed on NY’s travel advisory? 

A: No, only students from the hotspot states listed on this page are required to quarantine for 14-days before arriving on campus: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

Satisfying SU’s pre-arrival testing requirements

Q: How do I show SU proof of my negative COVID-19 test? 

A: SU is requiring students to show that they have had a negative COVID-19 test within seven to 10 days of their arrival to campus. Students doing a 14-day quarantine in campus housing are required to submit proof of a negative test before prior to Aug. 2. First-year and transfer students quarantining in campus housing received an email stating an at-home test would be mailed to them and must be completed before Aug. 2. 

All other students must show a negative test results within seven to 10 days of their planned arrival to campus. SU said Tuesday that more information will come later this week on how to send your negative test result.

Q: What if I don’t have access to testing in my state? 

A: SU is offering $49 mail-in, at-home test kits aimed at students in states with limited testing availability. Taking SU’s test isn’t mandatory if you’d prefer to get a test from somewhere else. SU said Tuesday that the university will provide details on how to register for a test “in the coming days.”

Q: If I’m not from a high-risk state, can I wait until we are on campus to get tested?

A: No, SU is requiring all students to provide proof of a negative test result within seven days of their arrival to campus, regardless of whether that student is from a state on New York’s travel advisory or not.

On-campus quarantine for first-year and transfer students

Q: Can first-year students exercise, socialize or go outside during on-campus quarantine?

A: An SU official has compared the university’s on-campus quarantine plan for first-year students to a minimum-security prison. From what the university has communicated so far, that description holds true. First-year students will have opportunities to socialize and exercise while on-campus, but only with members of their floor, or “family unit.”

Quarantining first-year students will also have scheduled “outdoor time” during the two-week period. The university will share more guidelines about this outdoor time during the move-in process.

Q: How will dining work during on-campus quarantine? 

A: SU will provide three meals a day to quarantining first-year students, including gluten-free and vegan options. Students will be able to access an online form every day through the food services website to order their meals and indicate any dietary needs. The university will then deliver students’ meals to each residence hall floor, individually bagged and marked with each student’s name.

Each student’s room will also come pre-stocked with light snacks and drinks.

Q: How will I do my laundry during on-campus quarantine?

A: Each floor will have designated times to do laundry during the quarantine period.

Q: Who will monitor students in quarantine?

From SU: Staff from the Office of Student Living will do rounds in the building, as well as virtual check-ins with students. There will also be 24-hour Residential Security Officers at the main entrances of the residence halls to monitor building access.

Q: Will students in on-campus quarantine use shared bathrooms?

A: Yes, students will share bathrooms with others on their floor. The university will provide students with supplies to clean the bathroom after each use.

Online classes

Q: Will all classes be available online? Can my child choose to go virtual from home for the fall semester?

A: The university has said it will offer “most” of its classes in both in-person and online formats. Any student can take their classes online for the fall semester. Students wishing to take their classes online should email each professor to let them know they are doing the course online.

Q: If my child is doing virtual first semester, can the room and board fees be applied to the spring semester?

A: Yes. If you can’t come to New York or don’t want to do in-person classes for the fall semester, you can receive a credit to your Bursar account for your fall housing and/or meal plan, then return to on-campus housing for the spring semester through the spring housing application process.

Q: How can students request a refund for room and board if they decide to do online classes after initially signing up for campus housing?

A: From SU: “They should email [email protected]. Housing will work with their home college to confirm that the student has enrolled in distance learning before issuing a credit for room and board.”

Q: Is there a deadline at which point students won’t be able to request a refund for room and board if they switch to online?

From SU: We are still working through this and will provide an update when we have confirmed information to share.

Q: If a student chooses to do online classes this fall, how does that affect their roommate selection for the spring semester?

A: From SU: “If a student pursues online classes in the fall, their housing assignment for the fall is cancelled. They will, however, be eligible to apply for spring housing. The University will make every effort to have students live with their requested roommate, however we cannot guarantee that this will occur – some students may not be able to live with their previously selected roommate.”

Quarantining during the fall semester

Q: What happens when an off-campus student needs to quarantine?

A: If an off-campus student contracts COVID-19 during the semester, that student can quarantine in either their own housing or in quarantine housing that SU will provide for free.

Q: Can students quarantine in their South Campus apartment if they contract COVID-19?

A: From SU: “No, students will be moved to isolation housing in the Sheraton Hotel.”

Q: Can I quarantine in Greek life housing?

A: Students will most likely be unable to quarantine in a Greek organization’s house, Haynie said. Dean of Students Marianne Thomson advises Greek life organizations to reach out to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs about specific circumstances.

Q: If someone living in a Greek life house gets COVID-19, will they be able to quarantine in the Sheraton? 

A: SU will provide quarantine housing at no charge if isolation or quarantining is not possible in a student’s off-campus residence, Haynie said. SU has designated the Sheraton as its specific site for quarantine housing.

Q: What will contact tracing look like?

A: SU is working with the Onondaga County Department of Health to build its own team of contact tracers. Students, faculty and staff will be contacted by their phone and through their SU email.

Fall classes

Q: Are classes really going to be held in person? 

A: As of right now, yes. Officials said Monday that SU is “confident that students from impacted states will be able to participate in our residential campus this fall, assuming they can demonstrate compliance with the quarantine requirement.”

Q: At what point will SU cancel in-person instruction?

A: If the number of positive cases is so high that SU can’t conduct adequate contact tracing, or if the caseload overwhelms SU’s quarantine and isolation capabilities.

Q: Has Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided whether colleges and universities can reopen in the fall?

A: Cuomo has asked colleges to develop reopening plans, but the governor will consider COVID-19 data from the summer to make a final decision on reopening.

Campus life

Q: What’s going to happen with dining halls?

A: SU dining halls will operate on a mostly take-out and grab-and-go basis at the start of the semester and will possibly add seating later on, said Dean of Students Marianne Thomson at a virtual forum.

Q: Will students be allowed off campus, like Marshall Street and Destiny USA? Can students go home for the weekend if they live in New York state?

A: Students can leave campus during the semester but SU is asking them to stay within central New York. SU is asking all students to sign a “Stay Safe Pledge,” part of which includes agreeing to avoid travel outside of central New York for the duration of the fall semester. 

Q: Will I be allowed to sign students from other dorms into my own? 

A: No, SU officials have said students can’t bring residents of other residence halls into their hall.

Q: Can students in South Campus apartments have visitors?

A: From SU: “No they will not be able to visit other South Campus apartments just as students living in residence halls will not be able to visit other residence halls.”

Q: Can parents from New York City or New York state visit their child on campus?

A: Visitors from outside central New York will generally be restricted from accessing residence halls and other campus facilities.

Q: Are Living Learning Communities still happening? 

A: Yes, Living Learning Communities are still in place for fall 2020.

Published on July 29, 2020 at 9:00 am