Dear T-Bird Parents and Families,

You've made it to the end of one of the most unusual and unprecedented semesters. Congratulations! At SUU Parent & Family Services, we want you to know that we care and understand the difficulties you are experiencing. Our office is open and available to help. Though we are remote through summer, we are still working to support you and your needs. With the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 disease, the landscape is continually shifting, and we will do our best to communicate with you as decisions are being made.

A Message From Dr. Jared Tippets,
Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear current SUU students, 

Congratulations on completing a challenging and unique spring semester. It’s hard to imagine that only a few short weeks ago we drastically changed the way we teach, learn, and work. I am so impressed by your Thunderbird spirit and appreciate your patience, flexibility, and resilience as we all face this unprecedented time in our history together. Anyway, I wanted to write and share a quick update.

As previously announced, the summer semester will be delivered remotely as the State has advised everyone to continue to practice social distancing.  If you are taking classes this summer, hang in there, do your best, and enjoy this new learning environment.

We are looking forward to being able to welcome you back to campus for the Fall semester, and are hopeful that we will be able to safely resume in-person classes in Cedar City, which would start on Wednesday, September 9th. However, our fall semester plans, of course, are dependent on the continued decline in COVID-19 cases, as well as approval from federal, state and local government and public health officials. We will keep you informed as our planning progresses.

The health, safety, and well-being of our campus community remains our top priority. As a result, we are in close communication with the Governor’s Office, the Utah System of Higher Education, and the local Southwest Utah Public Health Department. We are working diligently on developing new precautions and protocols that will be in place by fall to ensure a safe reopening. More specifics on those guidelines will be sent in the future. We expect that if and when we do return, there will be changes in the way we operate as well as what is expected of each of us in our daily routines. As you know, Cedar City is not in a densely populated urban community, our campus is spacious for a school our size, and we offer small class sizes – all significant advantages for protecting the health and safety of our community.

SUU is an incredible place, and I know that we are all looking forward to being back together on campus. I hope this email gives you some comfort that we are headed in that direction and that we will do what we can to keep everyone safe and healthy. We will undoubtedly continue to face adversity in the foreseeable future, but we are up to the challenge. In the meantime, I ask for your continued patience and understanding.

I look forward to seeing you – here on campus – as soon as that is possible.
Jared

Join Our Incoming and Current Student Open
Forum Webinar every Thursday at 2PM

Do you or your student have questions? Registration? Housing? First Year Experience? COVID-19 changes? We are here to answer them? Some of the experts of SUU will be on a Q&A forum to answer any and all of your questions. This will continue weekly. Join us at this link . We are here to help! Did you miss the last forums? Check out April 23rd's here and April 30th here .


Still Looking for Housing- On campus housing has rooms available. University Housing gives students a variety of benefits. Learn about the  residence halls Learning Communities , and  dining options on campus . Many options for off campus housing are also available. This page is always being updated with current and available off campus housing. Check it out here .

Online/Remote Summer Semester - Frequently Asked Questions We understand there are a lot of questions about the changes. SUU's Emergency Response Team has put together some of the frequently asked questions about summer semester. If you've had questions, check it out here .

Tuition fees in portal - Please be aware that the account balance students currently see in their portal is most often not reflective of what they will actually owe SUU. This is due to a federal regulation which prevents SUU from applying students' financial aid to their account until ten days before the start of the semester. If you or your student would like to go over the costs of attendance -- including financial aid -- please make an appointment with Financial Wellness here .

Incoming Freshman - Advisers are currently registering incoming freshman, and will be continuing for the next coming months. Your student will be hearing from their adviser soon. Advisers are assigned by major. You can go here to find their assigned adviser. Make sure your student is also checking off the New Student Checklist here .

Academic Scholarship Application Deadline has been extended to June 1st to help new students impacted by COVID-19. Extending the date gives students who were planning to attend SUU in the Fall semester more time to apply for academic scholarships. It also applies to potential students who returned early from religious missions or delayed entry into the military or service programs options to begin achieving their higher education goals sooner than anticipated. If you want more details read about it here . Also, remember, scholarships can be used for remote learning through fall semester as well.

Virtual Statewide Alumni Career Fair May 12, 9-2 pm. This exciting event, held each year, attracts 600+ alumni from each member school to meet with over 100 employers on one engaging day. Each of the member schools invites recent and experienced alumni to attend; employers from across the region recognize how valuable the fair is for connecting with and acquiring new talent. This year's event will be a virtual fair which you can attend from anywhere. Employers and Alumni (as well as recent graduates) register here .

Has your student's deferment plans changed? They are always welcome at SUU! We understand that COVID-19 may have altered current and future plans for many of your students. Although we share in their disappointment, we don't want this to keep them from moving forward with their educational goals. Whether your student is returning home early from religious service, delaying military service, had their humanitarian trip canceled, or whatever the circumstance - we are here to help you with their transition.
SUU will be accommodating students whose plans have been disrupted and offers a wide variety of options for them. Please reach out to the Nest at (435) 865-8484 or thenest@suu.edu for help with your students next steps in re-enrolling at SUU.

Here at SUU, we genuinely want the best for our students and that hasn't changed, only increased through these uncertain times. While there is no road map for what we are going through, we are confident that we will make it through these challenging times - together.


Is your student REGISTERED?

To register, students log into their MySUU portal , and click the "Registration" link. Students can check their registration status for any holds as well. Please encourage them to reach out to their Student Success Advisor , call The Nest, email or call Ryan Bailey at ryanbailey@suu.edu or (435) 865-8214 . They are all happy to help if your student has any questions or needs help creating a registration plan.


T-Bird Strong fund

Southern Utah University is grateful to many who have asked how you can help students as we implement safety measures that protect our University community from the spread of COVID-19. As a community, we will get through this together. As a result of the pandemic, SUU has created the TBirdStrong fund to support students experiencing financial hardship. We are deeply committed to helping our students reach their full potential and navigate the disruptions that could derail the attainment of their SUU degree. For more information and to donate go here .


Textbook Return Rental- If your student rented books from the SUU Bookstore for this semester, those titles are still due to be returned. Rentals may be returned to the store anytime. Buyback services are still scheduled for the end of the semester. The bookstore is currently open 10am - 4pm, Monday - Friday or call at ( 435) 586-7995 to make arrangements. The return link is here .












Hope Pantry
If your student is currently in Cedar City, the   Hope Pantry  is still open for either pick-up or delivery. Fill out this  Pantry Request   form. Orders are filled every weekday and limited to once per week per person. For pick-up requested items will be left at the porch of the Community Engagement Center across the street from the SUU music building.

COVID-19 PAST UPDATES

The health, safety, and well-being of everyone on our campus and community is our relentless priority at all times. COVID-19 is already proving to be an unprecedented disruption and extraordinary moves are being made to try and prevent the spread of the coronavirus throughout SUU, Cedar City, and Utah.

Important campus information from the last few weeks:

  • All instruction for Spring 2020 (including final exams, science labs, etc.) will be delivered remotely. The only exception will be for one-on-one flight instruction. Read about it here.
  • We encourage all students who are able to transition to their hometown and permanent residence where home conditions allow.
  • All students will have the option of either receiving a letter grade or a Pass/No-Credit (P/NC) grade for Spring 2020 classes. Read more about it here.
  • We have decided, like all other universities in Utah, to plan for all summer classes to be offered remotely. Remember, your scholarships and financial aid are all available this summer. Also all out-of-state students get resident tuition in the summer. 
  • Southern Utah University’s commencement and graduation events have been tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2020. Read President Wyatt's email to campus here.






















  • ALL campus resources and services remain ready to serve you remotely. A resource list with all contact information you need here.
  • SUU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is facilitating drop-in virtual discussion groups. The schedule is here.
  • The Student Center and student housing will remain open. Food Services will be available, the cafeteria located in the Student Center is open 10-4. Other dining options in the Student Center will be closed for the rest of the semester.
  • Online/Remote Summer Semester - Frequently Asked Questions. If you've had questions, check it out here.
  • A large number of your questions may be already answered on our COVID-19 website here.


All questions regarding the university’s COVID-19 response can be emailed to SUU's Emergency Responseteam at  emergencyresponse@suu.edu . You can also call the SUU COVID-19 Hotline. (435)865-8488 . Be prepared to leave a short message regarding your question or concern, your name, and phone number. A representative from SUU will collect your information and respond within the next business day with further resources to help answer your question.
SAVE THE DATE Fall 2020
Move in day, on campus housing- September 5th
Thunder U- September 5-8 (5-7 optional, 8th required)

Come to any one of our Open Houses for Parent & Family Services, September 4th, 5th or 8th

Parent & Family Weekend- September 25-26
Stay connected!
suu.edu/parents | Southern Utah University | (435) 865-8752