BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — All SUNY colleges will shift to remote learning after the Thanksgiving break, Governor Cuomo announced on Friday.
The move to remote learning will be in effect for the rest of the current semester. Cuomo says a decision on the next semester will be made in February.
This move comes as New York State continues to have concerns about how college campuses can spread COVID-19. SUNY had already announced that all students are required to pass a COVID-19 test before heading home for the Thanksgiving holiday break.
According to a release, campuses must develop schedules that conduct the test as close to a student’s departure date as possible.
All 64 colleges and universities will test roughly 140,000 students over a 10-day period preceding Thanksgiving break.
“As in-person classes and instruction come to a close next month, tens of thousands of students will travel across the state and country to be with their families and complete their fall courses remotely,” said SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras. “By requiring all students to test negative before leaving, we are implementing a smart, sensible policy that protects students’ families and hometown communities and drastically reduces the chances of COVID-19 community spread. While we understand there is a lot of focus on plans for the spring semester, we must first finish this semester safely. I want to thank our students for the phenomenal effort during these difficult times as well as SUNY health policy experts for helping us create this guidance that ensures a safe wind down of the fall semester.”
