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Many of you might be out purchasing last-minute items in preparation for your new student’s move to campus, and at the same time watching time slip away as your student engages in goodbyes with their high school or lifelong friends that are starting their own adventures. We know this time can be an emotional rollercoaster.

You are proud of your student. You are excited for them. You may also be wary about how they will make this big transition to college. You may wonder how often you will hear from them or if they will reach out when they are homesick. Please remember that it is entirely normal for new students to take some time to get adjusted.

As you get ready to bring your student to campus this week, we have some lessons learned and advice we can share to help you prepare:

• Take some time this week (even on your way to Syracuse) to have a conversation about communication, your expectations and theirs, and a way that they can let you know if they are struggling.
• Encourage your student to participate in Syracuse Welcome events and programs. It is critical for them to learn more about the campus community and to meet other people. There are some mandatory components too, like residence hall meetings and academic meetings. Suggest that they set alarms or place those items on a personal calendar so that they don’t miss out on important information.
•  Much planning has gone into move-in, and there will be plenty of people around to help, but know that not everything has to be done today. Don’t plan to unpack your student’s entire room. Encourage them to turn on fans and make their bed (they will be tired later), but leave some of the set-up and unpacking for them to do when they are bonding with their roommate or when they don’t have plans and need something on which to focus.
•  Give them some time on their own (and for you, too!). Take a walk on the Quad, attend a Family Orientation session, or visit the Campus Store to find that Orange item of your dreams. You may need a moment to cry, too.

Never hesitate to call us at 315.443.1200 or e-mail us at parents@syr.edu. We know what the resources are and can provide you with information to share with your student.

You’ve got this, Orange Family!

New students are expected to receive their housing assignment, roommate information, and related details via their syr.edu email on or after July 15. Since many of them are eagerly anticipating this information, expectations can be extremely high.

This is an exciting time filled with changes not only for students but also for families. As you plan for your student to join the Syracuse University residential campus, we want to make sure you are well informed about how you can support your student in processing their housing assignment.

Although many students used My College Roomie to select a roommate ahead of time, some students opted for a random roommate. A great deal of time and coordination goes into making new student assignments, so the assignment made by the Housing Office will not change. We appreciate your cooperation in reinforcing this with your student and hope that they take the opportunity to learn more about their residence hall and the person or people they will be living with.

Living away from home for the first time can be a tough transition and sharing a room (possibly for the first time) can be even more challenging. We know that most incoming students are concerned about receiving the “perfect roommate match.” However, some of the best roommate matches are between people who are very different. Communication is the key. We suggest that your student connects with their roommate personally (on the phone or virtual call, if possible) before looking at social media. While it has many advantages, social media provides a limited—and sometimes inaccurate—glimpse into someone’s world.

The first conversation with a roommate can be about move-in logistics, what side of the room they might like to occupy, and their basic interests. Finding out whether their roommate is an early riser or a night owl can be helpful, as can how neat (or messy) they like to keep their space. This discussion will lay the groundwork for the Roommate Agreement they will complete with the guidance of their Resident Advisor (RA) when they settle into their residence hall room.

Adjusting to a residential community means establishing new ground rules, negotiating different standards of sharing and fairness, and learning to respect others’ privacy, priorities, and opinions. Adjusting to life at Syracuse University (including sharing a room) is a process that takes time. Once your student arrives on campus, encourage them to get to know those that live on their floor and in their building as well as their RA and Student Living staff.

Here are some links that you may find helpful as you and your student plan:

Please encourage your student to pack light! Space in their room will be limited.

Your student is headed to campus soon. There are many things on your mind, but a conversation about meeting people and getting involved should be high on your priority list this summer. This is particularly challenging for those of you with students who are introverts or, perhaps, are never more than two feet from their smartphone.

While it is terrific to bond with those who live on their residence hall floor, these are some of the best ways to connect with other people:

• Register for Syracuse Welcome by Thursday, July 15!
  This program has many built-in opportunities for new students to meet other people in a very low-key way. Students can also use the form at this link to reserve their class t-shirt and opt-in to small groups. 
• Sign-up for Pre-Welcome Programs by Monday, July 26
  Pre-Welcome programs provide an earlier opportunity to begin making connections to campus in a variety of ways.
• Review the Be Involved Checklist
• Make it a habit to look at the Syracuse University Community Calendar several times per week.

Important Reminder

The due date for multiple health and wellness requirements is Thursday, July 1. Be sure your incoming student is aware of their requirements and completes each one.

Welcome!  I know that some of you have been anticipating this moment for quite some time and others of you have more recently joined us as their student made their college decision. No matter who you are, we are proud to count you among our Orange family!

You will get an occasional e-mail reminder to refer to this blog, but most of our regular updates will happen right here.

Now onto the important stuff:

• Your student gets a regular e-newsletter called Becoming Orange. The Becoming Orange website has a checklist and information to help them prepare for the fall.
• Syracuse Welcome is the University’s required new student orientation program. The program connects students to their peers, faculty and staff through a variety of events and programs and supports their transition to campus life.

• Syracuse Welcome is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 26-29, 2021, with new student move-in beginning Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.

• Later this summer, we will share more details about parent and family orientation. We encourage you to participate–especially if you are a first-time college parent.

Please contact Parent and Family Services at 315.443.1200 or parents@syr.edu if you have any questions. We are here to help!

Missy Mathis-Hanlon, Director

We have come to that time of year when most students have at least an academic year of experience behind them and we say farewell to the senior class.  But it is only farewell—no goodbyes for the Orange. They will always be a part of our community and we wish them great success in their careers as alumni!

The other thing that we do at this time of year is begin to welcome students who will join us as first-year or transfer students this August.  As we do so, we hope that you will share some of your wisdom and experience with those students and their families.

Please share your tips, tricks, and advice with new students by completing this form by May 15. As the summer progresses, we plan to share your advice with the Class of 2025 (or 2026 for 5 year programs).

Congratulations to those families with a 2021 graduate!  All the best as your student moves on!

– Missy Mathis-Hanlon

With less than 40 days to go in the spring semester, we are delighted to share positive news regarding Syracuse University’s 2021 Commencement. Earlier this week, New York State published statewide guidelines for graduation events that permits each graduate to invite up to two guests to attend the event in person. We are thrilled for the opportunity to welcome family members and friends to campus to help us celebrate the achievements of our graduates as they conclude their academic journey at Syracuse University.

Student and Guest Participation

Students who plan to participate in their Commencement ceremony in person will be required to register in advance. Please visit the Commencement participation form to indicate your intent to participate on or before April 23. Students must be registered to receive a link to their free individual admission ticket and the option to select two guest tickets. Please note: all tickets will be digital and will require a mobile device for download and stadium admission. Following ticket selection, students will receive a confirmation email, as well as a ticket with their selected seating assignment and tickets and seating assignments for their guests.

Schedule of Ceremonies

Depending on how many of our students elect to participate in person, we are planning for up to three identical Commencement ceremonies to be held over two days—Saturday, May 22, and Sunday, May 23. Consistent with New York State guidelines, the University is permitted to have approximately 5,000 individuals in attendance at each ceremony. This includes 1,600 students and 3,200 guests, as well as faculty, staff and event personnel. All ceremonies will be held at the stadium with one occurring Saturday afternoon, one Sunday morning and the other Sunday afternoon.

On or before April 30, we will notify students about the date and time of the ceremony in which they will participate based on their school and college affiliation and level of degree conferred. We are working to ensure our students have the opportunity to celebrate their Commencement with their school and college classmates.

As a reminder, due to capacity restrictions, testing requirements and other New York State guidelines, all school and college convocations will be hosted virtually and livestreamed. We will share more on how our students and their loved ones can participate in the coming weeks.

Pre-Event Testing/Vaccination Compliance

New York State has mandated very specific guidelines related to stadium entry and participation in the Commencement exercise, for all graduates, guests and participants. The state requires that anyone accessing the stadium for Commencement must comply with one of the following options:

• Proof of completed vaccination; specifically, on the day of the event the individual must provide documentation indicating that at least 14 days have passed since the individual received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or at least 14 days have passed since the individual received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. We strongly encourage guests to seek out a vaccination as it is the most reliable pathway for entry into the stadium.
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR-type test, administered within 72 hours of the event.
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen-type test, administered within six hours of the event start time.

Please plan ahead to ensure your compliance with New York State’s venue entry requirements. There will be no on-site testing services available at the stadium during Commencement weekend. Anyone who plans to attend the ceremony and who cannot provide proof of COVID vaccination, should ensure that they have access to testing services capable of returning a test result within the window of time required by New York State (72 hours prior to the event for a PCR-type test; six hours prior to the event for an Antigen-type test).

Public Health Precautions and Requirements

Syracuse University has developed and will execute a comprehensive public health strategy to support our Commencement activities. Of course, all planning is contingent on pandemic conditions at the time and is subject to change. Among other public health precautions and requirements, all attendees should expect:

• Temperature Checks: Temperature checks will occur at entrance portals and all participants, along with all staff and platform party guests, will be included in this process.
• Mask Compliance: Syracuse University will require and enforce 100% compliance with mask usage throughout the event.
• Socially Distanced Seating: Students will be seated on the field level of the stadium in three-person “pods.” Guests will be seated in audience sections of the stadium in two-person “pods.” Seating pods will be arranged to maintain 6 feet of distance between groupings. Empty seat buffers will be created at aisles. Seating assignments will be issued prior to the ceremonies.
• Entry/Exit: All students and guests will be assigned a specific gate and time to arrive at and enter the stadium based on seat assignment and proximity. Students and guests will be instructed to exit via an assigned gate immediately following their ceremony.

You will continue to receive updates from me and the Office of Special Events in the coming weeks as we continue to finalize pertinent details. In the meantime, we wanted to share this important update as soon as we could in order to provide families, friends and loved ones with ample time to confirm their travel plans.

We appreciate your continued patience as we work to make decisions that allow us to safely celebrate our graduates in a manner that prioritizes the health and wellness of our campus and Syracuse communities.

 

Sincerely,

Steven Bennett
Senior Vice President for International Programs and Academic Operations and Chief of Staff, Academic Affairs

Since my last post, March has brought some glimmers of hope in this COVID winter. Syracuse even had its first taste of spring with a few days in the 60s and 70s last week!

Additionally, a limited number of student fans have been able to cheer on the well-ranked women’s and men’s lacrosse teams from inside the Stadium. We also saw the men’s and women’s basketball teams among those selected for their respective NCAA tournaments.

Please see below for some news from campus that may also be interesting for your student.

Passover and Easter

• Passover and Easter are around the corner, and there are numerous on-campus opportunities for worship and community being offered for your student! All opportunities with Hendricks Chapel groups are listed here.
• Chabad at SU is offering “Seder to Go” kits for students, with hand-made shmurah matzah, grape juice, and all the Seder ingredients. Families are welcome to order these kits for their students before March 23.

Highlighted Programs

• Has your student ever shared their aspiration of becoming Otto the Orange? If so, they have one more day to register for Mascot Team Recruitment!
• Is your student thinking of switching their major or transferring to another school/college at Syracuse University? To learn more, suggest they attend the Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Fair on March 16!
• Syracuse University Career Services is planning new ways to help students prepare for their job search and connect with employers virtually. On March 25, in partnership with Handshake, the annual Spring Career and Internship Fair will run in a virtual format. Encourage your student to register!

 

Go Orange!
– Missy