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Syracuse University will lock students who don’t comply with mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing during the spring semester out of the university’s digital resources, university officials announced Thursday.

In the event a student misses a single round of testing, the university will block the student from accessing several university systems, including campus Wi-Fi, Blackboard and MySlice — resources that allow students to access classwork and manage their financial aid, among other things. The block will remain in place up to thirty minutes after students comply with the testing requirement, officials said in a news release.  

Students will receive another block for a second violation. After failing to receive testing a third time, they will be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which may hand down penalties up to and including suspension. 

SU’s aggressive spring testing strategy — which requires the entire student body to receive a COVID-19 test every week — comes after student cases at SU spiked at the end of the fall semester, resulting in in-person classes ending ahead of schedule. The university at the time employed a surveillance testing method that tested portions of the student body at one time. 

“Last semester, too many students disregarded repeated requests to participate in surveillance testing,” the officials said. “That indifference undermined the actions of the majority of our students, who routinely demonstrated their commitment to health and safety by being tested on a regular basis.”

Per the news release, students will receive repeated reminders to receive a test via email and text. 

Some faculty will also be required to receive regular COVID-19 testing, thought at less frequent intervals. 

The university has divided all students and faculty into six testing categories, the officials said. The first, second and third categories — which encompass on-campus students, off-campus students and students residing in Greek houses, respectively — will all mandate weekly testing, though each category may receive special directions throughout the semester.

SU employees in the fourth category — which includes all faculty teaching in-person classes, residence hall staff, food services and Department of Public of Safety officers — will be the next-most frequently tested group, with tests mandated every two weeks. Category 5, which spans all other faculty and staff who access the SU campus but don’t have student-facing roles, will receive testing at least once a month.

The sixth and final category, which includes faculty and staff working remotely, has no minimum testing requirement. 

The university’s new testing strategy this semester will also include faster tests that will be screened in two new on-campus COVID-19 testing labs. Students will spit directly into a test tube, rather than swab the inside of their mouths, as they did during the fall semester. 

Officials hope the new method will cut down on the time it takes to get test results back to students.

“The major benefit of this method is speed, reducing the time from test to result,” officials said.  “Our objective is to return results to students and employees within 24 to 36 hours.”

Published on January 28, 2021 at 6:33 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu