Dear ESF Returning Undergraduate Students,
We are excited to begin the Spring 2021 semester classes on February 8. The health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the community are of utmost concern to us. As such, we are pleased to share that students on the ESF Syracuse campus who would like to study completely online – and can build a schedule with courses that are offered online for the Spring 2021 semester – are welcome to do so. Please make your final decision by February 15, 2021.
Returning first-year students who choose to – and can – study online may waive the requirement to live in Centennial Hall for the Spring 2021 semester only. To take advantage of this opportunity, please review the message sent in December and posted here. (Please note, action is required by January 18, 2021.)
Upperclass students who have a signed contract with Centennial Hall and opt to study completely online may also opt out of their Centennial Hall contract following the same process as noted in the message.
Process to Choose Online Only for Spring 2021 Semester
1) View Your Current Schedule
- Returning students can view and change schedules in MySlice. After reviewing your current schedule in MySlice, if you would like to adjust your schedule, we strongly urge you to discuss this decision with your advisor, curriculum coordinator, or department chair first.
2) Communicate Your Decision
- To officially declare a change to your status for the Spring 2021 term from a residential student to an online-only student you must respond to an Action Item on the new ESF Student Portal. You can access that portal at https://banner.esf.edu/StudentSelfService. The Action Item will be called “Spring 2021 COVID Student Status.” The Action Item will be available by January 21, 2021, with a deadline for responding by February 15, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.
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Students who are selecting a Spring 2021 semester online instruction option who wish to opt out of an existing housing contract with Centennial Hall should refer to this message (action is required by January 18, 2021). A confirmation email will be returned for your records.
Points to Consider
Before making the decision to study completely online for the Spring 2021 semester, please consider the following points:
- Not all academic programs at ESF can be completed online. Experiential learning is a hallmark of the ESF academic experience, and many courses require face-to-face instruction for full understanding.
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Not all courses offered during the Spring 2021 semester will be offered online. Faculty have determined the best approach to deliver their courses, choosing from a variety of modalities, including completely online, completely onsite, or flex (a combination of online and onsite). To identify the modality for Spring 2021 semester courses, visit MySlice or the ESF website.
- Changing your Spring 2021 course semester may impact your financial aid awards. Financial aid recipients who choose to take only online classes for Spring 2021 will be notified as costs of attendance and aid award types/amounts are modified. Staff in the Office of Financial Aid may be reached at finaid@esf.edu or 315-470-6706.
- Changing your Spring 2021 course schedule may impact your ability to graduate on time. Not all courses at ESF are offered every semester or even every year. If you choose not to take a required course this semester, because it is not offered online, it might not be offered in the fall. Your schedule may be further complicated if the course you opt out of this semester is a pre-requisite for another required course.
ESF will adjust the cost of attendance for students who choose to study completely online for the Spring 2021 semester as follows:
- Per State law and SUNY policy, tuition charges still depend on your permanent residency status.
- Bills will be released on January 15 and reflect your current status.
- Fees will be adjusted for students who choose to – and can – study completely online for the Spring 2021 semester. Although exact amounts will be communicated shortly, we anticipate that adjustments will be similar to those from the fall 2020 semester (approximately $240).
In Summary
Choosing to be an online student is a big decision. Residential students have greater access to the full suite of campus resources, can better take advantage of ESF’s relationship with Syracuse University, and will be better positioned to enroll in the courses in the appropriate sequence to graduate on time (saving time and money).
As pleased as we are that we can offer you this option, we know that it is a pivotal decision. If you have questions, please contact your advisor or department chair. We are eager to help you make the best decision for your academic career.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Newman
Interim Provost
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Department Chairs
- Chemical Engineering: Dr. Bandaru V. Ramarao <bvramara@esf.edu>
- Chemistry: Dr. Avik P. Chatterjee <achatter@esf.edu>
- Environmental and Forest Biology: Dr. Melissa K. Fierke <mkfierke@esf.edu>
- Environmental Resources Engineering: Dr. Lindi J. Quackenbush <ljquack@esf.edu>
- Environmental Science: Dr. Russell D. Briggs <rdbriggs@esf.edu>
- Environmental Studies: Dr. Benette A. Whitmore <bwhitmor@esf.edu>
- Landscape Architecture: Dr. Douglas M. Johnston <dmjohnst@esf.edu>
- Ranger School: Dr. Mariann Johnston <mjohnston@esf.edu>
- Sustainable Resources Management: Dr. Christopher A. Nowak <canowak@esf.edu>
