The following email was sent to Maryville College students this afternoon.
MEMORANDUM
TO: Students
FROM: Dr. Melanie V. Tucker, Vice President & Dean of Students
RE: COVID-19 related updates
DATE: August 3, 2020
Typically, each August is a time filled with excitement and anxiety – from students, families, faculty, and staff. Questions arise regarding how the year will go, what successes and challenges students might experience, what new growth opportunities will present themselves. This year, COVID-19 is exacerbating such reflections – from personal to global levels.
I continue to hear from many of you about your excitement to come to campus, to return to coursework and learning beyond the classroom. Yet, I would be remiss to not acknowledge I am also hearing from some of you about your anxiety regarding whether coming to campus is the right choice for you – right now. I want you to know that I, and leaders across campus, urge you and support you, to make the decision that is best for you. Only you know what that is.
Over the summer staff and faculty have worked directly with students who have reached out, addressing questions and concerns raised about campus life and academic experiences this fall. Please know that we will continue to do so! Our hope is that as we address your questions and concerns, you will feel better prepared to navigate the semester ahead. With that in mind, I want to share the following COVID-19 related updates:
Residential Student Move-In
Sign-up for residential students to move-in began Sunday, August 2. If you intend to live on-campus this fall and didn’t receive a link to sign up for a time to move in, please contact the Office of Residence Life. Our Resident Directors and Resident Assistants are prepared to help residential students embrace the personal responsibility expectations you’ve been hearing about – to wear a mask, physically distance from others by 6’ or more, and wash your hands, along with residential policy shifts such as no overnight guests/visitors and reducing student visitations within the halls.
Expanded Student Health Services
Such personal responsibility takes a toll on all of us, which may include the mental health of you and/or your friends. Anticipating the need for increased support, the College partnered with Timely MD to provide Scots Health – a 24/7 telehealth service for students seeking medical and/or mental health support. As we get closer to the beginning of the fall semester, you’ll receive separate communication about how to access Scots Health online.
Changes in Office Access
The College embracing telehealth services reflects our commitment to support you in these uncertain times. As you come to campus this fall, know that parts of campus will look and feel different. What does that mean? Offices in which you are used to dropping by will now, primarily, require you to call ahead and/or make an appointment. This also means that some options previously offered between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. may be offered through extended, scheduled hours – with student access, health, and safety in mind.
Programming Changes and Guidance
To further support health and safety, the College has also reimagined the provision of many of its co-curricular programming opportunities. While the “gym” portion of Alumni Gym will not be available for free-play recreation, intramurals will have more outdoor opportunities along with online opportunities. The fitness center within Alumni Gym will be open, and students will have the opportunity to sign up for time slots to workout.
Additionally, advisors for our numerous clubs and organizations received programming guidance this past Friday, designed to help assist student leaders in providing engaging and safe activities and events on-campus and online. We are also scheduling training opportunities to help support all of our student leaders in planning student-led activities this fall.
Ongoing Communication and Support
With a continued focus on health and safety, the College has made an incredible effort to offer in-person experiences to members of our community. We endeavor to continue to do so. Through converting residence halls rooms from “doubles” to “singles,” postponing Athletic competitions, and shifting classroom meeting times and locations, we continue to embrace and reflect the guidance of local, state, and national leaders. This guidance also informed the development of quarantine and isolation processes for our residential students and the expectations for students who are sick, believe they might be sick, and/or might have been exposed to COVID-19 to work with me, as your COVID-19 Student Coordinator, and work with our student support group created to assist students impacted by COVID-19. Though issued this spring and summer, we will reissue these expectations, titled “COVID-19 Guidance for Students” before classes begin, to ensure you all have the most current information.
The fall 2020 semester will be a historic one - for Maryville College and for each and every one of you. College leadership remains optimistic that the semester will be one in which studying, preparing, and exploring still happen in significant and meaningful ways – particularly, as we each do our part to comply with community expectations, just as much as we care for our entire campus community.