If you go to a party, you will no longer go to SUNY Morrisville.
This is as direct as I can be.
I am aware of some parties, including one as recently as this past weekend, that were incredibly reckless and dangerous in a number of ways. We are identifying those who hosted and attended and taking sanctions against them. We will continue to do so until they stop or everyone is sent home.
Our Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities is working closely with University Police, all overseen by our interim Vice President for Student Affairs, Mary Bonderoff, Ed.D. Athletics is also involved for those students who are also student-athletes. We are all working together with local law enforcement and public health authorities. I encourage you to influence your friends to make good choices so they do not get caught up in bad situations or end up facing sanctions.
If you want to report suspected criminal activity, please consider using Silent Witness as an anonymous online form. You can also submit COVID-19-specific questions or information using our online COVID-19 form.
More than anything else right now, it is irresponsible socializing that is contributing to the increase in COVID-19 cases among college students. And it doesn’t stay with them, because they then expose older people in their families, at businesses and in the community. And we still don’t know the long-lasting effects of the virus on individuals who contract it.
We have taken so many steps to create safe learning conditions and provide proper testing. We have provided masks and cleaning supplies and flexibility with learning. You have to make the right choice to wear your mask and not gather with large groups of people, or you undermine all of that.
And, pandemic or not, it is unacceptable to be bad neighbors and citizens in the communities surrounding the college. Destroying property, speeding through the streets, playing loud music – especially late at night – is not who we are. We speak respectfully to the people living around us. We shop at their businesses and show gratitude for their services. We are proud of being hard-working, helpful Mustangs, and our words and behavior – even when letting off steam – should reflect that. There is no respect, honor or praise earned by people who mistreat other people.
Our SUNY system has developed new sanctions that took effect Oct. 1 designed to hold individuals more accountable for behavior that creates a greater risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. Please revisit the reminder I shared on Sept. 30 for details.
We do not want to send you home. We do not want to move into a period of remote learning. We want to continue safe in-person activities and learning as much as we can, for as long as we can. Misbehavior is a danger to you and your education, as well as the health and safety of other students, faculty, staff and our neighbors.