Community Messages

Please review this announcement on Submitting Vaccination or Medical/Religious Exemptions Documentation Dec. 10, 2021

Important Update About COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements | Dec. 9, 2021

COVID-19 Update: Booster Shot Requirement (Vaccine Compliance for Employees, Spring Semester Return Planning and Procedures) | Dec. 6, 2021

Staying Safe: COVID Precautions and Mandatory Flu Vaccine Reminder | Nov. 29, 2021

COVID-19 Update: Monitoring the New Variant, Taking New Action | Nov. 29, 2021

Current Mask Status: RED 

 Important Public Health Information

1. In order to be FULLY COMPLIANT with the University's Fall 2021 public health requirements and to be in GOOD STANDING with the College of Law you must:

• Submit your COVID-19 vaccination record to the Patient Portal demonstrating a vaccination series has been completed at least 14 days prior to your arrival on campus, or
• File and receive a medical or religious exemption with the University. If you have received an exemption, you must wear a mask at all times on campus and take a weekly COVID-19 test.
• If you have questions about your vaccination record, please contact the Barnes Center at The Arch at 315.443.8000.

2. If you ARE NOT YET COMPLIANT with the above requirements, please read the following instructions:

a) Residential J.D. Students (1L, 2L, 3L) Who Are Based in the United States

• If you have begun but will not have completed your vaccination series at least 14 days prior to your arrival on campus for submission through the Patient Portal, the College requires you to show that you have scheduled the completion of your vaccination series.
• You must take a COVID-19 test upon arriving on campus.
• You must mask at all times on campus and test weekly for 14 days after the completion of your vaccination series.
• You must submit your record of a completed vaccination series to the SU Patient Portal no later than Sept. 7, 2021, in order to remain in good standing at the College of Law.
• If you have not begun your vaccination series prior to Aug. 16, 2021, you will not be permitted to attend class this fall (unless you have received a medical or religious exemption in time for the start of the semester).

b) International Students Arriving in the US—Residential J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D.

• If you plan to receive your vaccine upon arrival in the US, please strive to arrive early enough to receive the one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine or to complete both doses of the Moderna (28 days between doses) or Pfizer (21 days between doses) before accessing campus.
• As soon as you have received all recommended doses of an approved vaccine and uploaded documentation into the Patient Portal, you may access campus.
• Because vaccines are not fully effective until two weeks after your final dose, you must wear a mask on campus during this period and participate in weekly COVID-19 screening.

c) JDinteractive Students Attending August 2021 Residencies

• If you have not yet submitted your vaccination record or received a medical or religious exemption, please do so as soon as possible through the Patient Portal.
• If your vaccination series has not been completed at least 14 days prior to your first day on campus, you must wear a mask at all times on campus and take a COVID-19 test upon arrival.

FAQs

• Syracuse University COVID-19 vaccination FAQs

Q: What do I need to do to prepare for my return to the spring semester on campus?

A: Please refer to the University's Dec. 6, 2021, memo that outlines the following:

1. COVID-19 Booster Shot Requirement for Eligible Students, Faculty and Staff
2. New Federal Contractor Vaccine Compliance/Verification Requirement for Employees
3. Spring Semester Return and Arrival Testing
4. Flu Vaccination Compliance

Q: I am vaccine-exempt, must I continue to be tested for COVID-19?

A: Yes. Any unvaccinated member of the campus community must participate in ongoing surveillance testing once per week (every seven days). Individual compliance with this requirement is closely monitored. Please consult this memo for more information . 

Q: I have been vaccinated against COVID-19; must I be regularly tested?

A: Beginning on August 30, the University will monitor "breakthrough" cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated individuals with a a randomized COVID surveillance testing program. Each week a subset of our on-campus population (inclusive of students, faculty and staff) will receive an email directing them to visit the Testing Center during the week to receive a COVID test. Please consult this memo for more information .

Q: What are current testing hours and locations?
A: As of Sept. 1, 2021 ...

• All weekday testing will be performed at the stadium (enter through Gate P, located across from the Physics Building).
• Sunday testing will continue to be held at Kimmel Dining Hall.
• Stadium testing hours are as follows:
  • Monday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Monday, September 6, for Labor Day)
  • Tuesday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Wednesday: noon-7 p.m.
  • Thursday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Friday: 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
• Kimmel testing hours are:  Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

No appointments are required. Please bring your Syracuse University ID and refrain from eating; drinking anything (including water); brushing your teeth; or using mouthwash, chewing gum, or any tobacco products in the 30 minutes prior to testing.

Q: What should I do if I receive a positive COVID test and/or I am required to quarantine?

A: Please contact Director of Student Affairs Sarah Collins as soon as possible. Please also refer to the next two questions and answers ...

Q: What should I do if I experience COVID-19-like symptoms?

A: Please do not come to Dineen Hall. Proceed to a COVID-19 testing site, such as SU's on-campus services in Kimmel Dining Hall.

Q: What are the isolation and quarantine requirements if I become COVID-19 positive?

The isolation requirement for those who test positive for COVID remains unchanged relative to last year. If you test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, you will be directed by a legal order from the Onondaga County Health Department to isolate for a period of 10 days. Similar to last year, the University is fully prepared to provide isolation housing for students living on campus, and for those who cannot safely isolate in their off-campus apartments.

Importantly, there are new protocols for vaccinated individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 (and who are either asymptomatic or symptomatic): please refer to this memo for details.

Please refer to this memo for new COVID-19 public health protocols, including regular testing of non-vaccinated individuals, random testing for vaccinated individuals, isolation and quarantine for positive cases, and information for vaccinated individuals exposed to COVID-19.

Q. How does COVID-19 affect the College of Law’s attendance policy?

A. Please review the College’s attendance policy, located Rules 9.1 and 9.2.3 of our Academic Handbook. It is important that you consult the syllabus for each of your classes in order to understand the attendance policies that apply to you. These policies are in full force and effect. The impact of a documented COVID-19-related absence will be assessed on a course-by-course basis.  If you are experiencing a COVID-19-related absence, please contact Director of Student Affairs Sarah Collins as soon as possible and be in touch with your professors to understand the impact of your absence on your attendance record.

Q: What do I do if I’m not yet fully vaccinated?

A: If you have not yet finished your full vaccination series, while on campus you must wear a face covering, take a COVID-19 test upon arrival, and test weekly until your vaccination series is completed. Vaccination records must be uploaded to the Patient Portal. If you have confirmed an exemption to vaccination requirement, you must wear a face covering and test weekly throughout the semester. If you’ve not begun your vaccination series by August 16 or have not received an exemption, YOU WILL NOT be permitted to start the semester.

Q: Can I attend class if I am not fully vaccinated?

A: Please refer to the above answer.

Q: I would like to claim a medical or religious exemption for getting a COVID-19 vaccine, what should I do?

A: Students who need to submit a medical or religious exemption for vaccines may do so via the Patient Portal. It is currently open for incoming students. Instructions include:

• Log in to the Patient Portal with your SU NetID and password.
• Select “Forms” from the main menu.
• Under Student Forms, select the “Medical-Religious Waiver” form to print the waiver to sign.
• Once you have signed the waiver and added the required supporting documentation, select “Upload” on the home screen.
• Follow the upload instructions.
• In the drop-down section, select “Medical or Religious Waiver Form.”
• Select the completed waiver file to upload.

The exemption form only needs to be submitted once during your time at Syracuse University College of Law.  This means that should vaccine requirements change, your exemption form will continue to be active.

For a medical exemption, a note from your doctor should be uploaded.  For religious exemption, a statement from you explaining the request for the exemption is sufficient.  You can choose to upload one or both.

You may also contact Barnes Health Center at 315.443.8000 and press 5 for Covid-19 related questions or to confirm with them directly.