College Community Responds to COVID-19 Pandemic

Editor’s Note: The production of this issue of OSWEGO Alumni Magazine was paused in mid-March, days away from its expected publication and distribution to the college community, due to COVID-19. We have kept the magazine content as close to its original version as possible. We hope these stories provide you a brief respite from your day-to-day worries and transform any negative feelings that might be overshadowing your life into positivity and optimism about your SUNY Oswego community.

For the most up-to-date information regarding the campus response to COVID-19 or plans for the fall, please visit oswego.edu/covid19 or read your monthly Lake E-ffect newsletter. We expect to have comprehensive coverage of the spring semester and activities from throughout summer and fall in our Fall 2020 issue.

 

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College Community Responds to COVID-19 Pandemic

Just as students were preparing to leave for Spring Break, SUNY Oswego—following the guidance of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, SUNY administration and public health officials—announced that classes would be suspending all in-person classes and moving into a distance learning format.

As the number of cases and deaths rose sharply in New York, it became clear that classes would not be resuming in person for the remainder of the semester. Lakers’ athletics seasons came to a halt. Alumni-In-Residence visits, guest lectures and important annual events such as Quest, Torchlight, Commencement and Reunion were postponed, canceled or held virtually.

The Alumni and Development Office adapted its programs to continue to support networking and relationship-building (such as connecting students with alumni virtually). Online presentations by alumni such as PwC Global Chairman Bob Moritz ’85 and President of Corporate Coaching International Dr. Lois Frankel ’73 drew hundreds of alumni, students and college employees. Other alumni also connected with smaller groups of students in classes and in one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Please email alumni@oswego.edu if you are interested in making virtual connections with Oswego students this summer or fall.

 

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As the health pandemic caused an unprecedented financial fallout—with millions of Americans filing for unemployment and many businesses forced to shutter or slow down—SUNY Oswego reminded alumni and students of its outstanding suite of online resources and tools that are available to all of our alumni and students at no cost at oswego.edu/career-services.

Many students lost campus jobs, summer internships and employment opportunities, or experienced unanticipated financial expenses such as travel, food, housing, computers, internet access and telecommunications service. The college community responded by donating to the Student Emergency Fund to provide immediate support to students in need. Gifts can be made online at alumni.oswego.edu/emergencyfund.

 

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Serving the Greater Good

Do you have a story that highlights a positive during this unsettling time? Are you a first responder or health care worker who has stepped up to help society? Do you know of SUNY Oswego alumni who have used their expertise to help others—maybe providing tips on how to teach effectively online, sharing ways to ease stress, making masks or protective gear or offering financial advice during stock market turmoil? Or maybe you helped deliver groceries or medicine to the most vulnerable populations, organized weekly virtual social hours with your Laker pals or hosted free online yoga sessions.

We want to hear how Lakers have found ways to give back amid the coronavirus pandemic. Send your stories to alumni@oswego.edu or share them on our Facebook page (facebook.com/oswegoalumni), using #TogetherOz. Read more about alumni contributions.

 

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Oswego Forward

With safety as the top priority, planning is underway for fall. College leadership has been planning for a few different scenarios, focusing on every detail to drastically reduce the health risks of being together for all of our students, faculty, staff and visitors. Embedded in the college plans will also be the flexibility and adaptability to use several modalities of instruction (online and face-to-face instruction) should the college need to pivot at some point during the semester. For the latest information, visit the college website at oswego.edu/covid19.

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