July 28: Overall Update

Words of Encouragement from Dr. Emberton

  • Jeremiah 29:11
  • Our number one goal is to have students seated in class this fall semester, and every decision made has been made with that goal in mind.
  • Think about this: when you get onto campus, how can you make an encouraging difference on campus while maintaining safety and health?
  • We are going to create a campus that you want to be on; just because our campus experience will be different doesn’t mean that it will be bad!

Dr. Luke Fetters

  • Every room on campus has been gone through; we are looking for the best ways to create a great classroom space for you!
  • Dr. Fetters and Dr. Degitz have been working with faculty to ensure that lab spaces can still be utilized. Whether that means another adjacent lab is used as well or partitions are set up, you will be able to utilize classroom lab spaces.
  • There will be three tents around campus where classes can meet; it’ll be up to your professor whether or not you’ll meet there.
  • Masks will be worn in public academic areas. Once you’re in the classroom, it’s up to the professors whether or not the masks need to be worn.

Arthur Wilson

  • Even though about 95% of Campus Ministries’ programming will be virtual, we have a plan! You will still be fulfilled spiritually through our programming:
    • Chapels will still be provided at least twice a week
    • Devotionals will still be offered
    • You can still be involved in a small group!
    • Praise and worship will still be happening, only outside!
  • iAttended is a new app Campus Ministries will be using. It will allow you to stream Campus Ministry programs and will track your chapel credits.
  • Pastoral Care appointments will still be happening—in-person and virtually.

Dr. Ron Coffey

  • Student Life has heard your feedback from the last Tuesday Night Live, and now residence halls can still be utilized by anyone; a mask will be worn so that you can stay safe and healthy.
  • SAB events are being kept on the schedule, and we’re asking how we can make the event still happen—not if it can still happen.

Ashley Spirek

  • Student Government Association (SGA) is a bridge between students and faculty, staff, and administrators
  • SGA is here for you; anytime throughout the year that you have something that you need to tells someone, SGA will be here to listen to you.
    • If you have any ideas or solutions, contact SGA!
  • We can still foster community on campus despite the circumstances. We just have to think creatively and think how we can make it work, because it can work. Things might look different than they have in the past, but that does not make them any less good. SGA is on the forefront of creating campus activities that will still foster community while maintaining the health and safety of students.

Dr. Emberton

  • Within Huntington County, there have been 116 cases since March, and there have been 3 deaths—2 of those being within the first two weeks of March.
  • Our hospital is equipped and ready to handle all situations. There is a very low number of ventilators and beds being used.

Q & A (36:16)

What happens if I think I’ve come into contact with someone who might be sick? (36:16)

There is a flow chart posted on our website that guides you through what to do— no matter the circumstance.

What happens if we have so many cases that we have to just stop for a while? (37:15)

We’ve been in contact with health professionals, and they said that it would take a huge epicenter event for us to even get to the point where we can’t meet in public spaces for 4-5 days for cleaning to take place. We are very prepared for this semester.

What will commuter life look like this semester? (39:29)

As commuters, you are absolutely welcome to join any student life activities our campus has to offer. We recognize that the commuter lounge is a great place for our commuters to utilize, so we’re figuring out how to make that space usable and safe. However, you can still use the microwave; you’ll just have to help us to keep the keypad clean.

Can commuters enter into any residence hall lounges or dorm rooms? Can residential students enter other residence hall lounges which they don’t live in? (43:52)

The Baker/Roush main lounge and the Wright/Hardy lounge will be accessible to any student—commuters and students from a different residence hall. However, we will be asking that you don’t enter another students’ room from another residence hall.

Coming from the Peoria, Arizona campus, will I be required to quarantine? (45:33)

The same safety protocols will be followed on the AZ location as the main Huntington, Indiana campus. If you are not able to attend class face-to-face, faculty and staff have been working through solutions about how to ensure the students can still continue with their education while being quarantined.

If I’m a student from another state, do I have to quarantine myself when coming to campus? (48:56)

If you’re from an area where you’re at high risk being out in public, we ask that you isolate yourself before coming back to campus. We aren’t asking you to self-isolate yourself when you come to HU.

Do international students have to have negative test results in order to come back to campus? (52:00)

The United States has been asking that you quarantine yourself after entering the United States. We are still trying to answer this question, and the answer will be posted soon, however, as of now, we are still trying to decide the best answer to this question. However, no matter the answer, you do have space here at HU; it’s our job to make sure that we do right by you.

Will Forester Village have a CMC again? (54:13)

When recruiting CMCs in the spring, we never received an interest from anyone in Forester Village. We are more than happy to have conversations with anyone in Forester Village who is interested in being the new CMC.

Will Forester Village have the same restrictions as the main residence halls? (55:30)

There has not been a definitive answer made on this question yet, so stay on the lookout on the website for updates.

Where will students be able to identify changes to their class schedule (like location)? (56:24)

Once the master class schedule is fully updated, students will be able to see any changes to classroom location by pulling up their schedule on the HU Portal.

Will there be a doctor or nurse on campus? (58:10)

At this time we don’t have plans for a doctor to be on campus. We do have a very close connection and proximity to Parkview Health which is a large healthcare network in our area. Forester Care is also a great resource to use where you have a doctor right at your fingertips.

When students get sick, will anyone be checking up them to make sure they’re okay and that they’re sickness doesn’t get out of control? (1:00:06)

We will have faculty and staff members checking up on students at least once a day. When a student is in isolation due to a sickness, they will be asked questions daily to check up on them. These students will also be provided a digital thermometer to continually self-evaluate their health. We’re also working with our food provider, and they will be bringing hot meals to residence hall floors. These meals will then be distributed by a staff member to the students who are in isolation.

If I don’t have a roommate yet, when will I figure that out? (1:04:47)

Once an assignment is made, Dr. Jaworski—who oversees our housing—reaches out to students to let them know.

Will move-in to Forester Village follow the same protocols as residence halls? (1:05:35)

It is not the same process. Because they are separate units, a move-in slot is not required.

Will bigger on-campus group activities (Undignified, Treblemakers, etc.) be able to meet? (1:06:35)

These groups will be able to meet. There will just have to be protocols built into place in order to ensure safety. These group leaders will just have to coordinate safety protocols with Student Life. We can still do student activities; they just may not look like they used to.

When we move back home in November for Thanksgiving break, do we need to move our stuff out or can we leave it in our room? (1:11:00)

You will leave your stuff in your dorm room. We are planning on having you here on-campus for the spring semester!

What does all of this mean for Joyful Noise? (1:11:43)

J Noise will still be an active entity on our campus! They will be doing both live and recorded performances so that we can worship together virtually and in-person.

Will the process of picking up a package from the mail room be different this year? (1:12:30)

This is a question that will need to be answered by Russ Degitz, so keep a lookout for more information to be posted on our website!

Can students intermingle within floors of the same residence hall? (1:13:29)

Students can go floor to floor within their own residence hall.

With going home after Thanksgiving break, will professors be encouraged to end the semester then or still continue virtually for two more weeks? (1:14:51)

What faculty has been encouraged/is expected to do is to continue teaching classes virtually for the next two weeks and then proctoring the final exam in the same way it would have been— only virtual.

Will we be required to do a daily temperature check before going to class? (1:16:05)

Only students who are quarantined are required to do daily temperature checks.

What will Olympiad look like? (1:16:34)

Olympiad is still on! We are working to make Olympiad happen as close to normal as possible. Of course, events will be socially distanced, and masks will be worn.

What technology will be provided/used for students who are quarantined? (1:20:59)

We have been working with software vendors to figure out the best programs to provide for students that will be isolated. There will also be equipment on reserve for students who are quarantined. So if you’re being isolated, and you’re having technology issues and need a back-up, you can contact IT and you can use something that they have on reserve. Anytime that you have any question, contact the IT Help Desk; they are happy and ready to help!

What will dining services look like this semester? (1:25:00)

In the Dining Commons you will see more visual markers to help you keep a safe 6foot distance from others. There will also be more plexiglass windows installed. The staff will of course have the appropriate PPE on, and students will be asked to wear masks until they sit down to eat. Stations like the salad bar will not be available because it’s self-serve. Salads will be available in a pre-packaged form. When going through the line, you will be served your portions. All of our other options—the pizza, grill, and action station—will all still be available.

Seating will be spaced out, so the capacity will be an issue which is why both the upper and lower level seating will be open to students. In the event that both are full, we have the tents stationed around campus for students to eat outside.

If you have specific dietary needs, our food service is more than happy to accommodate a meal for you. Just reach out to them and communicate with them your dietary needs, and they can work with you to figure out a plan.

We are still working with the food service to ensure that the Coffey Cart will still be available in Loew-Brenn.

Many of the food will be served in clamshells to help keep everyone safe, however food will NOT be pre-packaged. Our main goal is to serve the least amount of pre-packaged food as possible.

The sub line will be open in the HUB when it opens in January, and there will be a sub line in the DC. It will be called something different, and it may look different than what we’re accustomed to because it is a different company.