ADVISORIES FROM STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY

The LIRR strike is proceeding, effective as of 12:01 AM this morning, Saturday, May 16, after the MTA and labor unions failed to reach an agreement last night (more info here).

We understand the stress this causes, especially during such a critical week. Stony Brook has officially activated the contingency plans outlined below and our priority is to reduce disruption and offer maximum flexibility for our students, faculty, and staff taking finals, moving off campus, and celebrating commencement.

Finals and Academic Continuity

• Instructors: Faculty and instructors are strongly urged to immediately adjust plans for final exams and presentations scheduled for early next week. Instructors should reach out to their students right away to assess who is impacted and share modified delivery plans (such as moving exams online or offering alternative formats).
• Students: If your commute or ability to take an exam is impacted by the strike, notify your instructors immediately. Do not wait.
• Support: If you need additional academic flexibility after contacting your instructor, you can request assistance via [this form]. However, please note that your instructor remains the best and most responsive person to handle specific exam accommodations.
• Please refer to the email sent from the Provost’s office yesterday morning for additional academic guidelines.

Commencement & Convocations

Commencement events starting Monday, May 18, will proceed as scheduled. Because of the strike, we expect a 30-40% increase in vehicle traffic on campus.

• Carpooling: Graduates and guests are strongly encouraged to carpool whenever possible to reduce congestion.
• MTA Shuttles: The MTA is providing limited peak-hour shuttle service from major hubs (Ronkonkoma and Huntington) for commuters and reverse commuters. Expect significant wait times.

Campus Residents

• Housing Extensions: If the service shutdown has disrupted your alternative transportation home and you need to stay on campus longer than anticipated, please resubmit the Spring End of Semester Plans form in the Housing Portal or reach out directly to Student Affairs.
• Dining & Food Security: SBU Eats locations will remain open as planned. The Seawolves Pantry will also operate on its normal schedule, and off-campus resource information remains available on their website.

Employees Reporting for Duty

Faculty, professional staff, and student staff who lack alternative transportation to campus must contact their supervisors immediately.

• Employees who are required, by operational need, to report in person are expected to make any necessary arrangements to ensure timely arrival at their designated worksite.
• Supervisors may approve remote work (work from home or off-site) for the duration of the strike if duties can be accomplished remotely.
• If duties cannot be done remotely, supervisors are encouraged to grant the use of leave accruals. Please note there is no ongoing entitlement to this arrangement.

Parking & Campus Transit

Expect severe parking congestion due to the combination of increased vehicle traffic, resident move-outs, and commencement events. Please allow significant extra travel time.

• Lot 40 Optimization: To manage traffic, all drivers are heavily encouraged to park in Lot 40.
• No parking permits will be required, and parking enforcement will be suspended in Lot 40 for the duration of this disruption.
• Additional SBU Shuttle service will be deployed to and from Lot 40 to accommodate the higher volume.
• Questions can be directed to parking@stonybrook.edu.

This strike comes at the busiest possible time of the academic year. We deeply appreciate your patience, flexibility, and mutual support as a community. We are doing everything we can to support every Seawolf affected by this shutdown.

We will share updates and provide the latest information.