Provost Michael Kotlikoff, Vice Provost for International Affairs Wendy Wolford, and Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi sent the following message to the Cornell Community March 5th:
University leaders have met regularly to coordinate our response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) as state and local health officials continue to stress that the risk to the Cornell community – in both New York City and Ithaca – remains low. We continue to focus on the health and wellbeing of our campus communities. With that in mind, today we announce improved international travel and events guidelines endorsed by President Pollack, including guidelines for the upcoming spring break.
Please read this notice carefully as the new policies and guidelines will affect all students, faculties, and staff. All of this information, plus additional guides and resources, can be found at Cornell’s coronavirus website.
Travel restrictions and mandatory international travel registration
As previously announced, all Cornell-related students will travel to CDC Level 3 areas (mainland China, South Korea, Italy and Iran) in response to instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health . as well as Japan is banned. Faculty and staff planning to travel to these areas for a Cornell fellowship or business must Authorization received by Cornell’s International Travel Advisory and Response Team (ITART) prior to departure. ITART members include the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the University Council, the Dean of Students, and other leaders.
In addition to the above restrictions and out of concern for the health and safety of all members of the Cornell Community, the following applies immediately:
- Students are prohibited from traveling to any international destination for research or fellowship related to Cornell until further notice. Please speak to your program director or academic advisor if you have any questions.
- Faculty and staff wishing to travel to an international destination for research, fellowship, or business related to Cornell must register their travel prior to departure. Failure to register your trip in advance of travel will not be considered a Cornell-related business and may affect your ability to reimburse related travel expenses.
We also encourage any member of the campus community currently working overseas to be eligible for a Cornell business or scholarship Check in at the university immediately So that we know you are safe and that we have your latest information and travel plans.
While we have not asked a member of our community to register personal travel in the past, we strongly encourage all students, faculties, and staff to do so Register your personal trip to international locations. Local, state, and federal travel regulations and health policies change quickly, and we want to be as responsive and supportive as possible should further changes occur. Those who register their personal travel will receive updates when the country they are visiting switches to a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Advisor.
14-day quarantine off campus
As announced earlier this week, any student, faculty, or employee returning to the U.S. from a CDC Level 3 country or Japan must be quarantined in their permanent residence for at least 14 days before returning to campus . If exceptional circumstances prevent quarantine at your permanent place of residence, Cornell or the Tompkins County Health Department will provide temporary accommodation in Ithaca that can be used during the mandatory quarantine period. These individuals should contact Student and Campus Life at vpscl@cornell.edu to help.
Option for students to exit study programs abroad
While we are pleased that our students who are currently abroad are staying where they are, we understand that with the rapidly changing travel landscape, this may create an increased level of concern. Therefore, we offer most students the option to exit their international programs and take semester credits online in their permanent residence. Distance learning options are offered by Cornell, although we will not be able to provide a perfect match for classes that would have been completed abroad. Further information will be sent directly to the students who are currently abroad.
Spring break and non-essential international travel
Out of concern for the health and safety of our faculties, staff and students, we urge anyone planning to travel internationally for personal reasons not to do so. The U.S. Department of State, New York State, and public health guides are constantly changing, and there is no way of telling if or when additional travel restrictions will be put in place that could affect your ability to return to campus.
Many units across campus are working diligently to support students who wish to stay on campus during the upcoming spring break. Any student with on-campus accommodation or meal plans who intend to stay at their on-campus residence during recess should do so Fill out this short survey so that we can be sure that we have sufficient resources.
Visitors to the campus
The spring semester has historically been a busy time with visitors participating in campus tours, conferences, and other special events on and off campus. Visitors who have been in an affected area (currently mainland China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan) in the past 14 days are not allowed to visit the campus. This extends from Ithaca to the Cornell Tech locations as well as to other Cornell locations like Cornell AgriTech in Geneva and all Cornell facilities in New York City (Weill Cornell Medicine has separate guidelines available through their web portal). It is the responsibility of colleges, schools, units or departments to organize events or other activities to ensure that visitors have not been to any of these affected areas in the past 14 days.
Large events on and off campus
Effective Monday March 9th, we will postpone or cancel large (more than 100 people), non-essential events, or work-related gatherings scheduled by April 15th. This includes events sponsored by the university, college, school, department, or entity, as well as student sponsored events where significant numbers of attendees are expected to travel to or from the region for the event. This policy does not apply to on-campus events that are primarily attended by the Cornell audience.
Regularly scheduled academic courses are exempt from this policy. Faculty and staff may also want to reconsider traveling to non-Cornell trade meetings and / or conferences. In all cases, individuals should consider using technology like Zoom video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings. While we understand that such cancellations are disruptive and disappointing, it is important that we prioritize the health and safety of our campus community as well as our alumni, friends, and visitors.
Academic and workplace planning
While we do not currently expect the virus to affect the day-to-day running of the university, the Provost’s office and the university’s academic and administrative management plan to prepare contingency plans that may be required for research, teaching activities, as well as overall operations the University.
In conclusion, please know that university management and health and emergency workers across the university have worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to support the health and safety of our community in response to this growing public health issue. We appreciate your continued efforts and encourage all managers to take a moment to discuss contingency and continuity planning with their teams, including essential staffing and resource requirements. If you need help, you can use the Staff leads for every college and unit are here to help.
As the university continues to monitor the national and global impact of the coronavirus, please know that the situation is fluid and we anticipate that future policy changes or guidelines may be required in the coming weeks. visit Cornell’s coronavirus website for ongoing updates.
Thank you for your commitment to the health and safety of our community, and please continue to take care of yourself and each other.
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