Campus family,
Last week I announced that Union would be transitioning to an “Open Limited” operational status, which means that most essential offices remain open, courses have moved online, and the residence halls are only open to students who need to live on campus because they meet certain criteria. This has caused some confusion, so this message will hopefully shed some light on this new operational status.
It is now important, with the new CDC guidelines, to limit the number of people staying in the residence halls because we have limited places to quarantine sick students. I know this change may be inconvenient. For your own safety and that of our community, we believe it is best for you to finish the semester studying at home if at all possible.
Criteria to live in the residence halls
If you think you meet one of the four criteria below to live in the residence halls, please fill out the Request to Stay in the Residence Hall form by Wednesday, March 25 at 11:00 p.m., and we will contact you. You must be approved to stay in the dorm.
The four criteria:
- Inadequate access to technology
Students who don’t have access to adequate technology, such as a computer or high-speed internet, may be allowed to live in the residence hall. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Zoom needs 4 Mb/second upload and download speed for adequate connection.
- On-campus instruction or practicums
All classes have been moved online with the exception of the following courses (this list is subject to change):
- SOCI 475 - Field Practicum
- NURS 499 - Preceptorship
- IRR 100 - EMT (17 students)
- ART 135 - Pottery (May still move online)
Only students enrolled in these courses will be allowed to live in the residence hall for academic or practicum completion reasons.
- Students who live internationally or don’t have another residence
Students who live outside the United States or don’t have another place of residence will be allowed to live in the residence halls.
- Essential student workers
Only student workers who are essential to the physical operation of the campus will be allowed to live in the residence halls. Essential student workers are those who help maintain the physical plant and technological backbone or essential food and residence hall services. Decisions on who is an essential student worker is made by supervisors.
Other student workers will be allowed to work remotely if needed by their supervisor. This will be subject to the availability of needed technology.
You will be asked to stay home if:
- You do not meet any of the criteria listed above.
- You are ill (we won’t make you leave if you become ill while you are here).
- You do not have health insurance that is valid in Nebraska.
- You violate our COVID-19 campus regulations, such as not gathering in groups larger than 10, and not respecting the city’s request for people to stay in their residences as much as possible to limit the spread.
Retrieving belongings from the residence halls
You will not be allowed into the residence without first making an appointment with a dean. We are happy for you to leave your belongings in your room until the end of the school year or until you can safely return to campus.
If you need something specific from your room, contact your dean for assistance.
Student account credit
The college is currently working out a plan to give students prorated credit on their accounts if they move out of the residence hall. For most students, this credit will be applied when they enroll at Union in Fall 2020. Seniors will receive the credit this school year.
Live Q&A on Thursday
If you have more questions, please feel free to contact me, Kim Canine or Dean Stocks. You can also join us for our weekly COVID-19 Live Q&A (we’re changing from Facebook to Youtube this week) Thursday, March 26, at 8:00 p.m. on our Youtube channel at ucollege.edu/unioncollegene
You can also find more information at ucollege.edu/covid-19
I’m so sorry that some of you may not be able to continue enjoying life in our residence halls for the remainder of the year. We grieve this loss as much as you, because we place a high value on the unique community life that Union College offers. We’re all in this together, and I thank you for your patience as we work through all the challenges presented by the coronavirus. We are thankful that so far no one on campus has tested positive for COVID-19, and we pray that continues to be the case.
May God be near to each of you as we continue the semester under these very unusual circumstances.
Sincerely,
Vinita Sauder
President, Union College
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