Cazenovia College delays start of spring semester amid continuing pandemic

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — Cazenovia College announced it will push back the start of its spring semester by nearly two weeks and begin classes on Feb. 1 as a precaution amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The school had previously considered a Jan. 19 date for the start of classes.

The decision applies to all undergraduate students studying at the Cazenovia College campus and extended sites, including in-person and online courses, the school said in a Tuesday news release.

Cazenovia College President Ron Chesbrough said the decision to postpone opening for two additional weeks is a “precautionary action” to avoid the spread of COVID-19 from the holidays and a step to help advance in-person, on-campus instruction.

Students, faculty, and staff will be required to test negative for COVID-19 before they return to campus. Students returning to campus from outside New York will also have additional quarantine and testing requirements to fulfill.

In addition, students and staff are also required to have flu vaccinations.

Besides the delayed start, Cazenovia College has also made additional changes to its spring-semester academic calendar. They include moving commencement weekend to May 22-23, an event that is “subject to health and safety guidance at the time.”  

And in lieu of spring break, the school will have three “wellness days” with no classes scheduled to “provide students and staff with some downtime for study, rest, and relaxation.”

Cazenovia College says it will continue using the “stringent” protocols that it put in place at the start of the fall semester. They include mask wearing at all times; physical distancing; limited social gatherings; bi-weekly testing and contact tracing; as well as other safety measures developed with guidance from Madison County, New York State, and Centers for Disease Control recommendations.