The Department of Public Safety will enforce statewide social distancing orders off-campus, a Syracuse University official announced Saturday.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has banned large gatherings and ordered residents to remain at home unless necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. DPS will work with city and county officials to enforce Cuomo’s order, said Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, in an SU News release.

The university has received reports of SU students living in off-campus apartments who have violated social distancing orders, Haynie said. He urged the students’ families to warn them that such behavior puts the community at risk.

“Students residing in off-campus housing who choose not to abide by New York Health Department and Onondaga County Health Department directives—specifically to stay at home, practice social distancing and engage in other appropriate hygiene practices—may unknowingly transmit the virus to others in this community who are at high risk,” Haynie said.

The Barnes Center at the Arch will also offer virtual resources for SU students’ physical and mental health while on-campus classes are suspended, Haynie said. The online resources will include virtual fitness classes, online counseling with personal trainers and virtual wellness workshops, he said.

The Barnes Center will also host an online version of Take Back the Night, an event dedicated to raising awareness about sexual and relationship violence, Haynie said. The event will take place April 15 on Blackboard.

Students will also be able to sign up for virtual esports tournaments through the Barnes Center, Haynie said.

The university is also temporarily extending the tenure clock by one year for faculty who’ve applied to have their tenure reviewed in the 2020-21 academic year or later.

Faculty at SU typically must submit requests for tenure reviews by the end of their sixth credited year at the university. The extension will provide flexibility for faculty members the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted, Haynie said.

SU’s Office of Budget and Planning also has instructed deans, directors and departments to track any expenses related to COVID-19 pandemic, Haynie said.

The expenses could include those needed to support the transition to online classes, Haynie said. Costs associated with supporting the community through the COVID-19 pandemic would also be covered, he said.

“These are difficult days,” Haynie said. “At the same time, these difficult days represent an opportunity to demonstrate to each other and the world what it means to be and identify as a member of the Syracuse University community.”

Published on March 28, 2020 at 10:19 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu