Dear Campus Community:
Some additional information has been received or clarified over the past 48 hours:
Students Returning from Spring Break. SUNY has issued a
request for campuses to strongly urge students planning on returning to
campus (or currently staying on campus) to reconsider their decisions
and remain at home. Students who need to remain on campus will
definitely be accommodated, but you should know that services have been
greatly curtailed due to recent directives from the Governor: food
service will be limited to “take-out” effective tomorrow, the fitness
center and natatorium are now closed, and many campus employees are
required to work from home effective midnight tonight, causing us to
move to a series of digital services (Library, Learning Center,
Advising, etc.) or cancel certain services (Park and Ride, etc.). In
the community, all restaurants are now take-out and many entertainment
venues and all bars are closed, to name a few of the changes.
Deadline for Credits/Refunds. Just a reminder that the Offices of Residence Life and FSA need to be contacted by this Thursday, March 19 to be eligible for the 50% credit/refund.
Financial Considerations. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about the memo issued on Sunday:
- The credit for fees will happen automatically; you do not need to apply. As noted above, the credits for room and board require students to notify us by March 19.
- Graduating students, plus students completing academic programs where they are required to not return to campus next year (e.g.—Student Teaching at a distant location), are the only students eligible to receive a refund in lieu of credits. Information on how to apply for a refund will be sent to you sometime in April.
- Residence hall and meal plan credits can be combined for academic year 2020-21. This means the combined value of room and board credits can be used:
- exclusively for meal plans—students living off-campus next year can request a special “commuter” points meal plan equal to the total value of their room and board credits. Points for this plan can be used anytime during academic year 2020-21 at Cranston Marche, Willy C, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Convenience Store, and all cafes.
- exclusively for residence hall expenses—students moving into the campus townhouses may prefer to apply their room and board credits exclusively toward their residence hall bill.
- or, for any combination of residence hall and meal plans.
- Credits are not transferable, and must be redeemed during academic year 2020-21, unless the student files for a one-year formal “Academic Leave,” which will move the credits forward to the 2021-22 academic year.
Rockefeller Arts Center. All remaining ticketed (and
non-ticketed) performances for the balance of the semester at
Rockefeller Arts Center have been cancelled, including Sweet Charity,
The Fredonia Dance Ensemble, the Commencement-Eve Concert, the
Masterworks Chorus, and the Spectrum-sponsored appearance of David
Dobrik. Patrons holding tickets will be contacted soon and will be
given options for receiving a refund, a house credit, or making a
donation to the sponsoring department.
Return Trip Charter Buses. These buses originally
scheduled for March 22 have been cancelled, and students will be offered
a refund. The Ticket Office will provide assistance for students who
wish to return to campus by alternate means.
I hope this additional information is helpful in making decisions about your plans during this evolving situation.
Sincerely,
Dennis L. Hefner, Ph.D.
Interim President