COVID-19 Safety Information

Some of the following policies are new or have been revised for the 2022-23 academic year. Additional details for students and employees are outlined in those sections on this page. Any changes or updates to these policies will be communicated by email.

Vaccination

In line with SUNY’s updated guidance from April 11, 2023, the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be required for students, effective for the start of Summer Session I. COVID-19 vaccination remains strongly encouraged for students, which is consistent with other viruses. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to stay up to date on vaccinations.

Students enrolled in an internship or other program at a third-party location must continue to comply with all health and safety guidelines imposed by that location.

During the 2022-23 academic year, students were required to show proof that they received both shots of a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or one of a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen).

Boosters

SUNY Cortland strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive a vaccine booster when they are eligible. Booster appointments also can be scheduled using New York state’s online portal or vaccines.gov for sites outside of New York.

Exemptions

New students seeking a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement previously were required to submit the appropriate forms through myRedDragon. Students who received a medical or religious exemption still were required to comply with any vaccine or booster requirements they are required to meet through off-campus internships, field placements or student teaching assignments.

Pre-arrival testing

All students planning to travel to Cortland for the start of a new semester are strongly encouraged to take an at-home COVID-19 test before they leave home. Negative tests do not need to be reported. If a test is positive, notify the Residence Life and Housing Office by email at residencelifeandhousing@cortland.edu and isolate at home for at least five days.

Isolation housing

The university will have limited quarantine and isolation housing on campus for residential students who test positive for COVID-19. If campus residents test positive for COVID-19, they must return home to their permanent address to isolate as soon as possible and notify their residence hall director. If campus residents are unable to travel home, they will be required to isolate in place where they live on campus. If off-campus residents test positive for COVID-19, they should isolate in their off-campus residence or at home.

Class absences

Students must complete a self-reporting form through the Student tab in myRedDragon and forward the email receipt to their associate dean to notify them of their absence (Arts and Sciences, Education or Professional Studies). Students should also follow up with faculty members individually and follow policies outlined in the SUNY Cortland Handbook and Catalogs for  making up missed work.

Face coverings

The university does not require face coverings in most public indoor spaces. However, students who test positive should wear a mask at all times when not alone. For students unable to isolate at home, this includes residence hall roommates. All students who test positive for COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask for five days after ending isolation.

Face coverings also are still required in healthcare settings, such as Student Health Service. SUNY Cortland encourages students, faculty and staff to wear well-fitting masks indoors during periods of high transmission in the local community.  Please be aware that SUNY Cortland may reinstate an indoor face covering policy if recommended by local, state or federal health organizations.

• Confirming COVID-19 vaccination status
• What to do if you are symptomatic
• Students who test positive for COVID-19
• Internships and student teaching
• Study abroad
• Vaccination for international students
• Medical and religious exemptions

Confirming COVID-19 vaccination status

The SUNY system will no longer require a COVID-19 vaccine for students, effective for the start of Summer Session I.

Previously, all new first-year and transfer students were required to verify their initial COVID-19 vaccination status through the Admissions tab in myRedDragon.

Exemptions

New students seeking a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement previously were required to submit appropriate forms through myRedDragon.

What to do if you are symptomatic

All students should be aware of possible COVID-19 symptoms, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.

Symptomatic students

Any students who have any symptoms of COVID-19 should contact Student Health Service at 607-753-4811 on the first day they are ill, even if symptoms are mild. This applies to students who are fully vaccinated and exempt students. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, the university strongly encourages not attending class or any social gathering unless your symptoms have cleared or you have received negative test results.

Rapid testing

SUNY Cortland is no longer conducting routine surveillance testing. Students are encouraged to use antigen rapid tests, which are available in drug stores and other retail locations, if they feel ill or suspect they have been exposed to the virus. Tests are available for on-campus students in residence hall offices.

Evening and weekend care

During the evening or weekends, symptomatic students should contact an off-campus health provider such as an urgent care facility or Guthrie Cortland Medical Center.

Students who test positive for COVID-19

If campus residents test positive for COVID-19, they must return home to their permanent address to isolate as soon as possible and notify their residence hall director. If campus residents are unable to travel home, they will be required to isolate in place where they live on campus. If off-campus residents test positive for COVID-19, they should isolate in their off-campus residence or at home.

Notifying campus and professors

Students who test positive should complete and submit the confidential COVID-19 reporting form under the Student tab in myRedDragon. When they receive an email acknowledgement that the form has been received, students should forward that to the associate dean of the academic school that houses their major (Arts and Sciences, Education or Professional Studies).

Positive students and masking

Students who test positive should wear a mask at all times when not alone. For students unable to isolate at home, this includes residence hall roommates. All students who test positive for COVID-19 should wear a well-fitting mask for five days after ending isolation.

Campus dining for campus residents in isolation

Students who are unable to return home for isolation must complete the online meal form available under the COVID tab in myRedDragon. COVID-positive students must wear a well-fitting mask and pick up their meals from the Bistro Off Broadway during designated times. They may also send a friend to pick up to-go meals for them.  

• Lunch meals will be provided with labels (noting initials and last four digits of C-number) at noon Monday through Friday outside Bistro.
• Dinner will be provided at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Breakfast items for the next day will be included with dinner.
• Weekend packages will be given with dinner on Friday if a student is still in isolation over weekend. If a student enters isolation over the weekend, Cortland Auxiliary Services will prepare a weekend package for pick-up outside Bistro once Cortland Auxiliary Services is contacted.

What to do if you miss class

If you have tested positive for COVID-19:

• Complete the self-reporting form through the Student tab in myRedDragon, then forward the email receipt you receive to your associate dean of the academic school that houses your major to notify them of your absence (Arts and Sciences, Education or Professional Studies).
• After a student notifies the associate dean, the associate dean will notify the student’s instructors.
• Treat COVID-19 the same as any extended absence. Students may contact instructors individually regarding coursework missed.
• Professors are not expected to provide online or synchronous instruction for students in isolation, but they may be able to provide handouts, slides or other material you can use to make up missed work. Keeping up with assignments is a student’s responsibility.
• Check your syllabus to see what work you are missing. 
• Reach out to classmates about getting notes from classes you’ve missed. 
• Schedule a phone or virtual appointment during your instructor’s office hours to go over missed material or work.  
• Schedule a virtual appointment at the Learning Center or the Writing Center to help you stay on track with your assignments.

Internships and student teaching

Students who are working as student teachers or interns, including those in on- and off-campus placements, are expected to comply with vaccination and safety guidance established by those placements.

Additional notes

• If a student teacher or a student in a full-time internship/field experience is living on campus, they must follow the campus vaccination guidelines for those students living on campus and also follow the safety protocols in place at their placements.

• If a student teacher or a student in a full-time internship/field experience is living out of the region while they complete their student teaching or full-time internship, and will not be accessing any campus facilities, they will follow the vaccine guidance and safety protocols of their placements. That is, if a placement requires the student teacher or intern to be vaccinated, they must be vaccinated.
• Student teachers or students in full-time internships/field experiences who choose not to comply with their placement's vaccination policies and/or safety policies will not be given new placements and will need to withdraw from their student teaching/internship courses for the semester.

Study abroad

Many SUNY Cortland study abroad programs have resumed following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please visit the International Programs Office COVID-19 information page and Horizons study abroad portal or contact the International Programs Office at studyabroad@cortland.edu.

Vaccination for international students

The CDC and New York State Department of Health have recommended that completing a WHO-approved vaccine series is acceptable as proof of being fully vaccinated.

The current list of WHO-approved vaccines is available online. A vaccine is approved if “Finalized” appears in the column called “Status of Assessment.”

All health information requirements must be presented in English or accompanied by a translation. Students who require the translation of documents can use one of the many translation services available on the internet.

Medical and religious exemptions

During the 2022-23 academic year, notifications about COVID-19 exemptions came via email from Student Health Service staff.

Medical exemptions

Students may have been exempt from the previous vaccination requirement if a duly licensed healthcare provider certified in writing that the student has a medical contraindication to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Students requesting a medical exemption from vaccination requirements were required to submit the exemption request form to Student Health Service. Exemption request forms can be accessed on the Student Health Service channel located on the student tab in myRedDragon. Instructions for submitting exemption requests were included on the downloadable forms.

Requests for medical exemptions were required to contain:

• The certification of a licensed healthcare provider,
• Sufficient information for Student Health Service staff to understand the medical basis for the exemption,
• The necessary length of the requested exemption,
• Contact information for the healthcare provider.

Student Health Service reviewed exemptions in the same way the university considers requests for medical exemptions from measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization requirements.

Religious exemptions

Students who hold genuine religious beliefs that are contrary to COVID-19 vaccination were required to submit an exemption request form to Student Health Service. Exemption request forms can be accessed on the Student Health Service channel located on the student tab in myRedDragon. Instructions for submitting exemption requests were included on the downloadable forms.

Student Health Service will review all exemption requests as it does for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization exemption requests.

• Surveillance testing requirement
• What to do if you are symptomatic
• What to do if you are in isolation or quarantine

Surveillance testing requirement

SUNY Cortland’s COVID-19 surveillance testing program ended Aug. 31, 2022. This coincides with the expiration of the Statewide Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in place with each of the unions. Surveillance testing previously was required for all employees who regularly reported to campus.

What to do if you are symptomatic

All employees should be aware of possible COVID-19 symptoms, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.

If you have symptoms, please take a rapid antigen test or schedule an appointment at a site near you using the State Department of Health’s online portal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published helpful information for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

If you are sick, please stay home and notify your supervisor.

What to do if you are in isolation or quarantine

If an employee has tested positive, you must isolate for a minimum of five days and notify Human Resources. You must also wear a well-fitting face covering for at least five days after the date of the positive test.

Eligibility for returning to campus following a positive test

If an employee tests positive, regardless of vaccination status:

• Isolate for a minimum of five days. Day 0 is the day of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, the date of the first positive test, AND
• Notify your close contacts, AND
• Notify the Human Resources Office by emailing michelle.congdon@cortland.edu or calling 607-753-2302, AND
• If symptomatic, stay in isolation until symptoms are improving and fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
• Wear a well-fitting mask upon return through day 5.

If an employee tests positive with an at-home rapid test:

• Employees must self-report to the health department in their county of residence.
• Provide copies of the self-report and any emails from the county health department to the Human Resources Office by emailing michelle.congdon@cortland.edu.
• Self-reporting forms for the health departments of surrounding counties are available online:
• Cortland County (select appropriate reporting link)
• Broome County (scroll to “Reporting a Test” section)
• Tompkins County
• Onondaga County (see self-attestation information)

Eligibility for returning to campus following a direct exposure

If employees are directly exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status:

• Employees may continue to report to work on campus
• It is highly recommended employees monitor symptoms and get tested within five days
• Employees should wear a well-fitting mask for five days after exposure

Work and leave during isolation or quarantine

• During any periods of isolation or quarantine under these standards, remote work will be endorsed, subject to approval of supervisors and the nature of the work performed by the employee
• Paid quarantine leave is available to employees for their first two instances of quarantine and one instance of isolation
  • Employees are eligible for this leave when their absence is due to being positive for COVID-19 or being required to stay away from work as a direct contact to someone who is positive. Staying home to care for another person who is a direct contact following self-quarantine precautions does not meet eligibility for this leave. In this case, the university supports working from home as an option subject to supervisor approval and operational ability to work remotely.
• Each instance of covered leave provides up to 10 days of paid leave without charge to accruals.

The university will continue to monitor the local situation, adjust standards accordingly and communicate policy changes through campus email.