SU Pauses Student Activities for Fall Semester

(Syracuse, N.Y.) – Rob Flaks, Maria Virginia Urdaneta

Syracuse University has paused in-person student activities on campus following a surge in cases in Onondaga County. Paused activities include all student organizations, Greek life, and University-sponsored in-person events per an email from Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie and Interim Vice Chancellor John Liu. 

The email states that no singular event is responsible for this shutdown, unlike previous pauses.  “ Rising levels of COVID-19 cases confirmed across Central New York,” as well as “the understandable fatigue but ill-advised complacency on the part of some in our community who are not fully adhering to public health guidelines,” are identified as the cause for the spike. 

Classes will continue in-person until the 16th of November, at which point classes will move fully online. 

Activities that remain open to students until the end of the semester include the use of the Barnes Center at The Arch, COVID-19 testing, and SU Libraries access. SU currently has 88 cases of COVID-19 among students in central New York; an increase of 15 cases in one day for a total of 35 new cases within the 14-day reporting window.

The university has also placed a pause on in-person dining halls starting Tuesday. SU officials state that all meals will be served in a grab-and-go style.

Intercollegiate athletics is set to continue during this pause. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.