SUNY Orange students,

I hope this note finds you safe and healthy.

I remind you that SUNY Orange has extended its Spring Break one additional week for students in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In-person and online classes will not be held this week (March 23-27), which will give us additional time to transition to alternative distance education formats for classes and applied/laboratory components. Classes, in their revised format, will resume on Monday, March 30.

Our academic affairs leadership, along with department chairs and faculty members, are planning that transition. Moving classes online is one component, but many of you are likely worried about how you will complete labs and other necessary applied learning activities from a distance, when they are usually done in-person. Transitioning those alternative/distance formats is more challenging and our faculty are working on innovative and creative ways to do so.

Much work has already been done, and much more is on the table this week as we honor our commitment to you of resuming academic instruction next Monday (March 30).

My first order of business is to share with you the revised academic schedule for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. In order to make up for the instruction you are missing this week (March 23-27), we have deleted two planned reading days at the end of the semester and have shifted the schedule for final exams. Final exams will now be held Tuesday through Friday, May 12-15.

As information is finalized this week, we will let you know. Please regularly monitor your SUNY Orange email account, the COVID-19 Resources portlet on your home tab in MySUNYOrange, our COVID-19 webpage, the Student Grapevine and social media.

We are hopeful of sharing additional information this week, such as:

• An application process for students who may need to borrow Chromebooks (we have a limited supply)
• A list of Student Services and Center for Student Success email addresses so you may stay connected with our support services while employees work remotely and you resume academics from a distance
• How to access Help Desk and other technology supports
• FAQ’s to help you during this transition
• Providing an email “hotline” where you can ask questions related to your academics

This is a difficult and tricky transition for all of us, but one I believe we can accomplish if we work together. If you have not already done so, I urge you to begin planning for the remainder of your coursework for the Spring 2020 semester to be completed from a distance. Consider what you may need to be successful (for example, if you do not have readily available internet access at home, several local providers are offering free connections for students). Communicate with your instructors about any concerns you have regarding access to technology or College resources; we’re working to do our best to make sure you have the tools and support you need to complete your coursework this semester.

My pledge to you is that, moving forward, we will be focusing on two tasks: protecting the health and safety of our entire College community and completing the academic programs of the Spring 2020 semester with academic integrity. This was not the situation we envisioned when this semester began in January, however, I’ve seen our College community pull together in the past and I have the utmost confidence we will persevere. As Governor Andrew Cuomo said earlier today, we will come out of this situation stronger than we were before.

Be well,

Dr. Kristine Young
SUNY Orange President