Formal Notice from the Office of the President
What is SUNY Korea doing?
Since the first confirmed case of infection was reported in the Republic of Korea by the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on January 20, 2020, SUNY Korea has been monitoring the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) situation carefully, and it is taking proactive and organized measures to ensure the health and safety of the SUNY Korea community in accordance with the guideline provided by the KCDC and the Ministry of Education.
SUNY Korea is using a number of communication channels to keep the campus community informed, including posting information on SUNY Korea home page (http://www.sunykorea.ac.kr), direct correspondence/email from the Office of the President and the University Administration, contacting individuals who may have recently traveled in areas affected by the Coronavirus, posting on bulletin boards on campus, and contacting campus leaders to disseminate this information.
Here are some major actions taken by SUNY Korea Administration;
January 25, 2020
- The first formal announcement sent out to the SUNY Korea community by the Office of the President to raise the awareness of the situation and request effective preventive measures.
January 28, 2020
- SUNY Korea Academic and Student Affairs conducted an online survey to collect information about the recent travel history of SUNY Korea students, faculty, and staff.
January 29, 2020
- SUNY Korea had the first meeting with the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and the other IGC Universities for collective management of the situation.
- SUNY Korea formed a Task Force Team which is delegated to effectively manage and control the situation at the institutional level.
- SUNY Korea posted promotional materials for disease prevention on campus bulletin boards and placed hand sanitizers on campus.
February 4, 2020
- The Dean of Academic and Student Affairs sent a notice about schedule changes for 2020 Spring, such as the New Student Welcome Week, Faculty Orientation, and Convocation.
- SUNY Korea had the second meeting with the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and the other IGC Universities for information exchanges and coordinated responses to the situation.
February 6, 2020
- SUNY Korea decided to postpone the Convocation 2020 Spring and Parent/Guardian Information Session, and significantly downsize the programs scheduled for new incoming students and faculty.
- Guidelines, important notices (changes in dormitory check-in process), and others recommendations were posted on the SUNY Korea webpage and emailed to the SUNY Korea community.
February 10, 2020
- SUNY Korea decided to postpone the start date of the 2020 Spring semester by one (1) week (from February 24 to March 2), and re-arrange the semester academic calendar accordingly.
- SUNY Korea had a third meeting with the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and the other IGC Universities for updates and further necessary arrangements.
Who are we working with?
Ministry of Education
- SUNY Korea is aligning its set of responses with the Government Authority’s guidelines and advisories that are recommended, or required, for the foreign universities in the Republic of Korea. As the Ministry of Education has the legal right to supervise SUNY Korea, we are making all possible efforts to comply with its policies. The entry records of SUNY Korea students, faculty, and staff who need institutional supervision, if any, are shared with SUNY Korea Administration by the Korean Immigration (Ministry of Justice) via the Ministry of Education on a regular basis for constant monitoring.
Incheon Global Campus Foundation and IGC Universities
- SUNY Korea is currently in active communication with the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and IGC Universities to exchange real-time updates about the IGC community members, including students, faculty, and staff, who should be subject to close institutional supervision due to their nationality, travel log, or the people they previously had contact with. As all resident halls on campus are managed by the IGC Foundation, SUNY Korea is closely collaborating with the IGC Housing to prevent the chance of on-campus infection or communication; the rooms and facilities of IGC Housing are being disinfected.
Local Community
- SUNY Korea is communicating with the local community, including the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, Incheon Metropolitan City Government, and some domestic universities to keep track of how locals react to the epidemic. SUNY Korea maintains the highest level of vigilance for the updates that Korean Universities provide via direct correspondences and media outlets, as it is critical to reflect how educational sectors in Korea generally view this matter on SUNY Korea’s assessment of the situation, and decision-making process.
Home Campuses
- As an academic platform that offers two prestigious SUNY institutions’ programs in the Republic of Korea, SUNY Korea is attentive to the home campus of Stony Brook University and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s manners of handling the circumstance that Coronavirus has caused worldwide. The following webpages may be referred to for more useful resources that our home campuses release to their respective communities.
SBU: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/coronavirus
FIT: https://www.fitnyc.edu/health-services/coronavirus/
What are the major measures that SUNY Korea has taken so far?
Headed by the Vice President for Administration, the SUNY Korea NCV Response Task Force Team of experienced professionals representing all major administrative areas of the university is working together to monitor and respond to this evolving situation. SUNY Korea officials are also working with the local institutions, Incheon Global Campus Foundation, and health agencies, as well as the latest guidelines and information regarding Coronavirus provided by the KCDC and the Ministry of Education.
As of February 11, 2020, SUNY Korea has decided to;
- Cancel the Admitted Student Day 2020 Spring scheduled on February 1.
- Postpone the Convocation 2020 Spring scheduled on February 21.
- Postpone the Semester Start of 2020 Spring scheduled on February 24 by 1 week.
- Downsize the faculty and student orientation to the minimalistic extent.
- Discourage on-campus events/programs with more than 20 attendees (except for lectures/classes).
- Make hand sanitizers and useful/informative materials available across the campus.
- Isolate the students/faculty who declared the record of recent visit/stay in China.
- Contact student/faculty/staff who did not respond to the survey for complete data.
- Work with the IGC Foundation for coordinated responses and measures.
- Liaise with the major stakeholders for effective and transparent communication.
What is SUNY Korea’s protocol if a student or employee reports symptoms?
To ensure the health and safety of the campus community, SUNY Korea is coordinating with local and national health authorities as well as the on-campus health center to implement multiple preventive measures — including screening SUNY Korea students/employees who report possible symptoms or recent travel to areas impacted by the Novel Coronavirus. In the event where a SUNY Korea community member(s) meets the criteria for possible infection, SUNY Korea and the Incheon Global Campus Foundation will take necessary actions to isolate them, monitor their symptoms and coordinate with local and state health authorities to ensure they receive proper care.
What has been found so far on the survey?
Almost 100% of students, faculty, and staff have responded to the survey conducted by the Academic and Student Affairs so far; no one has visited or stayed in Wuhan, China but 2 faculty members and 5 students declared that they visited, or stayed, in the Mainland China recently.
For the faculty members, it has been more than two weeks since they both returned to the Republic of Korea, and no symptoms were declared or found. They declared that they returned to the Republic of Korea not from Hubei Province but from other parts of Mainland China.
For students, all 5 of the students who would enroll in 2020 Spring declared that they visited/stayed in China for some period recently. At this point, no one shows symptoms of infection, and SUNY Korea has enforced self-isolation measures on them until they are found unaffected.
What should I do to prevent the spread of 2019-nCov?
While there is currently no vaccine for Novel Coronavirus, everyday preventive actions can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses. It is recommended that everyone:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Stay home while sick and avoid close contact with others.
- Clean doorknobs, light switches, and commonly touched areas frequently.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
At the time of the release of this notice, there are no confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus at SUNY Korea or anywhere on the IGC campus. We will continue to monitor and update the community as this situation evolves.
How should we behave properly?
Please avoid making assumptions about individuals who you believe may or may not have come into contact with someone who is carrying the virus. In some cases, the general public’s reactions to the infectious disease are sensationalized, and as an institution of higher education that offers American programs, and values, in the Republic of Korea, SUNY Korea must take proper measures to prevent any cases of discrimination and harassment due to biased assumptions and overreactions.
We treasure our international community members, students/employees of color, students/employees from a particular region of the globe, and everyone who may be affected by this situation. We want to remind all members of our community to pay attention to SUNY Korea’s core values of diversity and civility by providing understanding and support during this evolving situation.
We also understand that students and staff may be worried about friends and family members in China, and our thoughts go to all those affected by this outbreak. However, harassment and discrimination or offense of any kind are UNACCEPTABLE at SUNY Korea as it violates the Codes of the University. Any instances of harassment or discrimination should be reported immediately to SUNY Korea Administration.
Please consult with KCDC at 1339 or Yeonsu-Gu Public Health Center at 032-749-8000. If you need any further assistance, you may contact NCR TFT (planning@sunykorea.ac.kr / 032-626-1101).
Wonki Min
President of SUNY Korea