August 2020 COVID-19 Planning Hello newest Stumpies! I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. We are excited about the start of the fall semester 2020, and hope you are, too. But we recognize that it will be very different from what we are all used to. It is critically important that we all follow the safety guidelines that have been developed by the College for as long as the COVID-19 pandemic remains a threat to all of us. These have been established by considering all the guidance we receive from the State of New York, SUNY, and the Onondaga County Department of Health. The health and safety of the ESF community is of the utmost importance, and this is why the College Commitment has been developed. The Commitment outlines behavioral expectations for the entire ESF community – students, faculty, and staff – and focuses on ways to keep ourselves and each other safe. We are urging all members of our community to sign the College Commitment, and students will be held to the standards in it. Look for more information about the College Commitment coming soon in your email and via social media.  Dean Lombard  Anne E. Lombard, Ph.D. Vice Provost and Dean for Student Affairs

Orientation/Reminders The following components will be included in the Virtual Orientation with some content Asynchronous (Complete on Our Own) and other content Synchronous (Live in Real Time): Complete New Student To Do List found on the ESF Student Portal: http://banner.esf.edu/StudentSelfService Complete Online Orientation Modules via Blackboard: http://blackboard.syr.edu Attend Online Small Group Sessions with your assigned Orientation Leader on Blackboard Participate in Virtual Department Meetings and Course Registration to complete your Fall 2020 Schedule the week of August 17th Attend Virtual Welcome to ESF sessions on Friday, August 21. 1pm: New Student Convocation filmed on ESFTV: http://youtube.com/esftv Please join us for the annual and official kick off to your ESF College Career with your fellow new students - undergraduates, graduates on main campus and at our Ranger School campus. You will be welcomed by ESF Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. David Newman; Officer-in-Charge Joseph Rufo; Dean of Instruction and Graduate Studies Scott Shannon; Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Anne Lombard; Undergraduate Student Association President Lexi Chipules; and Graduate Student Association President Chris Thomas, as well as a few other key faculty, staff, and students of ESF. 2 pm: There's More to My Story via Zoom Link: "There’s More to My Story" is an Orientation program consisting of a diverse group of current students offering first-person accounts of their initial experiences and feelings in the diverse community at ESF. Student speakers will present for 5-7 minutes. Using reflective, informative, personal narrative, speakers will focus upon some of their challenges and the resources or methods they utilized to overcome them. Stories and experiences can focus on topics such as gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, military status, economic status, or whatever topic students would like to share their experiences about. 4pm: Inclusive Excellence Welcome Reception via Zoom Link: Please join us for the annual Inclusive Excellence Welcome Reception! This reception is held every semester to welcome to ESF new students and employees who self-identify as being underrepresented at ESF or in STEM fields. This includes international community members, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, people of various faith traditions, and more! This reception is open, and aims to celebrate those who are not always celebrated by dominant culture in the US.

Online Study Resources As an incoming student to ESF, you will also be enrolled in ESF 100 –a non-credit Blackboard course created by faculty and staff in the Open Academy. ESF 100 is intended to supplement your Orientation, specifically in regards to navigating online courses. It will be available to you throughout your career as a student. Find it under the ‘Courses’ tab in Blackboard.

Office of International Education Welcome! Welcome from the Office of International Education (OIE)! Our office works to promote intercultural and international engagement within the ESF community. We do this by supporting our international students who come from all over the world to study and work here; connecting students with opportunities to study, research, intern, or volunteer abroad; and by collaborating with faculty and other partners to promote virtual global engagement opportunities.   Students from any major can engage in international education! There is a lot of choice in terms of type of experience, location, length of time, and cost, so there is something for everyone. If you are interested in learning more about education abroad or other opportunities, reach out to oie@esf.edu and we will be happy to talk about your goals and find the experience that is best for you!

10 Tips for Thriving Academically at ESF By Amelia Hoffman, Coordinator of Academic Success, ESF Academic Success Center Welcome to ESF! College is a clean academic slate, and comes with a lot of independence and requires critical decision-making skills as you begin the transition into your new academic life. The decisions that you make, and the actions you take during this first year of college, can help set yourself up for a successful ESF experience. Watch this short video to see our Top 10 Tips for Thriving Academically at ESF.

Sustainability Initiatives at ESF At ESF, we try to minimize the material that we throw in the trash as much as possible. So bring a reusable water bottle, grab some real utensils, and carry your reusable to-go container with you! You can order food to eat in at Trailhead and then pack your reusable container for a zero waste to-go option. There is usually free food on campus too, so you never want to be caught without a zero-waste way to take advantage! For more tips like this, be sure to check out the Sustainability Orientation module on Blackboard! These videos and resources provide info about sustainability programs on campus and how you can be involved. The module also provides many resources to help you get to know the Syracuse area in general and offers suggestions for how to live a more sustainable life off campus. It also connects you to student sustainability leaders, such as Sachi Segan (Green Campus Initiative President, ssegan@syr.edu) and Shenequa Perry (Undergraduate Student Association’s SustainabiliTEAM Director, sperry01@syr.edu).

ESF/SU Meal Plans Overview Your meal plan assignments depend upon your status (i.e. first-year vs. transfer student) and room assignment. If you are a first-year student living in Centennial Hall, you are required to have at least a 7 meals a week plan through SU plus a $415 ESF Trailhead plan. However, you can go as high as a 21 meals a week plan through SU. You can select your meal plan for Syracuse University on the SU student portal called MySlice.syr.edu . If you would also like to add a Trailhead account to use at the Trailhead Cafe in the Gateway Center, you will be able to do that in the ESF Student Portal soon. For any student living off campus, there is also the option to select any meal plan they'd like. For further information, please visit the ESF Meal Plan site .

Academic Accommodations New students seeking academic adjustments or accommodations for Fall semester are strongly encouraged to register for these services prior to the start of Fall semester. This process can take time which is why we stress the importance of beginning the registration process as early as possible and prior to classes beginning. The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) at Syracuse University provides and coordinates disability and educational support services for students with disabilities at both Syracuse University and ESF. This includes facilitating access to programs and activities, coordinating auxiliary aids and services, offering general academic support, as well as access to, and training on, assistive technologies. To register, visit the CDR website . Once registered, students will be assigned a counselor to work with throughout the educational experience to discuss academic adjustments needed for each semester. Accommodations are considered fluid and students can meet with their counselor to reevaluate their needs, and seek advice/advocacy as needed.

Academic Intro: Textbook Information The ESF College Bookstore works in conjunction with the SU Bookstore to ensure that information regarding your required and recommended textbooks is available to you. Course information is available online along with instructions on how to look up your courses and order your textbooks at https://www.esf.edu/students/books.htm. As course registration for the fall semester will be completed during Orientation, please wait to order your textbooks until you finalize your course schedule during the week of August 17th. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us at 315-470-6559 or email bookstore@esf.edu Please note that while gift cards from the ESF Bookstore cannot be used to purchase textbooks, we do stock a variety of school supplies along with ESF memorabilia. We look forward to welcoming you to campus and to the ESF family!

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) Division of Student Affairs 14 and 110 Bray Hall 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse, New York 13210