01/05/2022
Dear students,
I want to provide you with some additional details on the pre-arrival COVID-19 testing process before the start of the Spring 2022 semester.
Requiring proof of a negative test is an important step in making our campus and our community safe as you return from break.
Please note:
- You may submit a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of your arrival in Cortland. For example, if you plan to arrive on Jan. 23, you should test at a site near your home on Jan. 20, 21 or 22. You may upload the result through the through the test results upload portal on the COVID tab in myRedDragon.
- You may instead choose to submit a negative result from a rapid at-home kit. This test should be done at home on the morning you plan to leave for Cortland. A photograph of your student ID next to the negative result, like the sample image attached, may be uploaded through the test results upload portal on the COVID tab in myRedDragon.
- New York state provides an online test site finder. Consider scheduling a test now as demand for testing remains high. I understand these tests may be hard to find, but please continue to search for a PCR appointment or at-home rapid test kit.
Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of their arrival date will be exempt from pre-arrival testing. You must submit proof of a positive test through test results upload portal on the COVID tab myRedDragon to receive this exemption. This can include the original test result and/or isolation documentation from appropriate health officials.
If you do test positive, it is important that you stay home, contact your doctor or local health department, and follow their guidance. I understand that no one wants to miss the start of the semester, but please know that your faculty will accommodate your absence.
Please remember SUNY also has mandated vaccine boosters for all students. Details on that policy are available online and on SUNY Cortland’s COVID-19 safety information page.
SUNY Cortland will start classes in-person as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 24.
I thank you for taking this step to make the start of this upcoming semester as safe as possible. Please enjoy the rest of winter break.
All the best,
Erik J. Bitterbaum
President
