SUNY Potsdam Athletics

SUNY Potsdam BEAR COVID-19 Pledge

 
Opening up SUNY Potsdam during a global pandemic requires that all community members do their part to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Having an open and engaged community inherently puts students, faculty and staff at greater risk of exposure to the virus. Therefore, we each must be aware of our own actions and how our interactions can enhance the health and safety of others in our community. It is critical that we avoid making assumptions about individuals in the SUNY Potsdam community who may be at increased health risk if they contract COVID-19. These individuals, which includes students, faculty, and staff, will be in the classroom, in residence halls, and all other areas of the community. Our Potsdam Pledge motivates us to do all that we can to create an environment where everyone is safely able to participate in the wide range of instructional and co-curricular activities available on our campus.

To this end, all students are expected to comply with the following terms and conditions for Academic Year 2020-2021 to protect themselves and the SUNY Potsdam Community.

• Be considerate of others, especially those at high risk.

• Complete all university-required safety training and fully participate in all required screening and/or tests.

• Complete a seven-day self-quarantine at home before arriving on campus and follow self-quarantine guidelines on campus until you have received a negative test result for COVID-19.

• Be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival to campus.

• Complete the Symptoms Tracker daily in the Student Health Services (SHS) portal. Anyone with symptoms should self-quarantine and should call 315-267-2376 to be screened by the SHS triage team during the hours of 8:15-4:30. Note: Students may be asked by the College Bookstore, Lougheed Learning Commons or PACES (dining services) to show their COVID-19 status with your Symptoms Tracker to enter their areas.

• Always properly wear a mask on campus and in the community unless you are alone in your residence hall room/suite/apartment.

• Practice good hygiene, through frequent handwashing and disinfection of shared surfaces.

• Wipe down individual spaces and shared surfaces in classrooms and other facilities.

• Follow classroom expectations as outlined in your course syllabi, including properly wearing a mask at all times while in class.

• Follow social (physical) distancing directives:
          o Maintain a distance of 6 feet from others
          o Follow entrance/exit door signs, stairwell directional signs and pedestrian traffic patterns

• Adhere to restrictions on social gatherings and maintaining social (physical) distancing in the presence of others in all campus spaces and in the community.

• Limit exposure off-campus by avoiding locations with multiple people, including other students’ or community members’ homes including parties and social gatherings. Students who reside off campus should not host parties or social gatherings. Follow all state and county guidelines related to gatherings.

• Participate fully in the contact tracing process.

• Students sick with a fever, cough and/or difficulty breathing must contact Student Health Services at (315) 267- 2377. Students must self-isolate immediately in this situation. Student Health Services is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If after hours, contact the NYS Department of Health 24-hour COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. There is an urgent care center and St. Lawrence Health Care Systems emergency room less than a half mile from campus.

• Restrict travel to remain in the North Country Region as described by the NYS Governor’s Office. The North Country Region is Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties and includes the communities of Akwesasne, Canton, Elizabethtown, Lake Placid, Lowville, Malone, Massena, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Saranac Lake and Watertown.

• Not host guests or visit others in the residence halls. Only individuals assigned to a specific residence hall room can occupy the room at any time. No guests are permitted in any residence halls rooms at any time. A guest is identified as any individual (friend, family member, significant other, fellow SUNY Potsdam student, etc.) who is not a campus employee and who is not assigned to a specific room. All residential spaces are closed to anyone except the residents of that buildings. Students should expect that many common areas (e.g. kitchens and lounges) will be closed throughout the semester.

• In order to ride the Bear Shuttle/Campus Connector, students must have tested negative for COVID-19, be feeling well and have no COVID-19 symptoms (must have a negative COVID-19 screening status on the daily Symptoms Tracker).

• Complete quarantine or isolation periods when required. Violations of these requirements would be taken very seriously and would be handled under the student conduct system and may result in removal from housing/restriction from campus.

• Comply with all the regulations, including the event and gathering restrictions implemented by SUNY Potsdam and local/state/federal authorities, including St. Lawrence County Public Health, whether now in effect or imposed at a later date.

• Comply with any additional limitations, restrictions, or policies imposed by SUNY Potsdam or individual offices (e.g. Residence Life, PACES) for the health and safety of our community during the academic year 2020-2021.

These expectations are based on guidelines and regulations from NYS Governor’s Office, the SUNY System and the St. Lawrence County Office of Public Health. Following these guidelines and regulations should reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and lessen the possibility that the SUNY Potsdam campus will need to shut down. All students are expected to do their part to keep the SUNY Potsdam community healthy.

Violations of these expectations, the Potsdam Student Code of Conduct, other campus policies, or orders put in place by local or NYS Government entities related to COVID-19, may be referred to the Student Conduct System. The student conduct process strives to be educational and will work with students to define acceptable behaviors and improve compliance with the above expectations. Students who are concerned about their ability to adhere to these commitments are welcome and encouraged to continue their studies online.

Please follow this link to sign the pledge: https://sunypotsdam.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dbs1WAOyJlw6LAh