March 24, 2020
UPIKE Families,
These are strange, unprecedented days! As you can imagine, we are all living in the eye of the hurricane that is the COVID-19 pandemic. We are deeply aware that our students, and you, our families are being significantly impacted by the health and economic fallout that is just beginning to take place. Let me begin by saying our prayers are with you, and we hope that you will keep us in your prayers as well.
There are several pieces of information, about which we know you have questions. We have heard some and seen some floating on social media. Of course, the best place to get the most accurate information is right here, from
Stephanie in Family Connections
. We will be sending more detailed information to your students in the next few days, but we thought some communication about a few big picture items would be important.
How long will we be teaching online?
The short answer is indefinitely. We do not know, at this point, how long the pandemic will last. We will be teaching online through the rest of the spring semester. We had already planned to teach online during the summer, so that should not change.
When can my student get their things from the residence hall?
Dr. Justin Owens, Dean of Students, is working on a schedule for students to return to campus to gather their belongings. If your student can live without their things for a few months, we are willing to allow them to leave their belongings in their rooms for now.
Will my student get a refund for some portion of room and board cost?
It is likely that the university will refund some portion of what has been paid for room and board. As you can imagine, this is more difficult than it might appear. We are still working through all of the variables and will make a decision soon. Ask your student to watch their email for more information in the next few days.
My student is still on campus, are they safe?
I wish I could say an unequivocal yes; unfortunately, I cannot control this virus. I can tell you that there are no reported cases in Pike County and that our cleaning staff regularly cleans doors, tables, and other surfaces with a cleaning compound that kills viruses. We continue to urge physical distancing, hand washing and isolation if your student has symptoms. So far, so good.
My student is a senior, will Commencement be cancelled?
Unfortunately, yes. Based on the guidance from the CDC and the Governor of the Commonwealth, face-to-face commencement has been cancelled. We are planning to run an online ceremony in May and will welcome any student who would like to walk across the stage at our next two face-to-face commencement ceremonies. This decision is especially difficult, but we need to support our public health and vulnerable populations at this time.
Who should I contact if I have a specific question or problem?
We have included a contact sheet below. It has the contact information for all of our key campus leaders. Feel free to email, call or text. In addition, we will post updates on the UPIKE website as details become available. Visit our COVID-19 page on our website at:
https://www.upike.edu/coronavirus/
We remain committed to communication as we move through these days together. Some things we can solve quickly, others take more time. Please be patient with us as we continue to navigate these unknowable days. As always, if you have questions, or your students have needs that we have not been able to foresee, let us know. We are working actively to solve everything we can.
Striving to serve,
Burton Webb, PhD
President
