Parent and Family News- August 2021

Volume 4 - Issue 1, August 2021 Fall Semester

In This Issue:

Message from Dr. Daniel Heimmermann

Dear Pacer Families,

Welcome to the University of South Carolina Aiken!

On behalf of our talented and dedicated faculty and staff, we are thrilled that your student has chosen to become a Pacer.

We understand that selecting a college is a family decision and commitment, and we appreciate the confidence and trust you have placed in us. Be assured that at UofSC Aiken, your student will receive a world-class education—one that they will find engaging and rewarding and one that will prepare them to be career and world-ready upon graduation. Our active and engaged teaching and learning experiences take place both inside and outside of the classroom. Your student will have opportunities to study abroad in fascinating places, conduct ground-breaking research alongside their faculty and fellow students, engage in impactful community service learning, participate in career-focused internships, and take part in other high-impact and “hands-on” learning experiences.

In addition to the continued support and encouragement you will provide your college student, our personalized academic and student services, resources, and engaging extracurricular activities will optimize their experience and envelop them with the support that will guide them to success. It is no wonder that UofSC Aiken is ranked as the #1 Regional Comprehensive Public College in the South by U.S. News & World Report and is a designated College of Distinction.

The Office of Parent and Family Relations will play a key role in assisting your family and student during their transition to college and beyond. The Office will keep you apprised about our services, university events, important dates, and other resources available to help your student succeed at UofSC Aiken and beyond.

Please check out our “Just for Parents” website, which will keep you updated. Also, be sure to sign up to receive our monthly parent and family newsletter.

For more information, please contact Kevin Nolan at Parents@usca.edu.

Thank you for supporting your student’s decision to attend The University of South Carolina Aiken, and thank you for your partnership with us in supporting your student’s transformative educational journey.

Once again, welcome to the Pacer family!

Dan

Daniel Heimmermann, Ph.D.

Chancellor

2021 Family Day

UofSC Aiken wants to welcome you to Family Day 2021! This year we are bringing Family Day back in person! On September 25th, we invite you to our campus for a day filled with fun, laughter, and family. We have many activities to fill your day, like a jazz band, a free Planetarium show in the Ruth Patrick Center, and even a trolley tour! UofSC Aiken also partners with small businesses in downtown Aiken to make sure you get a true Pacer experience.

Check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the Chancellor’s brunch from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

For more information and to sign up for Family Day, click here.

Parent to Parent Facebook Page

Do you want the ability to ask questions to other families?

Are you a new parent joining the Pacer family and

want to speak to upperclassmen parents?

Would you like to help incoming parents with questions they might have?

Join our private Facebook page just for parents to communicate with each other.

Join here.

Weather and Emergency Alerts

If you are interested in receiving emergency alerts sent out on the UofSC Aiken campus, please click here for more information.

COVID 19 Update: Masks to Become Required Indoors

Dear Pacer Community,

As promised, the University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken) has maintained the closest vigilance on the increasing rate of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations resulting from the virus, and we have vowed to take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure the safest possible learning and working environment.

Accordingly, based upon local, state, and national conditions starting Wednesday, August 18, 2021, the University will require all persons to wear face coverings indoors at all campus facilities except when eating or in personal spaces where adequate social distancing can be maintained.

Mask wearing will be a key part of our Pacer strategy, and we will adjust our COVID-19 strategies as necessary throughout the semester. Please refer to the fall COVID-19 plan, https://usca.edu/pacer-ready, to keep our campus safe and to allow our students, faculty, and staff to remain on campus--in class and at work--in order to promote the most effective teaching, learning, and working experiences.

We were a safe campus before the advent of effective vaccination, and we are a safer one today with the availability of a scientifically proven vaccine as well as your support for wearing facial coverings indoors on campus. Please know that our COVID-19 Team will continue to monitor the campus health situation, and its findings and recommendation will continue to inform our policies and protocols.

We must continue to work together to mitigate the incident rate of COVID-19 during the upcoming 2021-22 academic year. This means not only wearing a mask but, above all, getting vaccinated. As previously communicated, vaccination clinics and incentives to vaccinate will be made available in the next few weeks.

Thank you for your support in keeping our campus safe and operating “normally.” Above all, I remain overwhelmingly confident that we will have a fulfilling academic year!

Dan Heimmermann

Chancellor

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Upcoming Vaccine Incentives

Starting the middle of September, anyone who is already vaccinated, or will have their second shot by the end of September, will have the opportunity to voluntarily sign up for incentives. More information will be coming over the next few weeks, and a number of these incentives will be randomly chosen each week from September 13 until the Thanksgiving break. The incentives for students, faculty, and staff include:

(28) $1000 funds for conferences/travel/training, scholarship
(7) iPad Airs
(7) AirPod Pros
(7) $250 meal plans

UofSC Aiken and DHEC Provide

Free COVID-19 Testing Site

Free drive-up COVID-19 testing continues for all UofSC Aiken students, faculty, staff, and the greater Aiken community.

Testing site and guidelines:

Testing is conducted six days a week - Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6pm.
The Convocation Center parking lot located at 2049 Champion Way, Graniteville, provides two drive-through testing lanes.
Access https://web.getgov2go.com/ to set up your pre-registration and appointment time.
No insurance card is needed, but you will need to present a driver’s license or UofSC Aiken ID.
SC DHEC (SC Department of Health and Environmental Control) will provide trained staff to administer the test. They will follow all HIPAA guidelines and regulations.
SC DHEC will analyze and provide results of testing within 24-48 hours of testing.
A pre-registration link is available for your convenience. It is rrtesting.com/uscaiken.
For more information, please contact Mr. Deri Wills at Deriw@usca.edu or 803-641-3787.

Please continue to revisit Ready, Set, Return, our comprehensive, campus-wide mitigation plan. The revision date appears on the front cover when new information is added.

Updates on the campus’s condition will be reflected on the dashboard each Friday and cover weekly updates on Thursday evening each week.