Bulletins

UB’s plans for the spring were announced on Dec. 17 in a university-wide email from President Satish K. Tripathi and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber.

UB Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Graham Hammill and Interim Vice President for Student Life Christina Hernandez provided an update to students as the university gets ready to move to a fully remote schedule following Thanksgiving.

UB has reached 100 on-campus positive COVID-19 cases. However, the university will continue with in-person instruction until the Thanksgiving break, which begins Nov. 25.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday, Nov. 18, announced that Erie County is shifting to an ’orange’ zone cluster from yellow.

On November 17th, UB President Satish K. Tripathi provided an end-of-semester update to the university community.

The University at Buffalo is closely monitoring an increase in COVID-19 cases among the UB community, which mirrors the uptick seen across Erie County, where UB’s three campuses are located.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent an email to all UB employees November 10 regarding the testing of in-person faculty and staff:

The University at Buffalo is aware that the Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has designated parts of Western New York as a precautionary “yellow zone” area, and we are monitoring the situation very closely.

The University at Buffalo has been planning for the spring 2021 semester for several weeks and will be prepared to implement all aspects of SUNY’s reopening guidance for the spring semester, including:

UB will begin pre-Thanksgiving break surveillance testing on Monday, Nov. 9.

This morning, a new SUNY policy was announced that requires testing of students across SUNY’s campuses, including UB, before the university concludes in-person instruction prior to the Thanksgiving break.  Per the SUNY policy, the following groups of undergraduate, graduate and professional students will be required to be tested by UB or other means during a 10-day period before November 25:

Barbara J. Ricotta, UB's Dean of Students, sent a message to all students regarding Halloween 2020.

UB has seen a significant decline in the number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the fall semester. Officials attribute it to the university community’s cooperation with UB’s health and safety guidelines, and a surveillance testing program to detect asymptomatic cases before they spread on campus.

On October 12th, UB President Satish K. Tripathi provided a financial update to the university community.

UB faculty, staff and students can get their seasonal flu shot — a vaccination that public health officials say is more important than ever this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic — at influenza vaccination clinics being held now through mid-November on all three UB campuses.

As UB conducts surveillance testing for COVID-19, members of the campus community may be wondering what they can expect if they’re selected to take part.

The Division of Athletics has taken immediate steps in response to test results indicating that some student-athletes have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

On September 29th, Interim VP for Student Life Christina Hernandez sent an email to students on the uniform SUNY-wide sanctions for COVID-19 health and safety violations and non-compliance.

Dean of Students Barbara Ricotta provided Important information for off-campus students.

As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to monitor and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the university has established a phone line for students who have tested positive for the virus. With this phone line, students can report their positive test and receive assistance as needed.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi informed the campus community via email Tuesday night that 22 students living off-campus are in isolation after having tested positive for COVID-19.

As part of the next step in the university’s Health and Safety Guidelines, UB will soon begin random COVID-19 surveillance testing of students, faculty and staff using their saliva.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent an email to all UB employees August 19 regarding the daily health screening tool:

UB has launched an important new tool as part of its comprehensive Health and Safety Guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus. The Daily Health Check is a virtual screener based on the latest scientific research that uses advanced chatbot technology to detect potential cases of COVID-19 infection early and provide users with need-to-know information tailored to their situation.

Every year, in the late weeks of summer, our university eagerly anticipates the start of a new academic year. As we prepare for this most unusual semester, we’re especially excited to welcome our students this fall. Our students have shown incredible resilience and grit, and this year, “UB pride” takes on a new meaning.

As we prepare for the upcoming academic year, we are mindful of the many sacrifices our students and their families make for a successful higher education experience. We realize that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our students and their families financially. UB’s leadership is focused on keeping the cost of a UB education as affordable as possible.

Some clinical programs and programs that require practical in-person experiences are unable to fully comply with health and safety requirements related to COVID-19 because of the nature of the training or the experience, for example, in-person clinical experiences or community placements. These programs must develop plans to minimize potential exposure. For more information, including how to submit your plan for review, see Health and Safety Guidelines for Clinical and Practical Experiences

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests, as well as MAC championships, due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

UB’s plans for the fall have been amended based on final guidance from the Governor and SUNY Chancellor. The UB plan was created with the health and well-being of all members of the campus community as the foremost priority. “Through our comprehensive planning process, we are planning for every eventuality—from a distance education model to a residential, campus-based experience in a less dense and safe environment, to a potential full return to conventional campus operations.”

J. Brice Bible, UB's vice president and chief information officer, sent a message to all faculty, staff and TAs and GAs on August 4th regarding teaching resources available to support course planning and delivery.

Student Life provided important updates on campus housing in a message to students.  

UB’s health guidelines and procedures for the fall were announced today in a university-wide email from UB Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber and Vice President for Health Sciences Michael E. Cain.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent an email to all UB employees July 15 regarding the Daily Health Verification Form.

UB Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber provided academic and calendar updates in an email to the campus community.

Provost A. Scott Weber provided an update on the Screening, Testing and Contact Tracing Protocol Committee’s work to implement customized technology that will allow faculty, staff and students to engage in daily screening protocols.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent an email to all UB employees June 16 regarding planning employees' safe return to campus.

UB’s plans for the fall were announced today in a university-wide email from UB President Satish K. Tripathi and UB Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber.

Interim Vice President for Student Life Christina R. Hernandez provided information on fall semester preparations in a memo to students and parents.

Now that Western New York has entered Phase 2 of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s reopening process amid the COVID-19 pandemic, UB is actively planning and preparing for a phased return of employees to campus. The emphasis will be on ensuring the health and well-being of everyone on campus.

The university anticipates that decisions related to the fall 2020 semester will be made and communicated to the campus community in mid- to late June, UB President Satish K. Tripathi said this morning in a memo to faculty, staff and students.

In light of the ongoing threat of the global pandemic of COVID-19, the university is cancelling UB-administered study abroad programs for Fall 2020.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent an email to all UB employees May 15 regarding the extension of New York State on Pause to May 28.

In a memo to all employees on May 7, Mark Coldren, associate vice president for human resources provided a reminder on the Governor’s extension of NYS on Pause.

Student Accounts has worked with fee stewards across the university to determine credits due to students for the spring 2020 semester as a result of COVID-19. 

In order to advance UB's academic and research mission during COVID-19, the university will create a framework of university-wide committees that will develop plans for a variety of short- and long-term scenarios, UB Provost A. Scott Weber wrote in an email to the campus community.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi provided an update to the campus commuminty today on planning efforts for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year.

At this time, there are two UB students and five staff and faculty members known to have tested positive for COVID-19 since the virus was first detected in Western New York in mid-March.

Mark Coldren, UB's associate vice president for human resources, sent a memo to UB employees on April 23 regarding Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's "NYS on Pause" extension to May 15.

A staff member from the School of Dental Medicine has tested positive for COVID-19, Joseph J. Zambon, DDS, PhD, the school’s dean and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Periodontics and Endodontics, said in an email to members of the School of Dental Medicine community.

In a memo to all employees on April 13, Mark Coldren, associate vice president for human resources, provided an update to the recommended safety measures for essential personnel who are still working on UB’s campuses.

In a memo to all employees on April 13, Mark Coldren, associate vice president for human resources provided an update on the Governor’s extension of NYS on Pause.

We understand our students’ disappointment regarding the decision to transition to a virtual commencement. We sincerely appreciate that commencement is a significant milestone for our UB students. Every year, we look forward to celebrating this milestone with our graduates, their families and their friends. However, at this moment, we find ourselves in an incredibly challenging situation.

In a letter to the campus community, UB Provost A. Scott Weber announced the formation of a Research and Graduate Education Task Force which will focus on the challenges that UB faculty, research staff, postdocs, and graduate students are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 disruption. 

On April 4 the CDC recommended that, in addition to maintaining 6-feet social distancing, the use of face coverings can help prevent spread of the coronavirus by people who have the virus but who have yet to show symptoms.  In a memo to all employees on April 6, Mark Coldren, associate vice president for human resources, updated the recommended safety measures for essential personnel who are still working on UB’s campuses.

Commencement ceremonies will be held in a virtual environment this May, UB President Satish K. Tripathi said today in an email update to the campus community.

The faculty, staff and students of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB continue to respond in various ways to the COVID-19 pandemic in Western New York.

A staff member from the Divison of Athletics and Recreation has tested positive for COVID-19, Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt said Saturday in a memo to staff.

A student from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at their off-campus residence, Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences at UB and dean of the Jacobs School, reported in a memo to students Wednesday night.

Due to the unprecedented circumstances faced as a result of COVID-19, UB’s May 2020 commencement ceremonies will not take place as scheduled, UB President Satish K. Tripathi said in a message to campus on Tuesday.

Over the past two weeks, UB has prepared for the return of a significantly smaller student population to campus housing.

Students will receive prorated credits for certain fees where services have been discontinued or curtailed due to the COVID-19 emergency, UB administrators Laura Hubbard and Christina Hernandez wrote in a letter to UB sutdents and parents.

In order to maintain UB’s research enterprise while protecting the health and safety of faculty and staff, UB’s research labs will focus only on essential research activities over the next six weeks.

In a message to the UB community, UB President Satish K. Tripathi addressed how the university is coming together as it transitions to distance learning due to COVID-19.

The following is republished from the New York State Department of Health’s publication “Guidance on the Contacts of a Close or Proximate Contact of a Confirmed or Suspected Case of COVID-19."

A member of the UB community has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, the university learned today from the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH).

UB's Office of Research Compliance has provided guidance in order to assist the UB research community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have adjusted their guidance to individuals who have recently traveled from China. For travelers who have arrived in the United States on and after February 2, 2020, the following guidelines apply:

Christina Hernandez, UB's interim vice president for student life, provided the following information in a memo to students. The full messagge is available on the Campus Living website:

Until further notice, UB Campus Dining and Shops eateries will offer take-out only. Seating will not be available.

University Human Resources has issued guidelines and information for UB employees who may wish to work remotely temporarily during the COVID-19 situation.

The first seven confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Erie County are not believed to be directly connected to UB as students, faculty, staff or visiting scholars.

International Student Services (ISS) at UB has received guidance from the U.S. government that they intend to be flexible with temporary adaptations to online classes as the university moves to a distance learning mode of instruction, John Wood, UB's interim vice provost for international education, wrote in a message to international students.

Interim Vice President for Student Life Christina R. Hernandez updated the campus community on Student support during distance learning.

In a letter to the campus community, UB Provost A. Scott Weber provided additional information on UB’s plans to maximize distance learning and reduce in-person instruction.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi updated the campus community on UB’s plans to maximize distance learning and reduce in-person instruction, effective March 23 and through the end of the spring 2020 semester.

For the past month, the UB has been preparing to move to a distance learning model for student instruction in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation.

In accordance with guidance provided by SUNY, UB announced today that all remaining campus-administered study abroad programs in progress are suspended, and planned programs for the remainder of the 2020 spring semester are canceled or will be postponed.

The university is taking added precaution as it relates to student health and safety when planning international or domestic travel due to COVID-19, Christina Hernandez, UB's interim vice president for student life, said in a letter posted on the Student Life website.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to countries with Level 3 Health Notices, and cautions against high-risk travelers from traveling to countries with Level 2 Health Notices. 
 
In accordance with this recommendation from the CDC, the State of New York has prohibited all New York State work-related employee travel to these countries until further notice:

Following the guidance of New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and SUNY, UB has directed its students who are studying abroad in countries impacted by the COVID-19 to return to the U.S.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi updated the campus community on UB’s COVID-19 response, and announced the creation of several committees and working groups.

In a letter to the campus community, UB Provost A. Scott Weber provided updates on how university leadership has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation. In addition, Weber provided updates on study abroad and faculty and staff travel abroad.

The university has updated its policy on English language proficiency requirements for prospective students who have been affected by the closure of testing sites for TOEFL, IELTS and PTE.

Students who returned from China at the beginning of the spring semester (Jan. 27) are now past the 14-day self-isolation period recommended for individuals who may feel sick with fever, cough or have trouble breathing.