Binghamton University welcomes new and returning students

Binghamton University welcomes new and returning students and their families on Aug. 21 and 22, respectively, with move-in days signifying the beginning of the fall semester and a new academic year.

Approximately 3,000 first-year students, 1,000 transfer students and 1,600 new graduate students are expected to join the Binghamton University community this year. Classes for all of Binghamton’s approximately 18,600 students begin Tuesday, Aug. 24.

Binghamton received over 47,870 applications this year, which includes 39,535 first-year, 3,887 transfer and over 4,450 graduate student applications for fall 2021 admission.

“We are excited to start the semester and thrilled that as of Aug. 16, close to 90% of currently enrolled students have either provided proof of vaccination or have been granted an exemption for medical or religious reasons,” said President Harvey Stenger. “We have been able to keep our COVID-19 cases low, with only one positive case all summer.”

Currently, given the rising concerns about the Delta variant, all persons on campus, regardless of their vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when indoors. This includes classrooms, hallways, libraries, common spaces and offices, as well as buses and shuttles. Masks will not be required inside personal residence hall rooms or personal office spaces, while eating in on-campus dining areas or in non-public-facing personal workstations. We will continue to monitor the data and revisit the mask requirement as appropriate.

“As the University finalizes preparations for the start of the fall semester, we will continue to follow guidance from New York state and public health officials,” said Stenger. “Ensuring the health and safety of our campus community is our highest priority, so our plans have been developed in collaboration with faculty, staff and healthcare experts, including county and state health officials.”

The University will continue to offer in-person classes, with no plans to revert to remote learning, and will also continue to strongly encourage vaccinations for all members of the campus community. Vaccinated students are required to upload their proof of vaccination to the student health portal. Vaccinated employees have also been asked to provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources.

In addition, this fall, the University is requiring:

• All students who live on campus and have not received a medical or religious exemption to be vaccinated.
• Off-campus students who are not vaccinated and employees who have not provided proof of vaccination to be tested weekly at the on-campus testing center.
• Tracking of those who test positive to ensure they properly isolate from others.

Upon Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, all students will be required to be vaccinated within a certain time frame.

“Vaccination is the best defense we have against the spread of COVID-19,” said Provost Donald Nieman. “The past year has been challenging for us all, and we are very excited for students to be able to experience what campus life was like before the pandemic. As a selective, residential university, we believe that students learn best through in-person interactions with faculty and peers in and outside the classroom.”

Binghamton continues to have a diverse class, with the geographic distribution reflecting New York state’s population. About 38% of new students are from Upstate New York; 5% are from Broome and Tioga counties; 23% are from Long Island; and 26% are from New York City.

Around 1,000 highly talented transfer students with a mean GPA of 3.4 will also join the Binghamton University community this fall, including about 275 SUNY Broome Community College students, by far the largest number from any single community college. Another 200 students have signed up for the Binghamton Advantage Program, a special, dual-admission program with SUNY Broome that allows students to become part of the Binghamton University community and live on the University’s campus while attending SUNY Broome.