Thank you to all of our faculty, staff and students for making the leap to full-time online learning today. I know it has been stressful to make this change and that we have to continue adapting to this different mode of teaching and learning.
As we proceed, we will encounter challenges. Equipment won’t work, internet sites and service will go down, and some of us will get sick. But we will persevere, we will make allowances for one another, and students will be able to finish the semester.
Education Technology Services upgraded the Canvas Conferences subscription to BigBlueButton, which should lower the chances of service interruptions.
I really appreciate the efforts of our students who moved out of the residence halls on very short notice over the past few days. Many of you have asked about prorated housing refunds and I want to assure you that we are working on a solution.
We will also be in contact with seniors to try to figure out what we might do about graduation and giving graduates a chance to reconnect.
Our Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC) is providing telecounseling and online group therapy sessions for students, and just as importantly, telehealth services. Students can make appointments to call in to speak with the CWC medical staff members who will direct them to appropriate medical resources in the area.
The Office of Human Resources has distributed the alternative work location form. All employees who are working remotely should complete this form and submit it to their supervisor for approval. Student workers who are working remotely still need to submit their hours on NewCLEIS. At this time, we anticipate that most administrative offices will continue to operate remotely until at least May 1.
Please continue to follow general flu protection guidelines and precautions regarding COVID-19, especially in regards to frequent handwashing and social distancing. Please take care of yourselves and others (which, again, means acting as if you have the virus and do not want to spread it).