News and views for the UB community
Published June 3, 2021
UB is updating its COVID-19 protocols in preparation for more employees returning to campus over the summer.
The rules for summer reflect revised guidance recently issued by SUNY, as the pandemic continues to evolve and colleges and universities across the state prepare for a more normal return to campus come fall.
Effective immediately, summer protocols at UB will include:
Exemption from COVID-19 testing. Students and employees who are regularly on campus will no longer need to participate in mandatory weekly testing upon verifying that they have been fully vaccinated.
However, required weekly testing will continue for those who are on campus and have not been fully vaccinated or fail to verify that they have completed their vaccination series.
Human Resources has provided guidance to employees on how to submit proof of vaccination. Students can submit documentation to Health Services.
Indoor masking and physical distancing. Students and employees on campus during the summer must continue to wear masks and stay physically distanced while indoors, unless they are alone in an enclosed office space or in their residence hall room.
Continuity of daily health screening. All employees and students regularly on campus must continue to submit a daily health screening. That can be found here.
Following state guidelines for special events. For performances or special events on campus, UB will adhere to current guidelines outlined by the New York State Department of Health. Depending on the event, this may include capacity limits, mask-wearing, physical distancing and/or proof of testing or vaccination.
No distancing in health science settings. Campus health science and clinical teaching laboratories may continue to operate without the six-foot distancing normally required in a classroom. Masks, however, must be worn, regardless of whether individuals have been vaccinated or not.
Rules for visitors. Visitors to UB will be required to abide by its health guidelines, which include wearing a mask and filling out the Daily Health Check when coming to campus.
UB will be resuming in-person, campus-based instruction for the fall 2021 semester. In preparation for the fall semester, employees will be returning to campus throughout the summer months. Additional SUNY and UB fall guidance and updates are forthcoming.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo already has announced that students across all 64 SUNY campuses will be required to get vaccinated for the fall semester. That’s contingent on the Food and Drug Administration approving a vaccine formally, not just for emergency use, which is the case now. The SUNY Board of Trustees would need to sign off on the mandate as well.
The university also is planning for higher occupancy in its residence halls during the fall, with the understanding that the virus may force UB to reduce capacity, as well as set aside space for quarantine and isolation.
Why did you print, "Gov. Andrew Cuomo already has announced that students across all 64 SUNY campuses will be required to get vaccinated for the fall semester," when he cannot do so unless the FDA formally approves the vaccine? That is deceptive writing. You should have stated, "Gov. Cuomo will require all …. if the FDA…."
This is yet another example of the one-sided narrative being pushed by mass media to persuade people to get an experimental vaccine. I expect more from UB. There are many reasons why students, staff, U.S. citizens would not or do not want to get the COVID vaccine. Many, like myself, have already had COVID and have natural immunity. Donating blood at the Red Cross confirmed I have COVID antibodies. UB's Dr. Russo still pushes in the media for naturally infected individuals to get vaccinated while using words like, "perhaps, could, might, likely, should...". Dr. Russo has said naturally infected people SHOULD be even better protected after being vaccinated, they'll LIKELY not need a booster, natural immunity MIGHT not protect against other COVID strains/mutations, etc." The medical community can't know the results at this early stage. The research is not available, yet they push the "get jabbed or else" fear-based narrative. WAKE UP. Vaccinated people can still get COVID (any variant) and spread it. My friend contracted COVID after being vaccinated. What is the difference?
Where is UB's coverage of the segregation of vaccinated vs unvaccinated people across our campus, state and country? Will UB bring back separate water fountains like our history shows was done for Black and white Americans? TERRIBLE!!!! UBNow should take a stand and show more than the one-sided, government-controlled narrative.
Ann Metzler
There seems to be a contradiction here. CDC guidelines say that vaccinated people don't need masks indoors, yet this is supposedly following CDC guidelines?
That's a blatant contradiction if I've ever seen one.
Xavier Stanton
The language in headlines and articles has been deceptive, and in my conversations with students, many do not read the entire article to learn that this vaccine/gene therapy is not yet FDA-approved; typically FDA approval takes two years to see long-term studies on efficacy and safety. And many do not know that college students can use medical or religious exemptions for vaccines.
Of course, problems could arise after two years of a "long-term" study, but they don't look that far out before approval, and previous pharmaceuticals, such as Vioxx, show us that problems may arise and be recognized years later. There are multiple recalls of medications and medical devices each month. No one should be coerced into taking any experimental medication, vaccine or gene therapy, and being honest upfront is a great first step to ethical discussion of this topic and a path forward.
Furthermore, now that Dr. Fauci's emails have been released through a FOIA request, and his real views on masking of asymptomatic individuals are known, the CDC and SUNY should seriously reconsider their masking policies.
Dalene Aylward