Updates
Recent Messages
- Students: Senior Days, Housing Deadlines, Study Abroad (May 7)
- Commencement ceremonies, public health requirements (May 5)
- COVID-19 Update: Outdoor mask requirements, student activities (May 3)
- Sign up for on-campus COVID-19 vaccine clinic May 6 (May 1)
- Commencement update: Limited number of guests can attend (April 30)
- Appointments available for April 29 vaccine clinic (April 28)
- International travel changes, effective June 1 (April 27)
View all
May 2021
- Students: Senior Days, Housing Deadlines, Study Abroad (May 7)
- Commencement ceremonies, public health requirements (May 5)
- COVID-19 Update: Outdoor mask requirements, student activities (May 3)
- Sign up for on-campus COVID-19 vaccine clinic May 6 (May 1)
April 2021
- Commencement update: Limited number of guests can attend (April 30)
- Appointments available for April 29 vaccine clinic (April 28)
- International travel changes, effective June 1 (April 27)
- Students: Commencement Plans, Vaccine Clinic, Wellness Days (April 22)
- Wellness Days start tomorrow (April 22)
- Sign up today for April 23-24 Ithaca vaccine clinics (April 22)
- Register now! On-campus vaccination clinic, April 23 (April 21)
- Sign up now for on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinic on April 23 (April 19)
- Revised guidance for fully vaccinated faculty and staff (April 15)
- College vaccination day cancelled (April 13)
- [CANCELLED] Reminder: Sign up for college vaccination day by 6 p.m. (April 12)
- [CANCELLED] Sign up for college student vaccination day (April 10)
- Students: COVID-19 Vaccines, Big Red Pride Days, Sustainability Month Events (April 9)
- Commencement update (April 6)
- Option for approved employees to resume on-campus work (April 6)
- COVID-19 Vaccination and Fall Instruction (April 2)
March 2021
- Impact of students’ testing non-compliance and positive cases on your classes (March 31)
- March 30 Vaccination Update (March 30)
- Immediate restrictions for testing non-compliance (March 30)
- Students: Housing Waitlist, NCRE Names, Study Abroad (March 26)
- MBA program to go virtual after increase in COVID-19 cases (March 26)
- Update on May 2021 Commencement planning (March 25)
- COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Process now available (March 24)
- Increase in COVID-19 cases and the future of campus operations (March 19)
- CornellALERT: Ithaca campus moving to alert level yellow (March 19)
- COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Process (March 17)
- Update on campus activities and COVID-19 measures (March 16)
- Students: Vaccination Update, Spirituality Programs, Study Abroad (March 12)
- Vaccination Eligibility Update for Graduate and Professional Students (March 11)
- March 10 Vaccination Update (March 10)
- March 5 Vaccination Update (March 5)
- March Wellness Break (March 4)
February 2021
- Students: On-Campus Recruiting, MLK Lecture, Spring Arrival Deadline (February 26)
- February 25 Vaccination Update (February 25)
- Campus Alert Level Green: fitness and recreation updates (February 22)
- Students: Behavioral Compact, Roommate Selection, Public Safety Survey (February 12)
- Op-Ed: Three Things to Keep in Mind As COVID-19 Cases Surge (February 9)
- Announcements and reminders about the spring semester (February 7)
- COVID-19 cluster identified on Ithaca campus (February 5)
- CornellALERT: Increase in COVID-19 cases, Ithaca campus moving to alert level yellow (February 5)
- February 4 Vaccination Update (February 4)
- Start of semester: Important updates for faculty (February 3)
- Optional consent for COVID-19 research activities (February 2)
January 2021
- Students: COVID-19 Updates, Soup & Hope, Spring Textbooks (January 29)
- January 28 Vaccination Update (January 28)
- COVID-19 variants (January 28)
- Planning Your Spring Semester on Campus (January 22)
- January 19 Vaccination Update (January 19)
- UK variant identified in Tompkins County (January 15)
- Update on Phase 1b COVID-19 vaccination eligibility (January 13)
- Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccination for in-person faculty and instructors (January 11)
- Faculty reminder: Arrival testing and quarantine requirements (January 11)
- Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination rollout (January 4)
December 2020
- Spring Checklist is live (December 18)
- COVID-19 safety and precautions (December 14)
- Preparing for the spring semester (December 10)
- Your Cornell: December Graduation, Spring Planning, Fall 2021 Housing (December 4)
- Faculty & Staff: Spring 2021 Class Roster and Pre-enrollment information (December 2)
- Students: Spring 2021 Class Roster and Pre-enrollment information (December 1)
- Inclement weather: Online instruction would continue as planned (December 1)
November 2020
- Your Cornell: Student Travel, Winter Orientation Leaders, Spring 2021 (November 20)
- Planning for the spring semester (November 19)
- Updates to Cornell’s travel and visitor policy and procedures (November 18)
- Revised student travel policy (November 18)
- Managing the financial impacts of COVID-19 (November 17)
- In-person semifinals to continue as planned (November 16)
- Ithaca campus moving to COVID Alert Level Yellow (November 13)
- CornellALERT: Ithaca campus moving to alert level yellow (November 13)
- Increase in positive COVID-19 cases on the Ithaca campus (November 12)
- Graduate and Professional Students: End-of semester checklist, supplemental testing, travel plans (November 10)
- Undergraduate Students: Semester-end checklist, semifinals and travel updates (November 10)
- Ithaca campus moving to COVID Alert Level Yellow (November 13)
- CornellALERT: Ithaca campus moving to alert level yellow (November 13)
- Increase in positive COVID-19 cases on the Ithaca campus (November 12)
- Graduate and Professional Students: End-of semester checklist, supplemental testing, travel plans (November 10)
- Undergraduate Students: Semester-end checklist, semifinals and travel updates (November 10)
- International travel guidance (November 9)
- Your Cornell: End-of-semester Checklist, Expanded Parking, Sustainability Conference (November 6)
- Discretionary spending, managing the financial impacts of COVID-19 (November 5)
- Supplemental testing updates, quarantine guidelines, and holiday gatherings (November 3)
October 2020
- New Requirement: Confirm post-Thanksgiving plans by Nov. 13 (October 30)
- Your Cornell: Health Services, Halloween Events, Get Ready to Vote (October 23)
- End of semester planning, visitor and travel reminders (October 21)
- Doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (October 16)
- Preparing for Thanksgiving break, travel and testing (October 14)
- Graduate Student Offices (October 13)
- Your Cornell: Spirit Week, Flu Vaccination, Study Support (October 9)
- In-person gatherings and activities (October 5)
September 2020
- Fitness centers & recreation, athletics, group gatherings (September 29)
- Your Cornell: Campus Activities, Virtual Forum, Voter Registration (September 25)
- Faculty: Fall semester updates and reminders (September 22)
- Faculty and Staff Town Hall: Fall Semester Update (September 21)
- Ithaca campus moving to COVID alert level green (September 16)
- Ithaca campus moving to COVID alert level yellow (September 3)
- CornellALERT: On campus COVID cluster identified; Ithaca campus moving to alert level yellow (September 3)
- Updates on study spaces, course shopping, and more (September 3)
- Important message regarding New York state guidelines (September 2)
- Surveillance testing set to begin Sept. 3 (September 1)
- Faculty: Important information for the fall semester (September 1)
August 2020
- Students: Important information for the fall semester (August 31)
- COVID-19 cluster identified on the Ithaca campus (August 29)
- We can do this! (August 28)
- Faculty and staff town hall: Beginning the semester (August 28)
- Supporting our Cornell colleagues (August 26)
- COVID-19 tracking dashboard and alert system (August 25)
- Re-entry checklist update and enrollment details (August 20)
- New and updated resources for fall 2020 instruction (August 20)
- Surveillance Testing Set to Begin September 2 (August 20)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (August 20)
- Life on campus this fall (August 18)
- Limiting on- and off-campus gatherings (August 17)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (August 13)
- Fall 2020 course list and enrollment guide (August 7)
- Support for caregivers (August 7)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (August 6)
- Fall billing delayed until Aug. 14 (August 6)
- Cornell Student Behavioral Compact now available in Re-entry Checklist (August 5)
- Fall 2020 course list and enrollment guide (August 7)
- Support for caregivers (August 7)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (August 6)
- Fall billing delayed until Aug. 14 (August 6)
- Cornell Student Behavioral Compact now available in Re-entry Checklist (August 5)
- President Pollack emphasizes science behind reactivation decision (August 5)
- Op-Ed: Shift in Quarantine Process Enhances Public Health (August 4)
- COVID testing program update (August 4)
July 2020
- Important updates regarding quarantine, move-in and enrollment (July 30)
- COVID-19 travel and visitor policy (July 23)
- Teaching resources for fall classes (July 17)
- The Re-entry Checklist is live (July 17)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (July 16)
- Cornell’s virus testing program for students in the Ithaca area (July 15)
- Safety requirements for on-campus activities (July 9)
- Undergrads: Preparing for the fall semester (July 8)
- Employee Retention Tax Credit: Supporting our financial recovery (July 6)
- Delayed billing of fall 2020 tuition and student fees (July 6)
- Message to Graduate Students: Plans to reactivate Ithaca campus for fall semester (July 2)
- Additional measures to address the FY21 budget deficit (July 2)
- Campus reactivation: Additional details for Ithaca students (July 2)
June 2020
- Plans to reactivate Ithaca campus for fall semester (June 30)
- NYS Phase 4 clearance for Southern Tier/Finger Lakes (June 26)
- Campus reactivation planning (June 22)
- NYS Phase 3 Clearance for Southern Tier/Finger Lakes (June 11)
May 2020
- Update on Phase 2 reopening of the Southern Tier (May 29)
- Opportunities for feedback on campus reactivation (May 28)
- Update on Phase 2 reopening of the Southern Tier (May 29)
- Opportunities for feedback on campus reactivation (May 28)
- Update on fall 2020 planning (May 28)
- Faculty feedback requested for fall instruction planning (May 27)
- Research reactivation planning (May 22)
- May 24 & 30: Critical Zoom security changes (May 15)
- Update on campus reactivation planning (May 11)
April 2020
- Planning efforts for fall 2020 semester (April 30)
- Tips to avoid Zoombombing and scams (April 24)
- Fall 2020 pre-enrollment process (April 20)
- Update on virtual resources (April 20)
- Update on COVID-19 planning and summer programs (April 22)
- Workplace guidance on face coverings (April 16)
- Guidance on the use of discretionary funds (April 15)
- Supporting international students in your classes this semester (April 8)
- Pollack outlines guiding principles for COVID-19 response (April 7)
- Undergraduate students: Spring 2020 grading policy (April 5)
- Spring 2020 grading policy (April 5)
March 2020
- Supporting all members of the Cornell community during COVID-19 (March 31)
- Adjustments to tenure process in light of pandemic (March 31)
- Managing the financial impact of COVID-19 (March 30)
- Graduate School COVID-19 update (March 30)
- Supporting your virtual student experience (March 30)
- Building community during times of struggle (March 26)
- Graduate School COVID-19 update: Academic calendar changes and more (March 23)
- COVID-19 update: Revised academic calendar and online instruction resources (March 22)
- COVID-19: Governor Cuomo’s order (March 21)
- COVID-19 update: Confirmed cases within Ithaca campus community (March 20)
- May 2020 commencement changes (March 20)
- Guidance on revised academic calendar and online instruction (March 19)
- Message to the Cornell community from President Pollack (March 17)
- Additional social distancing measures for Ithaca campus (March 16)
- Graduate School COVID-19 update: Expedited campus operations changes (March 16)
- Clarification in regard to access to campus facilities (March 16)
- A public health plea (March 15)
- COVID-19 update: Conduct of research (March 15)
- Additional guidance for faculty (March 13)
- Cornell suspends classes; virtual instruction begins April 6 (March 13)
- COVID-19 Graduate School updates (March 13)
- COVID-19 update for Cornell staff (March 13)
- COVID-19: Additional information for students (March 13)
- Message from President Pollack about the importance of social distancing (March 11)
- Human Resources offers guidance for employees (March 11)
- Student & Campus Life announces resources (March 11)
- Cornell announces proactive measures to prevent spread of coronavirus (March 10)
- Coronavirus update: Enhanced policies for international travel, campus events (March 5)
- Cornell expands travel protocols due to coronavirus (March 2)
February 2020
- Coronavirus update: Guidelines, travel restrictions and accommodations, summer programs (Feb. 27)
- Update on Novel Coronavirus (Feb. 7 & 9)
- Community building and support (Feb. 7)
- Public health update: Novel Coronavirus (Feb. 3)
January 2020
Recent Town Halls
- Town hall: Fall semester planning (April 8)
- Academics town hall: Coping with the pandemic (March 2)
- Student/parent forum: Spring semester updates, 2/23 (February 23)
- Faculty and staff town hall: Planning for vaccines and spring semester (January 22)
- Student/parent forum: Spring semester updates, 12/16 (December 16)
View all
April 2021
- Town hall: Fall semester planning (April 8)
March 2021
February 2021
- Student/parent forum: Spring semester updates, 2/23 (February 23)
January 2021
December 2020
- Student/parent forum: Spring semester updates, 12/16 (December 16)
November 2020
- Faculty and staff town hall: Operating budget update (November 17)
September 2020
- Student/parent forum: Fall semester update (September 30)
- Faculty and staff town hall: Fall semester updates (September 24)
- Faculty and staff town hall: Beginning the semester (September 3)
August 2020
- Student enrollment town hall (August 25)
- Faculty and staff town hall: Fall semester opening (August 20)
- Student forum: Student life on campus this fall (August 20)
- Town hall with Cornell, Ithaca College and TC3 leadership (August 18)
- Forum for new Cornell students and their families (August 14)
- Faculty town hall on Ithaca campus reactivation plans (August 6)
- Student forum on the Cornell Behavioral Compact (August 6)
July 2020
- Move-in and quarantine update for students and parents (July 31)
- Employee Assembly staff open forum (July 28)
- Town hall for graduate and professional students (July 22)
- Student forum on campus reactivation (July 22)
- International graduate and professional student town hall (July 17)
- Student forum on campus reactivation (July 15)
- Employee Assembly staff open forum (July 9)
- International town hall for students, parents, and alumni (July 9)
- Ithaca area community town hall on Cornell reactivation (July 8)
- Faculty town hall meeting on Ithaca campus reactivation plans (July 6)
June 2020
- Faculty town hall meeting on teaching reactivation options (June 25)
- Faculty town hall meeting on preparing for online and hybrid instruction (June 11)
- Faculty town hall meeting on fall semester planning (June 3)
May 2020
- How to do international research in the time of coronavirus (May 28)
- Town hall meeting on research reactivation planning (May 27)
- COVID-19 faculty town hall (May 4)
March 2020
- Opperman makes web address to staff (March 19)
Cornell responding to COVID-19
In keeping with the university's mission of advancing knowledge with a public purpose, Cornell faculty, students and staff are working to address the COVID-19 pandemic in myriad ways. Visit the Chronicle's Coronavirus page for the latest on Cornell research, community engagement, expert voices, event coverage and more.
Cases within the Ithaca Campus Community
Cornell is working with TCHD to support the health and safety of the individuals (who have been in isolation and receiving ongoing care) and of the broader community. TCHD, upon confirmation of the positive cases, conducts immediate contact tracing to identify and communicate with close contacts of any positive cases. Due to privacy laws, we cannot disclose the names of the individuals who tested positive. Please know that anyone who fits the CDC definition of a ‘close contact’ will be contacted by the health department to determine next steps, including testing, quarantine, or other medical support.
What You Can Do
Public health experts are clear that the best way that we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is through practicing good personal hygiene and strict adherence to social distancing – minimizing the number of interactions that provide the opportunity for the disease to spread. Adhere to the community mitigation measures that have been embraced by NY state and Tompkins County and which have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19.