02/15/2021
Students,
In light of SUNY Cortland’s rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and reckless off-campus student gatherings, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras today is requiring all SUNY Cortland students to test twice weekly instead of the current policy of once per week. This new policy will be in place for the next two weeks.
To accomplish this, we are taking immediate action.
On-campus students will need to test tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 16. They will receive an email for a time slot during which they will be expected to report for surveillance testing. Because of the short time frame, you will not have the ability to reschedule that time. If it conflicts with a class, students should inform their instructors, who will not penalize you for missing class.
Off-campus students should keep their scheduled testing appointment tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 16. IN ADDITION, all off-campus students must schedule a testing time on Friday, Feb. 19.
In this way, all students, whether they live on-campus or off-campus, will test twice this week. Their first test will be on either Monday or Tuesday, and their second test will be on Friday. The same pattern will be repeated next week.
This action is unfortunate, but critically necessary to contain a COVID-19 outbreak that threatens not only SUNY Cortland’s ability to continue modified in-person experiences but the health and safety of our community. None of us can single-handedly reverse the upward trend of the virus among our students, but all of us working together can bring it back down.
Increased testing and quick isolation and quarantine will play a pivotal role in reversing the trend, but it won’t work without near-universal adherence to social distancing, avoiding large groups and wearing face coverings. And make no mistake, potential super-spreader events like the off-campus parties of this weekend will not be tolerated.
Please be safe and responsible.
Erik J. Bitterbaum
President