Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

March 13, 2020

Message to Faculty

As a preventative measure, SUNY has directed all campuses to develop a plan for distance learning and other instructional modalities in response to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

SUNY Niagara is taking this direction seriously.  A contingency plan was created by Academic Affairs and the Executive Council and was previously relayed to you by email, your division leaders and a System Message.

Virtually or otherwise, faculty are expected to fulfill their professional duties of teaching, advising, and holding office hours. To be clear, it is not necessary for faculty to be on campus to fulfill their duties, especially when large gathering of individuals may place themselves, students, and others at risk.

To repeat, faculty will use the week of March 23 to prepare to move from traditional face-to-face course instruction to online or other alternative teaching methods. No instruction will occur this week.  Please know that we are doing everything we can under these unusual circumstances to help faculty fulfill their professional duties and serve our students.  OIT, the Office of Online Learning, and FRCAE will help faculty migrate coursework from f2f to online and other modalities.

Nursing and Allied Health clinicals, labs, science labs, unique software-enhanced courses such as CADD, and other unique courses such as studio art will be held on campus as long as they are held in smaller groups.

As I mentioned before, exceptions to the general rule of holding lecture courses on campus rather than teaching online or other modalities MUST be discussed with division chairs then vetted through the Office of Academic Affairs.  Again, we must mitigate the risk of the spread of coronavirus.

Class will resume in alternative teaching methods on March 30.  The campus will be open; however, individuals must distance themselves from others.

Students are able to use the library, computers, and tutoring services in ACE.

Faculty need to keep in touch with students via Starfish or other appropriate methods and encourage visiting the College website for updates.

Lydia Ulatowski

Vice President of Academic Affairs