Coronavirus

COVID Update: ��Ƶ Fall 2022 Semester

salibalr — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:33:31 +0000

COVID Update: ��Ƶ Fall 2022 Semester salibalr Thu, 07/28/2022 - 09:33

Dear Students,

Several changes have been made to ��Ƶ’s COVID-19 protocols since Spring 2022. The guidelines can be found on our COVID-19 Response Plans and Updates webpage.

Vaccination Requirements:

All students with a physical presence on campus must be vaccinated for COVID-19 or receive an approved waiver. Vaccinated for COVID-19 means a student must have completed a minimum of the initial course of the vaccine: (1) received both doses in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or (2) received a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Booster Requirements:

Students are strongly encouraged to obtain a booster once they are eligible to do so. While a booster is no longer required, students who are exposed to COVID-19 and not up to date with their booster will be required to complete mandatory quarantine for a minimum of five days.

Testing:

All students, regardless of vaccination or booster status, will participate in pooled saliva testing twice during the semester -- once during August move-in (or during the first week of class for Norwich and commuter students) and once in the week after fall break. Students are NOT required to do a pre-arrival test before coming to campus.

Mandatory weekly testing will continue to be required for any student who has a physical presence on campus and who is not vaccinated, including those with approved religious or medical waivers, or who have not completed the initial course of the vaccine. Students who are vaccinated but not boosted are not required to participate in weekly testing.

We look forward to seeing you for the start of the Fall 2022 semester!

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

July 28, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

Message from the President: Indoor Mask Requirement Lifted at ��Ƶ Effective Wednesday, March 2

mercure@morrisville.edu — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:22:31 +0000

Message from the President: Indoor Mask Requirement Lifted at ��Ƶ Effective Wednesday, March 2 mercure@morris… Tue, 03/01/2022 - 16:22

Dear members of the campus community,

In consultation with the COVID-19 Core Task Force, College Senate and labor relations, the universal indoor mask mandate has been lifted at ��Ƶ effective tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2. This decision impacts the Morrisville, Norwich and EOC campuses. Masks will still be required in some settings on campus, such as on MAX Shuttles and at the Student Health Center, so students should carry a mask with them at all times. Individual faculty and staff may also request that students continue to wear masks in their classrooms or offices, and I expect that students will respect and comply with those requests.

SUNY System requires that indoor masking continue to be required of students who are not fully vaccinated, including those who have been granted a medical or religious exemption or those who are now eligible for a booster and have not yet received one. The college will continue to comply with all other SUNY requirements, which presently include surveillance testing for students and employees and weekly testing for all students and employees who are not fully vaccinated.

��Ƶ has followed the guidelines provided by System to remove the mask mandate, which included receiving approval from the Madison County Department of Health. If case numbers rise, we will work with our DOH partners to institute additional precautions and reconsider masking requirements. COVID-19 remains an extremely serious and deadly disease especially for people who are older or immunocompromised. I expect that there will be many students, faculty and staff who will choose to continue wearing a mask and it is my expectation that these individuals will be treated with respect and consideration.

I thank you all for your patience and cooperation this year in keeping our community safe and I join you in celebration that we are able to take this step. I wish you all a healthy and productive continuation of the semester!

Author

David E. Rogers

Published date

March 2, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

General

��Ƶ Mask Policy Under Review

salibalr — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:00:51 +0000

��Ƶ Mask Policy Under Review salibalr Tue, 03/01/2022 - 09:00

Following recent announcements by the CDC and New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul regarding mask requirements, campus leadership is currently reviewing the college’s mask policy in concert with the College Senate and the COVID-19 Core Task Force. The College Senate will be addressing this matter at their meeting today, Tuesday, March 1, at 1 p.m.

While this review is ongoing, the college’s current mask mandate remains in place and all members of our campus community are expected to continue to wear a mask over their nose and mouth in all indoor settings.

An update on the policy should be available by Wednesday, March 2, and will be shared with the campus right away.

Thank you.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

March 1, 2022

9: 06 a.m.

News Type

Coronavirus

��Ƶ Mask Mandate Remains in Place

salibalr — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:44:32 +0000

��Ƶ Mask Mandate Remains in Place salibalr Fri, 02/11/2022 - 13:44

Dear Campus Community,

��Ƶ and the State University of New York (SUNY) remain committed to providing you with a full in-person learning experience, including activities, classroom and lab experiences, in a safe and effective manner.

In order to properly do so, the current ��Ƶ Mask Mandate still remains in place: masks are required to be worn in all indoor spaces for the ��Ƶ, Norwich and Syracuse EOC campuses, regardless of vaccination status. Masks should be worn correctly to fully cover the nose and mouth. Outdoor spaces and activities do not require a mask.

We will continue to follow the guidance of SUNY System, which is expected to establish a roadmap by next week for the conditions and circumstances that would enable us to lift our mask mandate. Until that time, it is critical that all members of our campus community continue to properly wear a mask in all indoor spaces.

Thank you for doing your part in helping keep our campus and surrounding communities safe.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

February 11, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

Weekly COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Spring 2022 Semester

mercure@morrisville.edu — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:18:26 +0000

Weekly COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Spring 2022 Semester mercure@morris… Fri, 01/28/2022 - 14:18

Dear Students,

We hope the Spring 2022 semester is off to a great start so far. As we continue to take as many sensible steps as possible to protect the health and safety of our campus community, please find below important information regarding weekly COVID-19 testing requirements for the Spring 2022 semester.

Required Weekly Testing Continues for Unvaccinated Students with Exemptions

Required weekly pooled saliva testing continues for the Spring 2022 semester for all in-person students who are not fully vaccinated and have an approved medical or religious exemption. Weekly testing begins again this coming week, Monday, Jan. 31 and Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Surveillance Testing for All Students Begins Feb. 7

Beginning Monday, Feb. 7, a select group of students, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to participate in surveillance testing each week during each month of the semester (except for the week of Spring Break, March 14-18). Please view the schedule below to find the specific week you are required to test.

Residential Students (listed by Residential Hall):

First week: Fountain View, Oneida, Commons I
Second week: Onondaga
Third week: Mohawk
Fourth week: Cayuga and East, Commons II

Commuter Students and Norwich Campus Students (listed alphabetically by last name):

First week: A-F
Second week: G-O
Third week: P-Z

Reminder emails also will be sent to students as we get closer to the required week of testing.

Testing Time and Location

Weekly testing is held in Helyar Hall on Mondays from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Morrisville Campus. Norwich Campus will hold testing on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and students can access tests in the Faculty Office Common Area.

Please visit our Weekly Testing webpage for details on how to register and the proper steps to take prior to testing.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Residence Life or the Student Health Center.

Thank you for helping keep our campus safe.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

January 28, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

Reminder of Campus Health and Safety Protocols and Requirements to Combat COVID-19

salibalr — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 17:47:04 +0000

Reminder of Campus Health and Safety Protocols and Requirements to Combat COVID-19 salibalr Tue, 01/25/2022 - 12:47

Dear Students,

Welcome back for the Spring 2022 semester! As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our campus community, please find below important reminders regarding our current protocols and requirements to help fight against COVID-19.

Mask Requirements

To help combat the spread of COVID-19 and the highly contagious Omicron variant, face coverings must continue to be worn in ALL indoor spaces at the Morrisville, Norwich and Syracuse EOC campuses, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings should be worn correctly to fully cover the nose and mouth. Diligent mask wearing is a critical strategy for reducing virus transmission and this requirement will be strictly enforced throughout campus.

The college has secured a supply of N-95 masks to be distributed to the campus community. Students can find those available at their residence hall or at Helyar Hall on the Morrisville campus, and at the Norwich Campus Welcome Desk.

COVID-19 Booster Requirement for All In-Person Students

Per New York State Gov. Hochul’s executive order, all State University of New York (SUNY) in-person students must receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible. Individuals are eligible for a booster: (1) five months after receiving the second dose in a two-dose (Pfizer or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine series or (2) two months after receiving the single-dose (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine.

All in-person students currently eligible for a vaccine booster who have not yet received one should do so as soon as possible. All in-person students not yet eligible should also make plans to receive a booster as soon as they are eligible during any point of the semester to fulfill the requirement. Vaccine booster documentation should be uploaded to Blackboard.

Below are local options providing COVID-19 vaccine boosters:

Dougherty Pharmacy, 14 East Main St, Morrisville (walking distance from campus). Make an appointment online.
Madison County Health Department – Find an appointment.

Students may apply for a medical or religious waiver for a booster exemption. Students who currently have an approved medical or religious waiver do not need to reapply.

Additional helpful information regarding the college’s health and safety guidelines, the vaccine policy and weekly testing can be found on our COVID-19 Response Plan and Updates webpage.

Thank you for helping to continue to keep our campus and community safe.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

January 25, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

��Ƶ becomes COVID-19 test site

valenzfr@morrisville.edu — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 16:41:46 +0000

��Ƶ becomes COVID-19 test site valenzfr@morri… Wed, 01/12/2022 - 11:41

MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — Beginning Thursday, Jan. 13, ��Ƶ will become a free COVID-19 testing site, joining other campuses under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s initiative to create more testing sites and help keep New Yorkers safe.

Testing, which is open to the public by appointment or walk-in, is in Hamilton Hall, 31 Chenango St., Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Appointments can be scheduled through this link:

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-10-additional-suny-campus-testing-sites-open-across-new-york. Each site has capacity for approximately 225 appointments per day and up to 50 walk-ins.

Community members with questions regarding the testing site should contact Quadrant Biosciences by calling their support voicemail at 315.614.2325 or emailing covid-support@quadrantbiosciences.com.

“We are not defenseless as we fight the winter surge: vaccines, boosters and testing can help us slow the spread and protect our loved ones,” Hochul said. "These new SUNY sites build on our ongoing efforts to make testing more available as part of our Winter Surge Plan, and will be part of more than 2,000 locations statewide where New Yorkers can easily get tested for COVID-19. We are utilizing every possible state resource to keep New Yorkers safe and protect our fragile health care system."

“I want to thank our SUNY partners for hosting these additional testing locations across New York State,” said acting Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “Knowing your COVID-19 status through testing and taking the necessary precautions when you are infected are key to keeping our kids in school and our communities functioning as we push through this winter surge.”

Author

Franci Valenzano

Published date

January 12, 2022

11 a.m.

News Type

Coronavirus

Message from the President: Spring 2022 Plans and Updates

salibalr — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 18:25:24 +0000

Message from the President: Spring 2022 Plans and Updates salibalr Mon, 01/10/2022 - 13:25

Dear Faculty and Staff,

With the rise in COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, I know there have been questions both about how our college and SUNY System plan to open campuses this spring. Understanding that circumstances may change, I want to give you an up-to-date and clear picture of our Spring 2022 semester plans as they stand.

Return to Campus

��Ƶ will begin in-person classes as scheduled starting Monday, January 24. Residential students will return to the residence halls starting Friday, January 21. Many student-athletes and others are already here on campus now. All students, regardless of vaccination status, are required to submit a negative pre-arrival test taken 3-5 days before returning to campus. All residential students will also be pool tested upon arrival and commuter students and Norwich Campus students will be pool tested during the first week of classes. More information on what students should know can be found on the college’s COVID-19 website.

Mask Requirement

Wearing a mask continues to be required in all indoor settings. This is a critical strategy for reducing the spread of the Omicron variant and I call upon all of you to do your part to wear your mask correctly at all times and model good masking behavior for our students and others. The college is working to secure a supply of KN-95 masks which will be made available.

Quarantine & Isolation and Testing

New York State has changed the quarantine and isolation guidelines. If you are eligible to receive a booster shot, I urge you to do so promptly. Even those vaccinated who are exposed to COVID-19 and who have either not received a booster shot or are exposed within two weeks of being boosted will be required to quarantine. The Office of Human Resources will send more details in the coming weeks about mandatory surveillance testing of faculty and staff, which will be done in conjunction with our weekly testing of all unvaccinated employees. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should promptly contact Human Resources and alert your direct supervisor that you will be out.

The college has carefully considered contingency plans that appropriately weigh the health and safety of our community with the need for uninterrupted in-person learning. We will continue to track positive cases on a daily basis and will move to a remote learning model for a minimum one-week period if the number of positive cases requires this.

It is my sincere hope that by following all of the above precautions and working diligently to keep one another safe, we will be able to remain in-person the full semester in order to serve our students and give them the best possible learning environment. I look forward to seeing you on campus in a few short weeks.

With best wishes,

David E. Rogers, Ph.D. | President

��Ƶ

80 Eaton Street, P.O. Box 901 | Whipple Administration Building, Fifth Floor | Morrisville, N.Y. 13408

Office: 315.684.6044 | Email: rogersde@morrisville.edu

Author

David E. Rogers

Published date

January 10, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

Spring 2022 Return to Campus Student Information

salibalr — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 19:17:00 +0000

Spring 2022 Return to Campus Student Information salibalr Tue, 01/04/2022 - 14:17

Updated Jan. 25, 2022: The article below has been updated to reflect the most recent guidelines regarding the timeline for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine booster.

Students,

With COVID-19 state guidelines and protocols changing, please read this email carefully which covers booster shots, tests to return to campus, and mask wearing on campus. By being informed, you will be prepared to return to campus in a few weeks- we look forward to welcoming you back!

Student Vaccination & Boosters

In-person students must receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible. Individuals are eligible for a booster: (1) five months after receiving the second dose in a two-dose (Pfizer or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine series or (2) two months after receiving the single-dose (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine.

Students currently eligible for a vaccine booster should receive one prior to returning to campus. Vaccine booster documentation should be uploaded to Blackboard. Students who have an approved medical or religious waiver do not need to reapply for the Spring 2022 semester. To find a COVID-19 vaccine or booster: search vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

Testing for Return to Campus

Residential students: Regardless of vaccination status, residential students are required to provide proof of a negative result from a molecular (also known as nucleic acid, RNA or PCR tests) COVID-19 test taken no more than five (5) days prior to arrival to campus or proof of a positive COVID-19 test taken within the last three (3) months. Acceptable tests for COVID-19 include rapid or non-rapid molecular test. Antigen or antibody tests are not acceptable. Results should be uploaded to Blackboard prior to arrival. Residential students should bring a copy of the test results to move-in if unable to load to Blackboard.

All residential students will participate in pooled testing upon arrival to campus. Students that do not submit the required pre-arrival testing documents will be directed to our campus quarantine location until their negative pooled test results are received.

Commuter Students: All commuter students and Norwich Campus students, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide proof of a negative result from a molecular (also known as nucleic acid, RNA or PCR tests) COVID-19 test taken no more than five (5) days prior to the first class on campus or proof of a positive COVID-19 test taken within the last three (3) months. Acceptable tests for COVID-19 include rapid or non-rapid molecular test. Antigen or antibody tests are not acceptable. Results should be uploaded to Blackboard. Students that fail to submit the required documents will be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibility.

All commuter and Norwich Campus students are required to participate in pooled testing during the first week of classes.

Mask Requirements

Face coverings must be worn in ALL indoor spaces at the Morrisville, Norwich and Syracuse EOC campuses. Diligent mask wearing is a critical strategy for reducing virus transmission and this requirement will be strictly enforced throughout campus.

As more information becomes available, we will be in touch to share regular updates with students and families.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

January 4, 2022

News Type

Coronavirus

A Message from the Student Health Center: Help Continue the Fight against COVID-19

salibalr — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 19:21:24 +0000

A Message from the Student Health Center: Help Continue the Fight against COVID-19 salibalr Mon, 12/20/2021 - 14:21

Dear Campus Community,

We hope you had a successful fall semester. Even in the face of many challenges associated with COVID-19, we were able to engage as a community and to experience activities — both inside and outside of the classroom — that were simply not possible last year. We are so grateful and know these successes would not have been possible without the care and attention of each of you to yourselves, each other and our community.

��Ƶ is actively planning for return to campus for the Spring 2022 semester. We are closely monitoring both the increase in COVID-19 cases and the new Omicron variant. Many individuals are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster. ��Ƶ strongly encourages all members of our campus community, including students, faculty and staff, to consider receiving a booster vaccine once eligible. We recommend getting your COVID-19 booster vaccine while you have some down time during winter break.

This fall and winter, the flu virus and the COVID-19 virus are both spreading. Vaccination is the best defense against both COVID-19 and the flu. We recommend all members of our campus community also consider getting a flu shot during winter break. Almost every county in New York State is reporting widespread flu activity, especially in the young adult population. The flu vaccine can reduce the risk of more serious flu outcomes and may make your illness milder if you do get sick. Flu vaccines are available at most pharmacies.

Have a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

Author

��Ƶ

Published date

December 20, 2021

News Type

Coronavirus

Coronavirus

COVID Update: ������Ƶ Fall 2022 Semester

Vaccination Requirements:

Booster Requirements:

Testing:

Message from the President: Indoor Mask Requirement Lifted at ������Ƶ Effective Wednesday, March 2

������Ƶ Mask Policy Under Review

������Ƶ Mask Mandate Remains in Place

Weekly COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Spring 2022 Semester

Required Weekly Testing Continues for Unvaccinated Students with Exemptions

Surveillance Testing for All Students Begins Feb. 7

Testing Time and Location

Reminder of Campus Health and Safety Protocols and Requirements to Combat COVID-19

Mask Requirements

COVID-19 Booster Requirement for All In-Person Students

������Ƶ becomes COVID-19 test site

Message from the President: Spring 2022 Plans and Updates

Return to Campus

Mask Requirement

Quarantine & Isolation and Testing

Spring 2022 Return to Campus Student Information

Student Vaccination & Boosters

Testing for Return to Campus

Mask Requirements

A Message from the Student Health Center: Help Continue the Fight against COVID-19

COVID Update: ��Ƶ Fall 2022 Semester

Message from the President: Indoor Mask Requirement Lifted at ��Ƶ Effective Wednesday, March 2

��Ƶ Mask Policy Under Review

��Ƶ Mask Mandate Remains in Place

��Ƶ becomes COVID-19 test site