SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum (Photo Source: SUNY Cortland).
SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum sent the following message explaining the college's revised COVID-19 guidelines for employees.
Dear faculty and staff,
Recently, we received guidance from the state allowing us to lift many COVID-19 restrictions for employees who have been fully vaccinated. Employees who have not provided proof of vaccination will need to continue following many of the safety guidelines in place during the 2020-21 academic year.
This approach is designed to protect the health of all people on campus. Earlier today, all employees received an email message from Human Resources asking them to review and affirm the new protocols by July 9.
All employees who do not submit proof of vaccination are pledging that they will continue to:
- Wear face coverings
- Stay six feet away from other people
- Complete a daily online health screening
- Participate in weekly pool testing
Employees who submit the required vaccination documentation, however, may choose not to wear masks or stay socially distant. They will not be required to participate in regular screening or pool testing. They may, of course, continue to follow face covering and distancing protocols if they wish.
Please read the message from Human Resources carefully. It provides a lot of information you need to know.
I applaud those employees who have helped the battle against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. And I urge those who are able to receive a vaccination but have not yet done so to take that important step. The more of us who are vaccinated, the sooner we can move beyond the pandemic.
All the best,
Erik J. Bitterbaum
President
