Editorial Board: Lack of protocols show SU was unprepared to deal with COVID-19 spread this fall

Syracuse University’s administration began the fall semester unprepared to handle the spread of COVID-19 on campus. The lack of appropriate COVID-19 protocols became evident through SU’s attempts to control an outbreak on campus that was far from unpredictable.

With SU fixated on bringing back the in-person experience, it has put the health and safety of students, employees and the greater community at risk. The university must improve its shortcomings regarding COVID-19 protocols.

SU’s 2020-21 academic year proved the university’s ability to employ appropriate measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Weekly tests, a strict mask mandate and a limit on large gatherings protected our campus against the virus. SU’s diligence for health and safety protocols was admirable.

This semester, however, feels different. Although the university showed that it can employ these containment protocols, it decided not to do so this semester — and the difference shows.

SU’s lackluster preparation was illuminated when the university relocated 53 Skyhall II residents from their building on Sept. 9 to house students in isolation. The university used Skyhall as isolation housing last year, yet this year, the dorms weren’t even an option for isolation housing until the university ran out of options.

Additionally, SU relocated 16 students as of Sept. 21 four miles off campus to Onondaga Community College to isolate. SU only told the 16 students that it is using OCC for isolation housing; it failed to communicate this important information to the rest of campus, leaving students uninformed.

The administration’s failure to recognize the heights at which cases would rise once students returned to campus has resulted in last-minute attempts to control the spread. SU has not communicated these last-minute efforts to the wider student body — possibly as a way of saving face, because if SU was clear about its lack of preparation and subsequent scrambling, students may doubt the university’s ability to control the virus.

Although SU has not been transparent about some of its policies such as where students will be placed for isolation, it has been sure to clearly emphasize that no exposures have been linked to the classroom.

Still, SU should require professors to have a Zoom alternative for students who are sick, as both students and faculty have expressed a desire for online classroom options. Although hybrid classrooms have both negative and positive aspects, during a public health crisis, it is better to err on the side of safety.

Students who are quarantined can miss up to four days of a given class for a 10-day quarantine order, with no access to class materials other than the information their professors provide on Blackboard. Consequently, some students who think isolation or quarantine could jeopardize their grades may decide to go to class, even if they are feeling ill.

Many faculty members, too, say that the ability to hold class over Zoom would give them the freedom to choose the platform for their class based on ever-changing variables such as number of students in class and their own health risk.

The university had the ability to take what it learned from last year, when it demonstrated that it is possible to successfully teach and learn in a hybrid manner, and implement it this semester. But the university failed to do so, and instead disregarded many of the benefits of the Zoom classroom.

Over the summer, SU came up with a tiered, color-coded COVID-19 alert system, which identifies campus mask mandates based on new rates of infection, testing data and contact tracing information in the campus and local community. Although this provides an obtainable goal — to attain the “GREEN” alert level — the university has barely promoted this goal.

Despite being on the “RED” alert level, there are still community members who don’t wear their masks in the presence of others, which is problematic. If students don’t adhere to the changing mask guidelines and SU does not enforce the rules, the tiered system won’t be effective, and it may be better to return back to a general mask mandate.

Additionally, the university has continued with large in-person events despite the rise of cases. The Class of 2020’s commencement took place on campus last week, bringing thousands of people outside of the campus community to campus. Juice Jam, football games at the Dome and other events — many of which have mask mandates that go unenforced by the university — have the potential to contribute to the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the community.

Although SU missed its opportunity during the summer to recognize that the community might not remain out of the woods with COVID-19 and to take proper precautions to better limit the spread as it did last year, there are certain steps that SU can still take to improve safety on campus.

SU should reinstate weekly testing for all students, vaccinated or not. Vaccinated people can still get and transmit COVID-19, so vaccinated students who have not been randomly selected may still be asymptomatic carriers with the ability to transmit the virus to others. 

The university also needs to be more transparent. We have seen SU’s attempts to downplay or obscure its decisions regarding the pandemic. Being transparent would have given students, faculty and other campus community members more clarity on the semester at hand.

SU needs to prioritize the health of the community. It has a responsibility to its students, faculty and employees, as well as the greater Syracuse community, to keep everyone safe.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here. Are you interested in pitching a topic for the editorial board to discuss? Email opinion@dailyorange.com.