April 9th, 2020
Greetings CASC'ers,

I hope you’re all well and staying safe at home! 

It has been four weeks since U-M’s decision to suspend all face-to-face classroom instruction. It feels like time has gone by so fast since our campus was last vibrant with its student life. Yet, our world has changed so much. 

For those who may not know me, my name is Nour Eidy and I am the Recruitment and Program Assistant to the CASC Minor. If you have ever visited our table during organization or academic fairs, I was probably the person at the table! In my role, I worked to provide our community of change agents with programs, resources, and, most importantly, so much support. 

Like many of you, my time at U-M and with CASC came to an abrupt end. As I reflect on my time in undergrad, it is simply incomplete without CASC. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my favorite times with the minor, which was shaped by the incredible students that I was able to work with and the efforts of the dedicated staff behind the scenes. 

One of my favorite responsibilities was working closely with the Outreach Board. The board is a group of CASC students serving as representatives of their various schools and colleges within the minor. The board was developed my first semester with CASC and coordinating their efforts has been a great joy. Our monthly meetings were filled with catching up, insightful feedback, and great laughs. To all the members of the outreach board, I want to say thank you for being some of the brightest, talented, and most humble leaders. I am so thankful for our time together, and I cannot wait to watch you fill this world with your powerful, compassionate actions! 

For two and a half years, I had the privilege of working with the most committed staff. My favorite times in the office would be the long talks with our CASC Director and Assistant Director, Katie and Amber. The endless devotion of both these women continues to be such a huge inspiration to me as a young, female leader. Thank you both for embodying the mission of CASC, I am so grateful for all that I was able to learn from you. 

Now to the CASC Class of 2020, I was overwhelmed with emotions when I learned we would not be able to celebrate with our loved ones, mentors, and friends at the Big House. I have to admit there is still a feeling of denial. While our Big House moment is on hold, we have all the moments in between that made us this far. Moments of finding our passion, challenging our abilities, and becoming the best version of ourselves. As we push on to the next stage of our lives, I hope you are able to take with you the meaning of CASC. 

Which brings me to my concluding statement that there is no better time to be a part of CASC! Your skills and knowledge of communities and identities could not be more pertinent than they are now. Although we are all home, there is so much we can do to continue our advocacy. 

So I will ask you once more (some of you for maybe the last time), Why Do You CASC? 

Best, 
Nour
COVID-19 Resources
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 .
Emergency Funding Resources
The flyer for the CASC Emergency Aid
In light of COVID-19, 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 have created a donor based emergency fund to help offset costs. This funding offers financial supports to costs such as moving, food, and housing.
In addition, we have received confirmation that emergency funding can be requested from your respective school/ or college. We also strongly encourage you to identify emergency funding from your major degree school/college in addition to the Dean of Students Emergency Aid webpage.
Resources, Mutual Aid, and Volunteer Links
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.
Academic Advising and Course Enrollment
Grading Policy
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 401For 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. 
Withdrawal from Courses
Students are permitted to withdraw from enrolled courses at the latest, April 21st. 
If you plan to disenroll from a course that counts toward the minor and have concerns about fulfilling degree requirements, please contact cascmior@umich.edu , or sign up for an academic advising appointment (virtually or by phone)
Course Guide
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. 
A flyer of Spring/Fall CASC Courses
Advising and Office Hours
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. 
Program Updates
COVID-19: Stigma, Physical Distancing, and Solidarity
April 9, 2020
3 - 4 :30 PM EDT

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 9 conversation will add a focus on identity and intersectionality.

Stay Connected
Community Action and Social Change Undergraduate Minor
cascminor@umich.edu  | (734) 763-5733 |  ssw.umich.edu/casc