Fall 2022

Fall 2022 Updates

Check back here frequently for the latest updates about Fall 2022. Policies are subject to change based on New York State, SUNY, or St. Lawrence County Department of Health requirements.

Important Dates

  • New Student Orientation will be held on Tuesday, August 23 and Wednesday, August 24 for in-person students and is also available virtually for our online/remote students. Please check out the Orientation Webpage for more information.
  • Residential Move In Days: 
    • Monday, August 22 for NEW students who have not lived on campus before, beginning at 8 a.m.
    • Wednesday, August 24 for RETURNING students, beginning at 8 a.m.
    • For more information or questions, please contact Residence Life at reslife@canton.edu or (315) 386-7513.
  • First Day of Classes: Thursday, August 25
  • Academic Calendar: The academic calendar through 2025 can be seen HERE. This has all the dates for college breaks and more!

COVID-Related Information

  • For any COVID-related or medical concerns or questions, please reach out to the Davis Health Center at healthcenter@canton.edu or 315-386-7333 and they would be glad to assist you!
  • COVID Vaccine is REQUIRED for all students with an in-person presence (living on campus, taking in-person classes, using in-person services/support on campus) and the vaccine series must be complete at least two weeks before the start of the fall semester.
    • Please note if you are seeking a medical or religious exemption the forms may be accessed and submitted through the Student Patient Portal.
    • Online students: You are exempt from the vaccine requirement if you do not come to the campus for any reason, but must fill out the exemption form in the linked above Student Patient Portal.
    • The committee reviews the submitted exemptions periodically, so please be patient while awaiting a response or feel free to give the Health Center a call to check on the status of your submitted exemption.

COVID Booster Vaccine:

  • While booster vaccines are not required, we strongly encourage students to remain up-to-date on all COVID booster doses as they offer protection against severe COVID infection!
  • Please note that if you are not up-to-date with your booster shot and you are deemed a close contact of a positive case, you will need to quarantine per our local public health and CDC guidance.

COVID Testing:

  • Weekly COVID testing will be mandatory for any students with an approved medical or religious exemption with an on-campus presence.

Quarantine and Isolation Protocol:

St. Lawrence County Public Health is no longer requiring quarantine after exposure to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status. However, there are still protocols that everyone should follow if they are exposed:

  • Wear a mask around others as soon as you find out you were exposed, and continue to wear it for 10 days.
  • Take extra precautions if you will be around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.
  • Watch for symptoms for 10 days.
  • If you develop any symptoms (even minor symptoms): isolate immediately, get tested, and stay home until you know the results.
  • Get tested at least 5 full days after your last exposure, even if you don’t have symptoms.
  • If you test negative, continue taking the precautions above for 10 days.
  • If you test positive, isolate immediately. If you are a student, contact the Davis Health Center at healthcenter@canton.edu. If you are an employee, contact Lenore VanderZee for more information.

Masking:

  • At this time, masks are not required on campus; however, we appreciate your cooperation if any member of the campus asks you to wear a mask in their office, classroom, or dorm room. It’s always a good idea to have a mask with you, just in case!

Office Contacts

If you’re looking for any specific information, we have a great Campus Offices Directory to help you get to the right office!

Health-Related Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Do I need to wear a mask?

At this time, masks are optional across campus for faculty, staff, and students, regardless of vaccination status. If someone asks you to wear a mask in their office/classroom/personal space, please respond with kindness and do so. You should plan to carry a mask with you for this purpose, or disposable masks are available in dispensers near Roos Court in MacArthur Hall and outside the Davis Health Center in Miller Campus Center.

Do I need to get tested regularly?

With union agreements on COVID-19 testing expiring, the final employing testing on campus will take place on August 17 from 8:30 to 12:30 at the Davis Health Center.

After that date, testing will not be required, regardless of vaccination status, and will no longer be offered to employees on campus.

Unvaccinated students (those with approved medical or religious exemptions) will be tested regularly on campus.

What should I do if I feel sick?

f you feel sick – even with mild symptoms – please do not come to campus. You should get tested for COVID-19 using a home antigen test or get a lab test in the community. Even if you don’t have COVID, your colleagues and students don’t want to get sick!

What if I test positive for COVID?

If you test positive for COVID on a home test or a lab test, please stay home and contact Lenore VanderZee (x7109) for further information.

Do I need to quarantine if I am exposed to someone with COVID?

f you are a close contact of someone with COVID, New York State still requires that you quarantine if you are unvaccinated or not up to date with your boosters. Please contact Lenore VanderZee (x7109) for further information. We will continue to keep you updated as this guidance changes.

Should I get vaccinated/boosted?

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccinations are safe and effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalization. If you are not vaccinated, you are strongly encouraged to get your primary vaccine series. If you are vaccinated with the primary series (2 shots of Moderna/Pfizer or 1 shot of J&J), you are strongly encouraged to stay up to date with your boosters.

Monkeypox

What should I know about Monkeypox?

There is currently an outbreak of Monkeypox in the U.S. Monkeypox is a rare, viral infection that typically does not cause serious illness. To date, only one case of Monkeypox has been confirmed in St. Lawrence County so the risk to the general public in our area remains very low. However, we should all remain vigilant. New York State has information on symptoms of Monkeypox and how to prevent infection, including information about availability of and eligibility for the Monkeypox vaccine.

We all know that circumstances surrounding these infections can change. We continue to closely monitor the situation and are in regular contact with the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department and always review SUNY, New York State, and CDC guidance to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep our campus safe and healthy. If and when guidelines, etc. change, we will continue to keep you updated.