Syracuse University students who live off-campus and knowingly violate public health orders could face conduct sanctions, a university official said Saturday.

The university announced Monday that it’s suspending all on-campus instruction and moving classes online for the remainder of the semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. SU has asked all students living in residence halls to move out by Sunday. 

“If you choose to remain in or return to off-campus housing, we expect you to support efforts to promote the health and safety of this community,” said Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, in an SU News release.

The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 300,000 and killed over 12,000 worldwide. New York state has over 10,000 confirmed cases of the virus, 34 of which are in Onondaga County.

New York state has ordered all workers employed in non-essential services to stay home and has banned non-essential gatherings of any size to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon on Saturday encouraged college students who traveled for spring break to self-quarantine when they return home.

Students who live off-campus remain subject to the community standards in SU’s Code of Student Conduct, Haynie said. 

Haynie also provided several updates concerning the transition to online classes and the remaining resources available on campus.

SU will announce more move-out opportunities in the late spring and summer for students who are unable to move out of their residence halls by Sunday, Haynie said. 

Though the Barnes Center at the Arch Pharmacy has transitioned to limited in-person hours, the pharmacy will be physically open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Haynie said. Students can also contact the pharmacy via phone from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

The Division of Enrollment and Student Experience will offer a virtual resources page listing the best ways to contact campus offices for the remainder of the semester, Haynie said.  

Two on-campus convenience stores, West Campus Express and South Campus Express, will be open with groceries and other necessities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday, Haynie said. Hours for the upcoming week are being reviewed and will be announced later this weekend, he said.

“Food Services is working hard to keep the stores stocked with essential items like produce, frozen dinner items, dry goods and personal hygiene items,” Haynie said.

While several faculty members plan to use live web conferencing to conduct their online classes, it can pose challenges especially for students in different time zones, Haynie said. He encouraged professors to use pre-recorded audio lectures, discussion boards and group forums if possible.

The university also announced Saturday that all overdue items in SU’s libraries will be due in fall 2020, and late fines will be suspended.

“Nobody expected the residential semester to end in this way,” Haynie said in the release. “Be assured that we remain committed to timely and clear communication that informs our community of new actions and policies implemented by the University.”

Published on March 21, 2020 at 7:26 pm

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss