Greetings CASC'ers,
Each day that passes, I am constantly aware of the grave vulnerability of my family who live in pockets of Wayne county, namely in the city of
Detroit,
where the rapid spread of covid continues to advance. Due to previous water shut-offs many communities are
denied access to water
; hindering the necessity to fight the spread and maintain a shelter in place. In response,
coalitions
that include
environmental justice advocates,
policy institutes, activists, organizers, and local representatives have advocated to suspend water shut offs, provide access to clean water, and ensure that other basic human necessities are
secured for marginalized communities
. This example serves as a reminder that community bonds are important to navigating this unprecedented time.
While social distancing and staying home are critical to upending the global pandemic that we are collectively experiencing, our values for social action, service and engagement, as well as community participation remain important to who we are as agents of change. At the same time water access slowly turns a corner, heightened reports of xenophobia and anti-asian racism persists at a local and national scale. The racist discourse assigned to covid is deeply damaging to our community and fosters division in a time where cooperation and care is vital to each of our lives. As you consider what it means to navigate all of the access, advocacy, and justice issues associated with covid, I want to share with you all a few blog posts, resources, and articles that have allowed me to consider ways in which I can address stigmatization of Covid-19 against the AAPIA community, and ways in which to effectively work in coalition and solidarity toward anti-violence, and community care, for all.
Articles and Resources on COVID Racism and Xenophobia
Each week, we hope to share a personal, hopeful, and inspiring message as staff, faculty, and students to engage in conversation, and stay connected as a community. If there's something you want to share (i.e. self care meditation, an interesting and important article, a resource, etc.), please contact us at
cascminor@umich.edu
and we would love to share in the newsletter.
Best Wishes
Amber
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For general updates and announcements on COVID-19 related information from the School of Social Work, please click on this link to access the
SSW COVID-19 Website
.
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Emergency Funding Resources
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Many students are seeking opportunities to identify emergency aid to support living expenses, moving and travel costs, and more. Recognizing that many of you are seeking support, we are striving to create a donor based emergency fund to help offset costs. Please look forward to future announcement about the fund, and how to submit a request. . In the meantime, we have received confirmation that emergency funding can be requested from your respective school/ or college.
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Resources, Mutual Aid, and Volunteer Links
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The School of Social Work Office of Student Services (OSS) and Community Action and Social Change Undergraduate Minor (CASC) office have identified resources to share during the COVID-19 pandemic and compiled them in this document.
This is not an SSW official document as SSW does not consistently check and verify all resources.
If you would like to add a resource on this list,
please share the resources here
. Our offices will work on updating the list in a timely manner, and we recommend that you contact the individual resource origin to find more information.
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At this time, all undergraduate courses will transition to an alternative grading policy in which faculty enter traditional letter grades, but students receive either "Pass," or "No Record Covid" on their permanent transcripts. Students who receive a "Pass," or "P," will receive the full course credit. The grade cut-off for a "P" will be the same as the traditional grade minimum for students to receive course credit, which is a C-. This new policy also applies to undergraduates enrolled in graduate courses, but would not apply to classes graded before March 10. Refer to the Office of the Registrar
COVID 19 FAQ
, and email your instructor for more details.
- SW 401: For graduating seniors enrolled in SW 401 with concerns about their final grade, please contact your course instructor for more details and additional information will be provided soon.
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Students are permitted to withdraw from enrolled courses at the latest, April 21st.
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The Spring/Summer 20 and Fall 20 course guide is now live on the CASC website. Please note that per university standard, all Spring and Summer classes will be remote. In light of this recent news, spring/summer course offerings may change in the coming weeks. We at CASC will provide up to date information as we are notified.
- SW 305 Spring Half Term If you would like to enroll in the SW 305 course in the Spring Half term, it will be available for open enrollment and offered as an online course, in accordance with university policy.
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Advising and Office Hours
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The School of Social Work is officially closed to the public. Given the circumstances, we will remain available by email, phone, or virtually. In order to schedule an advising appointment, go to the
LSA advisor portal
to set up a phone or virtual meeting, and we will contact you during your appointment time. Additionally, in-person drop-in hours, Wednesdays 1-4, are canceled for the remainder of the term. We will continue to monitor the
cascminor@umich.edu
email account to address advising questions, or other concerns.
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COVID-19: Stigma, Physical Distancing, and Solidarity
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April 2, 2020
3 - 4 :30 PM EDT
A BlueJeans invitation
will be sent the day of.
For the past two weeks, the Faculty Allies for Diversity (FAD) in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (DEI), has held social support virtual conversations among those individuals wishing to prevent and stop stigmatization and all issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The April 2nd conversation will add a focus on physical distancing and solidarity.
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Community Action and Social Change Undergraduate Minor
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