Georgia Southern’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
As we manage this ever-changing situation with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Georgia Southern’s primary goal is to protect students, faculty, staff, and the community. While always continuing to adhere to direction from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Southern strives to keep our university community fully engaged in classroom, laboratory, clinical, experiential, extramural, and co-curricular environments.
March 9, 2021
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Public Health (DPH) have updated their quarantine guidance to provide new options for quarantine duration. After careful consultation with DPH, Georgia Southern has implemented the CDC option to reduce the duration of quarantine for persons identified as close contacts of a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 from 14 days to 10 days, except for those who are considered as fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people do not have to quarantine if they are exposed to a person with Covid-19 and if they, themselves, do not have any symptoms.
If you do not qualify as fully vaccinated and if you have been identified as a close contact of a confirmed positive case, you will be required to self-quarantine for 10 days after the day the contact occurred. This applies to any student, faculty or staff member already under self-quarantine. If you are currently self-quarantining because you are a close contact, the CARES Center will adjust your quarantine end date accordingly and will notify you (and your faculty and/or supervisors) of your new quarantine end date.
After completing the 10-day quarantine period, you should continue to monitor your health and follow mitigation strategies until 14 days after your most recent exposure. If symptoms develop, you should isolate immediately. Mitigation strategies that should be practiced include, but are not limited to, correct and consistent mask use, social distancing, hand and cough hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and avoiding large crowds.
It is important to note that this new quarantine guidance ONLY applies to asymptomatic close contacts. The isolation guidance for persons with symptoms and/or a positive COVID test result remains unchanged. Persons with symptoms and/or a positive COVID test result should self-isolate until their symptoms have improved, AND they have gone 24 hours without a fever, AND 10 days have passed since their symptoms started (or since their positive test was taken if they are asymptomatic).
These new guidelines for Georgia Southern have been developed after consultation with DPH and careful consideration of our resources, testing capabilities and our continued efforts to keep our campuses safe. Please contact the CARES Center with any questions.
Georgia Southern has enacted numerous guidelines and protocols to ensure Eagle Nation stays safe. For information on how our operations have changed, please review the FAQ below.
The COVID-19 situation is fluid, and guidance will very likely change over time, even after plans are prepared and adopted. Everyone at the university has an individual responsibility to contribute to proper behavior and to adhere to public health guidance to protect themselves and others as well as to help control the spread of the virus. Institutional controls are only as effective as the willingness of individuals to carry them out.
Contact the Georgia Southern University CARES Center for answers to all your COVID-19 related questions; to self-report test results and symptoms; get help evaluating your situation; and receive support for your COVID-19 related academic, employment and on-campus notification needs. There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
- Use the MyGS mobile app
- Complete the CARES Center COVID-19 self-reporting form available through the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal under the tile titled “COVID-19 Information & Resources.”
- Call 912-478-CARE (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Email covidsupport@georgiasouthern.edu
University Messages
Select audiences and/or categories to filter the list to relevant topics. You can also search for specific keywords within the email text (e.g. “mask” or “class”).
| Date Sent and Who | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sent May 17, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | May 17, 2021 COVID-19 vaccine availability on campus this week
New Guidance now available for vaccinated individualsUpdated direction from the University System of Georgia, which follows guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and is subject to change based on recommendations from DPH or Executive Orders from the Governor’s office, now means:
See more at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ under "View Updated USG COVID-19 Guidance." | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent May 13, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Updated guidance for Fall 2021 from the University System of GeorgiaAs we communicated in March, Georgia Southern plans for a full return to campus this fall, which means resuming “normal” operations with in-person instruction, research, events, service, and activities, and full dining and housing operations. The University System of Georgia today provided further guidance (attached) to help with our transition throughout the summer months in preparation for fall. As has been done since the beginning of this pandemic, this direction follows guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and is subject to change based on recommendations from DPH or Executive Orders from the Governor’s office. Every institution is expected to continue to educate and remind students, faculty, and staff of the individual responsibility to practice all of the behaviors known to reduce the spread of COVID-19, to include encouraging vaccination against the disease. Please see attached guidance. Georgia Southern will be updating signage and posted guidance accordingly. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent May 10, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | COVID-19 vaccine availability on campus this week Vaccine availability on campus this week:
The Moderna vaccine is for anyone 18 years and older and requires two doses to be fully effective. When you sign up for an appointment with Georgia Southern, a second appointment is automatically scheduled. Please note that those who received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on May 14 will be due to receive their second dose of the vaccine on June 11. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent May 3, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | May 3, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent April 26, 2021 to Faculty and Staff |
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| Sent April 23, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | WINGS UP, SLEEVES UP! | COVID-19 Vaccine appointments available now for April 30Appointments are now available for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for Friday, April 30 on the Statesboro Campus. Appointments must be made online in advance through the MyGS portal. Be sure to schedule today to reserve your spot! To schedule an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on the "COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form" under the heading of "COVID-19 Information and Resources.” The Moderna vaccine is for anyone 18 years and older and requires two doses to be fully effective. When you sign up for an appointment with Georgia Southern, a second appointment is automatically scheduled. Please note that those who receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on April 30 will be due to receive their second dose of the vaccine on May 28, after the semester ends. NEW: Check out our new online COVID-19 messaging toolkit, including an email signature, videos and yard signs. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent April 19, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | April 19, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Once you have met the criteria above to be considered fully vaccinated, the CDC reports that you can:
If you have been fully vaccinated, the CDC reports that you should not:
All staff will be asked to arrive for their shifts two hours prior to the start of the ceremony. Staff who work on Saturday, May 8, will be expected to work with their supervisor to adjust their work schedule for the week of commencement, or alternatively, be provided compensatory time for their efforts. Sign-up is online.
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| Sent April 16, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | WINGS UP, SLEEVES UP! | COVID-19 Vaccine appointments available now for April 21April 16, 2021 Appointments are now available for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for Wednesday, April 21, on the Statesboro Campus. Appointments must be made online in advance through the MyGS portal. Be sure to schedule today to reserve your spot! To schedule an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on the "COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form" under the heading of "COVID-19 Information and Resources." The Moderna vaccine is for anyone 18 years and older and requires two doses to be fully effective. When you sign up for an appointment with Georgia Southern, a second appointment is automatically scheduled. Please note that those who receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on April 21 will be due to receive their second dose of the vaccine on May 19, after the semester ends. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent April 13, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Important updates about vaccine distribution this weekFollowing guidance from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), Georgia Southern will not be administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Friday in Statesboro. Instead, Georgia Southern will provide the Moderna vaccine. Vaccines will be distributed in the MAC Gym in the RAC on the Statesboro Campus and appointments must be made online in advance through the MyGS portal. To schedule an appointment for this Friday, go to the MyGS portal and click on the “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” The Moderna vaccine is for anyone 18 years and older and requires two doses to be fully effective. When you sign up for an appointment with Georgia Southern, a second appointment is automatically scheduled. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent April 12, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | April 12, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent April 9, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine available in Statesboro Friday, April 16Georgia Southern has received its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine -- which requires only one dose -- and will be distributing it to eligible students, faculty and staff on Friday, April 16, in the MAC gym at the RAC on the Statesboro campus. Johnson & Johnson is the only one-shot COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use in the United States. Having this vaccine available on campus now means those who receive the shot do not need to return to campus for a second dose after the semester ends. To make an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Appointments are available online only on a first-come, first-served basis for Georgia Southern faculty, staff and students. Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be administered indoors and all clinics require registration ahead of time. A designated parking area will be marked for vaccine recipients and signage will direct you to the proper entrance to the MAC gym. The CDC recommends everyone should get the first COVID-19 vaccine that is available and while all COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, the CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another. More about the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is approved for people aged 18 years and older, is available online. Additional vaccine distribution days are being planned on both campuses. Updates will be sent by email. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent April 5, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Appointments now available for Wednesday's COVID-19 vaccination clinic on the Statesboro CampusAppointments are now available for this week's drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic, specifically for GS faculty, staff, and students. The clinic will be held on Wednesday, April 7, on the Statesboro Campus. Georgia Southern is currently using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are made available, free of charge, to our faculty, staff and students. Appointments are now available, online-only, on a first-come, first-served basis. To make an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Additional distribution days are being planned on both campuses. Updates will be sent by email. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent April 5, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | April 5, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Six Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent April 1, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Gratitude – Spring is in the air!Dear Colleagues, April 1, 2021 As I start this message to you on this first day of April, with spring blooming, I am celebrating two years as President of Georgia Southern University. Since my first official day on April 1, 2019, we have experienced many challenges and successes. What I’ve come to know and understand is that we grow most when we are faced with adversity and challenges, and this is evidenced by what we have experienced the last two years. Together, we have persevered, adapted, innovated, improved and grown. We have depended on one another with a “can-do” attitude and an emerging sense of positivity and trust in a future full of hope. I am so grateful and thankful to have been granted this opportunity to be the President of Georgia Southern University during this important time in our history. Thank you! As we reflect upon exactly one year ago – toggling over to fully online instruction for the remainder of spring 2020 – I want to acknowledge not only the incredible effort of our faculty to reimagine how we deliver more than 5,000 courses fully online, but to also herald our staff, many of whom, as designated essential personnel, came to campus every day during this time – ensuring technology, admissions, financial aid, HR, payroll, facilities, grounds, custodial and health and safety continued to function at the highest level. Thank you! Now, a year later, we emerge into spring 2021 with much to celebrate! The General Assembly closed out the 2021 legislative session yesterday, and we are thrilled to report that the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center was fully funded in the budget as passed by the Legislature. I want to give a special thanks to Majority Leader Jon Burns for his leadership and support and to the Georgia Southern legislative delegation for their efforts in seeing this project to fruition. The FY22 state budget also includes formula growth funding for the USG. Over the next few weeks, bills that have passed the Legislature will be sent to the Governor’s desk for signing consideration, including a bill to expand the Logistics Innovation Corridor map to encompass a six-county region inclusive of all of our campus locations. Also heading to the Governor’s desk is a bill to extend our ability to carryforward 3% of our tuition revenue as well as a bill that will grant all state employees the ability to take up to three weeks of paid parental leave. Upon final approval of the budget, the Board of Regents will provide our specific institutional budget information and, as we always do, we will provide transparent budget reporting to all campus constituents. We are grateful for the continued support of the Governor, our local delegation, and the Board of Regents. Thank you! It is also time for us to show our gratitude and thanks to our outstanding faculty, staff and teams during our upcoming University Awards of Excellence. Award recipients will be announced Friday at 10:00 a.m. via email to all faculty and staff with a link to read more about each of our outstanding recipients and a congratulatory message from me! This year, we had 147 individual nominations and 10 team nominations. We will award 21 individual and 1 team award aligned with our institutional values and pillars of our university strategic plan. In addition, we will honor 408 faculty and staff for years of service ranging from 5 to 30 years – over 4,000 years of service in totality. Wow, and thank you! Over the next several weeks, we will continue our journey of growth and improvement by sharing the results of both our institutional Climate Survey and our Employee Engagement Survey. The Climate Survey institutional results will be presented by Dr. TaJuan Wilson on Wednesday, April 7, at 1:00 p.m., and the Employee Engagement Survey results will be presented to campus on Monday, April 12, at 10:00 a.m. Look for more information through email and the Midweek Memo. Both presentations will be recorded and posted, and immediately following the campus presentation, divisional and unit reports will be provided as we begin our roll out and action plan development. I want to thank our faculty and staff for their participation in these voluntary surveys – reaching over 77% participation for the Employee Engagement Survey. That’s an amazing participation rate and will provide us with comprehensive data and information to grow ourselves to grow others. Thank you! Finally, I am proud to be part of an institution that is able to provide COVID-19 vaccines on both its Statesboro and Armstrong campuses. We have already provided approximately 2,000 vaccinations through our closed pod vaccination sites, and now that the Governor has opened up eligibility to the general population, we will come close to doubling that number this week. Additionally, we are exploring ways to continue partnering with our communities to expand vaccine availability. A few open appointments remain for our drive-through vaccine clinic on Friday in Statesboro. If you wish to sign up, register through your my.georgiasouthern account as soon as possible. As more vaccine appointment slots become available, we will continue to notify you through email. Spring is in the air and with that a sense of hope and positivity as we navigate our future together. I invite you to take a moment and think of all that you are grateful for – family, friends, and being part of an institution that transforms lives and serves communities. Sincerely, People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others! | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent March 30, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | March 30, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent March 29, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | More appointments available for Friday’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution in StatesboroGeorgia Southern has scheduled additional appointments on Friday, April 2 for its drive-through vaccination clinic specifically for GS faculty, staff, and students. Georgia Southern is currently using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. Appointments are now available, online-only, on a first-come, first-served basis for Friday April 2 at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro. To make an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Additional distribution days are being planned on both campuses. Updates will be sent by email. All appointments have been filled for Tuesday’s vaccine distribution on the Armstrong campus in Savannah. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 25, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | COVID-19 vaccines reserved for GS faculty, staff, and students will be available next weekAs vaccine eligibility expands in Georgia to all adults, Georgia Southern has scheduled two drive-through vaccination clinics next week specifically for GS faculty, staff, and students. Georgia Southern is currently using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. Appointments are now available on a first-come, first-served basis for Georgia Southern faculty, staff, and students for Tuesday, March 30, at the Armstrong Campus in Savannah AND for Friday, April 2, on the Statesboro campus. To make an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are made available, free of charge, to our faculty, staff and students. Additional distribution days are being planned on both campuses. Updates will be sent by email. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent March 22, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | March 22, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Six Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent March 15, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Additional appointments have been added for tomorrow’s (3/16) vaccine distribution at the Armstrong Campus in Savannah. If you qualify and tried before to make an appointment but found all slots filled, please try again now. Appointments also are still available for March 24 on the Statesboro Campus for anyone who GDPH lists as currently eligible for the COVID vaccine in Georgia AND who lives or works in Georgia. To make an appointment, go to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” To accommodate Georgia Southern’s vaccine distribution plan, the Science Center parking lot and all of Arts Drive parking on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah will be closed most of the day tomorrow (3/16). As a reminder, Georgia Southern is a designated COVID-19 vaccine provider by the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) and administers doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, as they are available, free of charge to populations within our faculty, staff and students who GDPH lists as currently eligible for the COVID vaccine in Georgia. GDPH says the following groups are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia:
*Health professions students enrolled in clinical rotations in Georgia and students who are student teaching or serving in other roles in Georgia in Pre-K, K-12, DECAL licensed or exempt childcare programs are also considered eligible. **Georgia Southern is currently using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. For individuals aged 16 and 17 who are in an eligible population for vaccination, Pfizer is the only vaccine currently approved for these ages. To locate a Pfizer vaccine provider, click here. Please do not wait for our vaccine distribution if you are able to get the vaccine sooner from your local health department or other outlets. Members of our university family who qualify for a vaccine in their community are encouraged to take advantage of those opportunities should they wish to receive a vaccine. If you have any questions, please contact the CARES Center at covidsupport@georgiasouthern.edu or by phone at 912-478-CARE (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 12, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | March 12, 2021 As a designated COVID-19 vaccine provider by the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), Georgia Southern University will be administering a limited number of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on March 16 on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and on March 24 on the Statesboro campus, free of charge, to populations within our faculty, staff and students who GDPH lists as currently eligible for the COVID vaccine in Georgia. As of Monday (3/15), GDPH says the following groups are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia:
*Health professions students enrolled in clinical rotations in Georgia and students who are student teaching or serving in other roles in Georgia in Pre-K, K-12, DECAL licensed or exempt childcare programs are also considered eligible. **Georgia Southern is currently using the Moderna vaccine, which is only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. For individuals aged 16 and 17 who are in an eligible population for vaccination, Pfizer is the only vaccine currently approved for these ages. To locate a Pfizer vaccine provider, click here. Vaccines will be administered via a drive-through system by appointment only on Tuesday, March 16 on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, and on Wednesday, March 24 on the Statesboro campus. Any Georgia Southern faculty, staff or student who qualifies is eligible to sign up for either day/campus. If you meet any of the criteria listed above AND you live or work in Georgia, you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in Georgia and invited to make an appointment for an on-campus vaccine distribution. Please go immediately to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Please do not wait for our vaccine distribution if you are able to get the vaccine sooner from your local health department or other outlets. Members of our university family who qualify for a vaccine in their community are encouraged to take advantage of those opportunities should they wish to receive a vaccine. If you have any questions, please contact the CARES Center at covidsupport@georgiasouthern.edu or by phone at 912-478-CARE (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 8, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Dear Colleagues, March 8, 2021 March is well underway, and we are now in our ninth week of the semester – the week leading into spring break – wow! It is hard to believe one year ago we made the decision to transition to fully online instruction. I don’t think any of us could’ve predicted the last twelve months. We persevered through difficult challenges - adapting, innovating, learning, teaching, researching, and growing ourselves to grow others! Sincerely, People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others! | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent March 6, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | As a designated COVID-19 vaccine provider by the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), Georgia Southern University will be administering a limited number of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week on both the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses, free of charge, to populations within our faculty, staff and students who GDPH lists as currently eligible for the COVID vaccine in Georgia. Currently GDPH says the following groups are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia:
*Health professions students enrolled in clinical rotations in Georgia and students who are student teaching or serving in other roles in Georgia in Pre-K, K-12, DECAL licensed or exempt childcare programs are also considered eligible. Vaccines will be administered via a drive-through system by appointment only on Wednesday, March 10 on the Statesboro campus, and on Friday, March 12 on the Armstrong campus in Savannah. Any Georgia Southern faculty, staff or student who qualifies is eligible to sign up for either day/campus. Note that the Moderna vaccine is only approved for persons age 18 years and older. Persons under the age of 18 are not eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine. If you meet any of the criteria listed above AND you live or work in Georgia, you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination in Georgia and invited to make an appointment for an on-campus vaccine distribution. Please go immediately to the MyGS portal and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Form” under the heading of “COVID-19 Information and Resources.” Please do not wait for our vaccine distribution if you are able to get the vaccine sooner from your local health department or other outlets. Members of our university family who qualify for a vaccine in their community are encouraged to take advantage of those opportunities should they wish to receive a vaccine. If you have any questions, please contact the CARES Center at covidsupport@georgiasouthern.edu or by phone at 912-478-CARE (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 5, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | From President Marrero: Looking ahead to summer and fall semester at Georgia Southern Eagle Nation, March 5, 2021 It was almost one year ago that we transitioned our spring 2020 semester to fully online instruction. I don’t think any of us could have predicted how much we were challenged and how much we have grown over the last twelve months. Today, our COVID-19 numbers, like the region, state, and country, are trending down significantly and we continue to provide vaccines to our eligible faculty, staff, and students -- anticipating expanded availability of the COVID-19 vaccine through the spring and summer months. As we look ahead, what does that mean for Georgia Southern? The 2021 summer semester will look much like this spring, with our normal mix of online and face-to-face course offerings, some very innovative lab and studio delivery options for our students, and an expanding array of opportunities to engage our communities on campus. All our safety protocols, as guided by the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), will remain in place this summer. At home and on campus, we must continue to Do Right by limiting face-to-face gatherings, remaining socially distant, wearing face-coverings, and washing our hands. Please visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ to review the protocols and guidance our university community will continue to follow into the summer months. Sincerely, | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 2, 2021 to Faculty | Dear Faculty, The global pandemic has resulted in challenges to the emotional and mental well-being of our faculty, staff, and students, and is a growing concern on our campuses. Human Resources has pushed out information regarding mental health resources for faculty and staff, which I include here for your use. You should have also received a crisis intervention resource packet for students in your campus mailbox. This H.E.R.O. (Helping Eagles Recognize Distress & Offer Support) folder has been designed to assist you in supporting a student or colleague in distress and connect them with the appropriate resources. For those of you currently unable to come to campus, here is the link to the digital version. At the next Chairs Council meeting, we will be providing some additional information about these resources. I also hope that you have heard about the ad hoc emotional and mental well-being committee proposed by your associate deans. The committee has three goals: better identify mental health challenges currently faced by the faculty, identify potential practical solutions, and work with a team of chairs and faculty who have experience and expertise in emotional and mental well-being in order to provide realistic and actionable recommendations that (where possible) can be adapted and implemented in cooperation with the University’s administration. This committee of associate deans is currently working through the first of two phases. Please be on the lookout for messages from them about this process, and please thank them for working at a truly impressive speed. Thank you for your continued concern and support for our students and each other. Please stay safe. Sincerely, Carl L. Reiber | Faculty | |
| Sent March 1, 2021 to Students | March 1, 2021
Thank you for your understanding during this temporary situation while these lots are being used to enact our vaccine distribution plan, in accordance with GDPH Phase 1A+ criteria.
Anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should visit their website often as the participating vaccine site locations list will be updated frequently. Additional locations statewide will be added when providers are ready to safely administer vaccines, and as vaccine supply allows. Public health departments are scheduling vaccines by appointment only, as are most other providers. In Bulloch County, the Southeast Health District reports they are scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Find out more at https://www.sehdph.org/. For up-to-date COVID-19 information in Chatham and Liberty counties, where the district reports they continue to actively vaccinate, visit https://covid19.gachd.org/. Georgia Southern has been designated as a provider of the vaccine in accordance with the phased approach established by the Centers for Disease and Control and Georgia Department of Public Health, currently DPH criteria is for Phase 1A+. When more details and/or vaccines are available, information will be passed along as quickly as possible. We encourage members of our University community who qualify for a vaccine to take advantage of any opportunity to receive one. In support of our employees being vaccinated against COVID-19, we are asking supervisors to be as flexible as possible with employee work schedules to allow everyone the opportunity to receive both doses of the vaccine. Georgia Southern has established a vaccine website for more information at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/vaccine/.
Students who meet one of the two criteria outlined above may receive SNAP benefits if they meet all other financial and non-financial SNAP eligibility criteria. The new, temporary exemptions will be in effect until 30 days after the COVID-19 public health emergency is lifted. More information can be found on the SNAP benefits for students webpage and Q&A on student eligibility.
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| Sent March 1, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | March 1, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Thank you for your understanding during this temporary situation while these lots are being used to enact our vaccine distribution plan, in accordance with GDPH Phase 1A+ criteria.
Anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should visit their website often as the participating vaccine site locations list will be updated frequently. Additional locations statewide will be added when providers are ready to safely administer vaccines, and as vaccine supply allows. Public health departments are scheduling vaccines by appointment only, as are most other providers. In Bulloch County, the Southeast Health District reports that they are scheduling COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Find out more at https://www.sehdph.org/. For up-to-date COVID-19 information in Chatham and Liberty counties, where the district reports that they continue to actively vaccinate, visit https://covid19.gachd.org/. Georgia Southern has been designated as a provider of the vaccine in accordance with the phased approach established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia Department of Public Health, currently DPH criteria is for Phase 1A+. When more details and/or vaccines are available, information will be passed along as quickly as possible. We encourage members of our University community who qualify for a vaccine to take advantage of any opportunity to receive one. In support of our employees being vaccinated against COVID-19, we are asking supervisors to be as flexible as possible with employee work schedules to allow everyone the opportunity to receive both doses of the vaccine. Georgia Southern has established a vaccine website for more information at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/vaccine/.
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent February 24, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Identifying caregivers of persons age 65 and older for COVID-19 vaccinesAs Georgia Southern University receives COVID-19 vaccines to be administered to faculty, staff and students who meet GDPH Phase 1A+ criteria, one of the eligible groups within this population is caregivers of persons age 65 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines caregivers as: Caregivers provide care to people who need some degree of ongoing assistance with everyday tasks on a regular or daily basis. The recipients of care can live either in residential or institutional settings, range from children to older adults, and have chronic illnesses or disabling conditions. If you feel you meet the CDC definition of a caregiver and would like to be notified when Georgia Southern has vaccines available to distribute, please click this link: https://forms.gle/bv6G2GsEFpxZzVf9A You can also find the link in the COVID-19 tab within MyGS. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent February 22, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | February 22, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
You will receive an email invitation to participate in the survey on March 1, and the survey will remain open through March 15.
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent February 15, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | February 15, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent February 10, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | A February Update from President Marrero Dear Colleagues, Feb. 10, 2021 We are now well into the second month of our spring semester! Certainly, we still face obstacles due to COVID-19 – its economic impact and the hardships on people and families – as well as the unrest that continues to challenge our country and our communities. At Georgia Southern, we have set a course to strive for excellence, to achieve Inclusive Excellence on our campuses and the communities we serve, to keep our campus communities safe, and in this journey, continue to grow individually and collectively, guided by our principles and our values. There is no doubt in my mind that we have been largely successful these past nine months and have grown in our appreciation of the collective intellect and impact of our work together. In this, we must never forget our mission – to educate and serve our students! Speaking of students and our mission to educate, we are excited to announce several significant philanthropic contributions that will support our students and further elevate our nationally recognized academic programs. This week, the Board of Regents approved the naming of the department of music to become the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music with a $3M gift commitment plus the Gretsch Collection of historic drums, guitars, and company archives! Downtown Savannah has already been identified as an exhibit venue for the Gretsch Collection, as Georgia Southern is establishing the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music Performance Stage at the Atlantic Building of the new downtown Plant Riverside District. In the last few weeks, we also received the second-largest estate gift to date by the Georgia Southern University Foundation – a $1.48M gift from the Castle family to provide scholarship support for our College of Education students! These types of gifts are transformational - impacting students, programs, and our communities for generations to come. Also this week, the Board of Regents approved the naming of our planned convocation center, the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center. Together, Ruth Ann (a triple Eagle) and Senator Jack Hill ('66 alum) left an indelible mark on Georgia Southern, southeast Georgia and the state. This building will be a tremendous addition to our Statesboro campus, for our community, and for our students. We are grateful to the Governor and the Legislature for supporting this project, which will be an important reminder of the generational impact made by Jack and Ruth Ann Hill. My thanks also to all of you who contributed to our annual For the Love of Blue campaign, which wraps up on Feb. 14. It sends a powerful message to our external donors when they see the level of support exhibited by our faculty and staff – those who are closest to the students we impact every day. Recently, you received an email from me and from your divisional leaders announcing the administration of an Employee Engagement survey. The purpose of the survey is to gain input from all employees about their work environment, what is working well and where there may be opportunities for improvement. I know the timing (March 1 - 15) is not ideal, in that viewpoints may or may not be conflated due to the challenges mentioned earlier...but, I believe our future path of improvement must include your input and engagement...and there is not a better time to start than now! Your participation will be important to help all of us create an engaging work environment that supports growing ourselves as highlighted in our strategic plan. As we work through this month and for the remainder of the semester, I challenge us to model civil discourse and a shared commitment to continuous improvement and caring for each other. Guided by our values and our mission, we will propel our institution to the future beyond COVID-19. That future is indeed bright for Eagle Nation! Sincerely, People. Purpose. Action: Growing Ourselves to Grow Others! | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent February 8, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | February 8, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent February 1, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Feb. 1, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
For more information, visit https://news.georgiasouthern.edu/my/2021/01/20/electronic-w-2s-now-available-in-oneusg-connect/
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent January 25, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Jan. 25, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent January 19, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Jan. 19, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent January 11, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Dear Colleagues, Jan. 11, 2021 Happy New Year and welcome back to a new spring semester! I hope you had a chance to recoup, rest, and prepare and ready yourself for a continuation of serving our students and communities. I know we are all ready to say goodbye to 2020, and although 2021 has already started with some challenges, I look forward to a new year with greater hope and belief of a return to some degree of normal. First, I want to start this message with recognition and gratitude to you – our faculty and staff! Together, we demonstrated that we are able to innovate, adapt, and continuously improve to provide a safe, quality educational experience. Last semester, we welcomed a record freshman class, managed through an early spike in positive cases with our CARES Center, celebrated Homecoming in new and innovative ways, competed in intercollegiate athletics (one of only two teams to play 13 games, finishing with a bowl win), and ended the semester with five face-to-face commencement ceremonies celebrating the success of our 2,100 graduates. Most importantly, we have learned so much and we are ready to engage our students in our Spring 2021 semester! As we resume classes this week, it is critical that we remain vigilant in our safety protocols – wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, etc.! With COVID-19 cases increasing in our region, it will be especially important that all our instruction, student activities, and events continue to follow all health and safety guidelines. We have worked to create more face-to-face opportunities in the classroom and student activities for the Spring semester but they will only be successful if we continue to practice what we know works. We are preparing for first-phase implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine for campus individuals aligned with current DPH criteria for Phase 1a. We continue our plans to be a provider of the vaccine for our students, faculty, staff and immediate families in accordance with the phased approach established by the CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health. Further details of phased dissemination and timeline will be forthcoming. Until that time, the Southeast and Coastal health districts are offering vaccines starting this week by appointment, to select groups. We encourage members of our campus community and family who qualify for a vaccine to take advantage of this opportunity. Read about Georgia's COVID-19 vaccine plan and see the Georgia DPH COVID-19 Vaccine Status Dashboard at https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine/. Additional updates and opportunities: As you can see, we are growing and will continue to grow and improve – not for our own sake, but to impact others! This is, and must continue to be, our goal even during challenging times. During this break, I was able to do some reading and was reminded of a quote by Viktor Frankl: "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." With 2020 behind us and 2021 still representing challenges…we will continue to change, adapt, innovate, and learn from each other! Sincerely, | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent January 8, 2021 to Students | Dear Students: Happy New Year! As we begin the spring 2021 semester, we are excited to let you know Georgia Southern is enhancing its student mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a new University System of Georgia (USG) initiative. We want you to be successful because successful students are healthy students! While the pandemic focused a lot of attention on the physical health habits of remaining socially distant, wearing a face covering and washing your hands, the mental health impact of this pandemic is significant, and many of you asked for more resources. We are excited about our expanded ability to allow every student to have access to support whenever and wherever they need it. Remember, Health Services is available for all your physical health concerns and that Student Wellness & Health Promotion can help you identify positive behaviors and coping strategies related to a healthy lifestyle. For all your mental health needs, our Counseling Center is available for students at Armstrong, Liberty, and Statesboro campuses. The Counseling Center is your resource for individual therapy, same-day sessions, after-hours crisis response, and drop-in workshops. Thanks to the new USG initiative, we are expanding services to include:
Look for more information on these expanded services this semester. The Georgia Southern University Counseling Center has two locations: Statesboro: Savannah (Armstrong): The Counseling Center clinicians provide services on an individual, relationship, and group basis at no additional cost to those enrolled as full-time students at Georgia Southern. Hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday except on official holidays. You can call 912-478-5541 to schedule an appointment or access a counselor anytime by selecting option 2. We both want our community to be one where we support one another. If you see someone who is distressed or at risk for suicide, Step In & Speak Out. It’s Our House. It’s Our People. It’s Our Purpose. It Takes Our Action. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of us at the contact information below. Stay well and have a great semester! Sincerely, Shay Davis Little, Ph.D. Kahria Hadley | Students | |
| Sent January 7, 2021 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Jan. 7, 2021 COVID-19 vaccinations have begun in Georgia, an effort coordinated through the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). Georgia Southern is taking steps to plan for vaccine deployment to our faculty, staff and students in accordance with the phased approach established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH). More information will be forthcoming regarding vaccine availability and distribution process on our campuses. Until that time, the Southeast and Coastal health districts are offering vaccines starting Monday, Jan. 11, by appointment, to select groups, including:
Members of our campus community and families who qualify for a vaccine as noted above are encouraged to take advantage of this benefit through the health department, should they wish to receive a vaccine at no cost.
The DPH continues to offer free COVID-19 testing in our areas. An appointment is required.
Because of your vigilance, the fall semester showed the effectiveness of the precautions and planning we undertook to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. Thank you for your care and partnership last semester – now, we must continue these efforts, which include wearing a face covering, avoiding large groups, washing our hands and remaining socially distant from others. These guidelines, and much more, for employees are archived online at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/campus-health-faculty-staff/. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent January 6, 2021 to Faculty | Dear Faculty, Happy New Year and welcome back for the Spring 2021 term. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable winter break. It was some well-deserved time off. As we turn our attention to the Spring, I want to reiterate that we will be delivering our curricula the same way we did for the Fall. As such, please make sure you and your students follow all COVID-19 guidelines and protocols established by the CDC and the Georgia Department of Health, and our institutional policies. Additionally, here are a few quick reminders to get our term off to a successful and safe start:
We did a great job of preventing the spread of the virus in the Fall, and to ensure a safe and successful Spring, we must not let our guards down. Thank you again for your continued adherence to our health and safety protocols and to keeping each other safe. Sincerely, Carl L. Reiber | Faculty | |
| Sent January 4, 2021 to Faculty and Staff | Jan. 4, 2021 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
When you’re a True Blue Eagle, you do what Erk said — Do Right.
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
Look for more information soon at https://students.georgiasouthern.edu/. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent December 23, 2020 to Faculty | Dear Faculty, I want to thank everyone for doing a great job this semester in helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19. By following the guidelines and protocols established by the CDC, the Georgia Department of Health, and our institutional policies, we were able to complete the semester with minimal disruptions. Thank you for doing your part in this effort. As we go into the winter and Spring term, I want to remind everyone of the need for all of us to stay vigilant. Toward the end of the Fall term, there were a few instances where faculty, staff, and students strayed away from our guidelines and protocols, resulting in several close contacts with positive cases. It’s human nature to want to convene and catch up with friends and colleagues once we return from winter break, but we must remember how important it is to remain vigilant as the virus continues to be a threat in our state and across the nation. Please follow our policies, practice social distancing, and wear masks when social distancing is not possible. For more resources on how to minimize the spread of the virus, please visit the university’s COVID-19 information web page. The new year brings hope as the vaccine availability becomes more widespread, and we look forward with anticipation to improved conditions in the future. Until then, thank you for your continued adherence to our health and safety protocols and to keeping each other safe. Please have a happy and safe holiday season and winter break. Sincerely, Carl L. Reiber | Faculty | |
| Sent December 21, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Dec. 21, 2020 In accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Bulloch County (at the Bulloch County Health Department, 1 West Altman Street)
Savannah/Chatham County (at the Savannah Civic Center, 301 West Oglethorpe Ave.)
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
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| Sent December 14, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Dec. 14, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
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| Sent December 11, 2020 to Students | Dec. 11, 2020 Dear Students: As we finish up finals and prepare to honor our graduates at commencement, now is certainly the time to reflect on a milestone year, to applaud your resilience and resourcefulness, and to commend you for navigating through a semester unlike any we have ever experienced. I want to take a moment to acknowledge what we have accomplished this year. You worked through classes, tests, projects, research and other assignments with masks, Zoom, social distancing requirements and a list of other precautions. You helped welcome in a record-breaking class of first-year students and an overall enrollment increase of 3.45% over fall 2019! Not only did we attract an unprecedented number of new students, but our faculty and staff’s ability to excel in educating, preparing, and supporting our students contributed to a post-consolidation record-high 79% retention rate from freshman to sophomore year as well as record four- and six-year graduation rates. Other outstanding accomplishments that come to mind include a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support training and experiences for underrepresented minority students, the work of our CARES Center to help monitor and prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses, the resiliency of our student-athletes and athletics staff to adhere to strict public health guidelines so they can continue to represent Eagle Nation on the field/court, the launching of our first Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, the approval of new degree programs, the elevation of the Honors Program to an Honors College, and many more! I am sure that each of you can share a story of a mentor, professor, or fellow student who went above and beyond for our students or our community. Those stories are the ones that have far-reaching impact and illustrate the transformative power of education here at Georgia Southern, and I am thrilled – but not surprised – that these occurrences have continued during a global pandemic that has changed the way we do almost everything. We have shown our ability to be nimble and responsive, while still working together to accomplish our goals. Please take a moment to congratulate yourself and thank someone who helped. As we look to the start of spring semester, we do so with a plan to engage more with students and to increase the number of true face-to-face courses. Building on what we learned during the fall term, we have made some improvements to course scheduling and class descriptions as we continue to adhere to social distancing and health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of our learning environments. Of course, we will continue to assess all business continuity measures and remain in communication with government and community leaders, GDPH, and healthcare partners to ensure we can continue to meet public health guidelines and our core mission of student success. As we learned during the fall semester, our protocols and precautions do work when followed. It truly is important for the safety of our entire community that each of us to continue wearing a face covering, remaining socially distance, washing our hands, staying home when sick, calling into the CARES Center, and following public health guidelines. When we return in January, our new Engineering and Research Building will be open to students! This $65 million learning center provides new opportunities for Georgia Southern to continue leading South Georgia in research and economic development. This three-story facility, encompassing more than 135,000 square feet of laboratory and collaborative learning space, will provide access to advanced technologies that will prepare our students to meet the changing needs of the industry and the training to meet the demands of the workforce of today and tomorrow. As we finish this semester strong, I hope you will join me in cheering on our Eagles against App State at home this weekend! I also look forward to honoring our graduates next week through five in-person commencement ceremonies, all with thorough health and safety measures in place! You can watch the ceremonies live on the university’s Facebook pages or at www.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/commencement. Thank you again for a very successful semester. Jane, Lily, and I wish you a restful, safe winter break and a very Happy Holiday! Kyle Marrero | Students | |
| Sent December 11, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | A time to reflect – the December message from President Marrero Dear Colleagues, Dec. 11, 2020 As we finish up finals and prepare to honor our graduates at commencement, now is certainly the time to reflect on a milestone year, to applaud our resilience and resourcefulness, and to commend one another for navigating through a semester unlike any we have ever experienced. I want to take a moment to acknowledge what we have accomplished this year. Ultimately, your efforts contributed to a record-breaking class of first-year students and an overall enrollment increase of 3.45% over fall 2019! Not only did we attract an unprecedented number of new students, but our faculty and staff’s ability to excel in educating, preparing, and supporting our students contributed to a post-consolidation record-high 79% retention rate from freshman to sophomore year as well as record four- and six-year graduation rates. Other outstanding accomplishments include a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support training and experiences for underrepresented minority students, the work of our CARES Center to help monitor and prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses, the resiliency of our student-athletes and athletics staff to adhere to strict public health guidelines so they can continue to represent Eagle Nation on the field/court, the launching of our first Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, the approval of new degree programs, the elevation of the Honors Program to an Honors College, and many more! It’s likely that each of you can share a story of a colleague who went above and beyond for a student or for another colleague. Those stories are the ones that have far-reaching impact and illustrate the transformative power of education here at Georgia Southern, and I am thrilled – but not surprised – that these occurrences have continued during a global pandemic that has changed the way we do almost everything. We have shown our ability to be nimble and responsive, while still working together to accomplish our goals and most importantly, serve our students. Please take a moment to congratulate yourself and your colleagues. As we look to the start of spring semester, we do so with a plan to engage more with students and to increase the number of true face-to-face courses. Building on what we learned during the fall term, we have made some improvements to course scheduling and class descriptions as we continue to adhere to social distancing and health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of our learning environments. We will continue to assess all business continuity measures and remain in communication with government and community leaders, GDPH, and healthcare partners to ensure we can continue to meet public health guidelines and our core mission of student success. When we return in January, our new Engineering and Research Building will be open to students! This $65 million learning center provides new opportunities for Georgia Southern to continue leading South Georgia in research and economic development. This three-story facility, encompassing more than 135,000 square feet of laboratory and collaborative learning space, will provide access to advanced technologies that will prepare our students to meet the changing needs of the industry and the training to meet the demands of the workforce of today and tomorrow. As we finish this semester strong, I hope you will join me in cheering on our Eagles against App State at home this weekend! I also look forward to honoring our graduates next week through five in-person commencement ceremonies, all with thorough health and safety measures in place! Thank you again for a very successful semester. Jane, Lily, and I wish you a restful, safe winter break and a very Happy Holiday! Sincerely, | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent December 7, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Dec. 7, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Six Things You Should Know This Week:
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
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| Sent December 1, 2020 to Students | Dec. 1, 2020 Welcome back; remember to Do Right! Take care of yourself; resources are available to help. Holiday lighting ceremonies Register to vote in Georgia’s runoff election Extended library hours | Students | |
| Sent November 30, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Nov. 30, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent November 23, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Nov. 23, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent November 19, 2020 to Students | Good morning! As we all approach a much-needed Thanksgiving break, we want to thank each of you for how you have contributed to what can only be hailed as a very successful semester. When we began the fall 2020 semester, we followed a detailed plan that relied a great deal on individual responsibility. Especially when we saw a spike in COVID numbers at the beginning of this term, there were -- understandably -- a lot of questions about how this semester would unfold. Now, after completing 13 full weeks of classes at Georgia Southern, your actions have played a significant part in preventing the spread of this virus on our campus. So, thank you for that and for Doing Right. For those who are traveling next week, please know that, especially during a pandemic, you should treat your home family just as you have your university family. Continue to remain vigilant in exercising responsibility both on and off campus so we can continue to keep our university community safe. Remember to wear face coverings, remain socially distant from others, and wash your hands frequently! The CDC has put together some tips so that we can all enjoy Thanksgiving activities while also taking steps to protect yourself from getting or spreading COVID-19. When you return to campus, remember that we are all connected in ways we never thought about before. The practices you exhibit away from campus could have an impact on the operations on campus upon your return. Your diligence is key to keeping our campuses protected and will help us finish the semester safely. As communicated to you previously, when you sign up for classes in the spring semester, you will see that we are increasing the number of face-to-face course offerings by expanding class times throughout the week. We are, of course, still following all public health and safety guidelines to include appropriate social distancing standards for students and faculty in classrooms. When you register for spring semester, you will see that we have clearly identified the course mode of delivery for each class. We have asked faculty to update their Folio sites as soon as possible with at least a basic syllabus and mode of course delivery. We want to be as transparent as possible with students about course delivery in the Spring. Please consult the course instructor or your academic advisor should you have questions. We wish you a safe, healthy, and relaxing break. You deserve it!. Go Eagles! Dr. Brian Deloach Dr. Shay Little | Students | |
| Sent November 19, 2020 to Students | Dear Students and Parents, As we move closer to the end of the year and solidify plans for the Spring 2021 semester, students may see some changes in a course’s delivery mode, location, and/or times when they register for Spring classes. As part of our commitment to provide a more traditional learning environment while continuing to adhere to health and safety protocols, we have broadened the times that courses are scheduled, and we are working hard to reduce the number of sub-sectioned courses by moving classes to larger rooms where possible. While our priority is to provide opportunities for students to engage directly with their faculty by increasing the number of more traditional face-to-face courses where possible, we will still see some courses traditionally taught face-to-face move to an online format this Spring. We have been strategic by moving only the most appropriate courses to an online format. We encourage students to regularly check on both the Course Search page and their courses’ Folio pages in case there are changes. Permanent changes to location, time, or delivery mode will be noted in the Course Search and Folio. Temporary changes in delivery mode will be noted in Folio. These changes could result from situations like the following reasons:
We take the health and safety of each member of our community seriously, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to balance our scheduling preferences with the realities of the continuing pandemic. It’s up to us all to Do Right and protect our nest! Sincerely, | Students | |
| Sent November 16, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Nov. 16, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Employees can earn up to 14 of the 20 professional development hours outlined in University Policy. Registration is easy by submitting a Legal Affairs Helpdesk Ticket to place on your schedule. For more information, please visit the Professional Development tab on the Legal Affairs website or call 4-3152. You don't have to be a lawyer to be a "Legal Eagle."
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| Sent November 9, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Nov. 9, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
The audience will be able to ask questions about these or any ethics topic. Join the roundtable discussion here: https://georgiasouthern.zoom.us/j/83479810103?pwd=a2wyVnhiK3AyUUN0ZnVKR3lzdEF6Zz09 Passcode: 297371
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| Sent November 5, 2020 to Students | Nov. 5, 2020 Dear Students, I hope you are participating in Homecoming week: the Soaring 20s! The Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Alumni Relations, and many others have been hard at work to make this modified experience one to remember for our students, faculty and staff, community and alumni! I encourage you to participate in our virtual events and socially distant gatherings, which will culminate with us cheering on the Eagles to victory against Troy on Saturday. Thank you to our staff and our students who have worked tirelessly to plan a memorable week for us all! This week, and in the coming weeks, as we witness how the nation moves forward in the wake of the election results, we must remember that it is important for us, as a university community, to model Inclusive Excellence in our words and our actions and to honor and respect what makes each of us unique. This is a time for us to lead by example - to grow together and to unite in our shared vision of creating a campus climate that values our differences and encourages positive dialogue on subject matters of which we may or may not agree. We have stated these words in our new Inclusive Excellence Action Plan - now let’s live them together! Speaking of Inclusive Excellence, this week you should have received an invitation to participate in our first Inclusive Excellence Climate Survey, the implementation of which represents the last of seven recommendations from Damon Williams’ Inclusive Excellence Report. This survey is a university-wide assessment that will help inform critical areas of intervention by illuminating our campus community’s views on the workplace and campus environment. Most importantly, it will help us focus on the greatest areas of improvement in alignment with our Inclusive Excellence Action Plan and programs. Our Return to Campus Plan and our CARES Team efforts continue to work in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 within our campus environments, but we must remain vigilant in exercising responsibility both on and off campus—to wear face-coverings, remain socially distant from others, and wash our hands frequently! With Thanksgiving and other winter holidays approaching, the CDC has provided new guidance to help protect individuals and their families, friends, and communities from COVID-19. The site lists considerations and recommendations for a variety of celebrations, including low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk behaviors, and a wealth of other information such as coping with stress and traveling safely during a pandemic. As you begin registration for spring semester, you will see that we have clearly identified the course mode of delivery and scheduled more fully face-to-face course offerings. Following all public health and safety guidelines and maintaining appropriate social distancing standards for students and faculty in the classroom, we have increased the number of face-to-face course offerings by expanding times throughout the week. Finally, I would like to acknowledge and give my appreciation to you for your hard work and willingness to make this semester successful. You have adapted and innovated in the face of one of the most difficult and uncertain times we have experienced as a nation in many years. There is nothing normal or certain in these times other than the continued implementation of our planning, continued assessment, active communication, and most importantly caring for each other. I remain thankful, inspired and in awe of Eagle Nation’s continued efforts to go above and beyond each and every day for you, our students, and for our communities. Go Eagles! Sincerely, | Students | |
| Sent November 2, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Nov. 2, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent October 26, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Oct. 26, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent October 20, 2020 to Students | Oct. 20, 2020 Students, For many, the fall is a favorite time of year. Football, cooler weather, Thanksgiving and Homecoming are just a few of the things that make the fall semester so enjoyable. Enjoy, but here are some important reminders for you along the way.
Thank you again for your diligence in keeping our communities safe! Go Eagles! | Students | |
| Sent October 20, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Oct. 20, 2020 As we continue with the fall semester in accordance with our Return to Campus plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent October 12, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Oct 12, 2020
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| Sent September 29, 2020 to Students | Sept. 29, 2020 Dear Students: The last time we wrote to you at the end of August, we were in the midst of an expected -- but still concerning -- increase in COVID-19 reports on our campuses. We asked you to double down on following health and safety guidelines to ensure that we could continue the semester as we have started. In response, you stepped up to support these efforts. Student groups came together to challenge one another to Do Right, and individual responsibility to adhere to proper preventative practices and behaviors was on display across our campuses. Now, as we approach the midpoint of our semester, it's clear that our planning and our precautions have been working. This past week, we recorded 19 cases into the CARES Center, the fourth consecutive week that the numbers have sharply dropped. We want to thank you. Thank you for caring through your actions; taking precautions; wearing your mask; reminding your friends about their responsibility during this pandemic. Your vigilance has indeed helped keep our campuses safe. And while we may want to celebrate, we simply cannot let our guard down. We must continue to limit face-to-face gatherings, remain socially distant, wear masks, and wash our hands. As the flu season approaches, these efforts will continue to be important to maintain the health and safety of our communities. We are continuing to find ways to provide a rich educational and collegiate life experience for you. We are planning homecoming activities that will be fun but still socially distant. We are seeking ways to increase the face-to-face interaction with faculty next semester. We are challenging our student groups to come up with innovative ideas for activities and gatherings that bring students together in a safe and responsible way. Look for more information soon, and look for ways to engage with us or any faculty or staff leader. We remain committed to your health and safety, and to creating a campus environment that honors the transformative experience that has come to define Georgia Southern University. Dr. Kyle Marrero Dr. Carl L. Reiber Dr. Shay Davis Little | Students | |
| Sent September 28, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Sept. 28, 2020
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| Sent September 21, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Sept. 21, 2020 As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
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| Sent September 15, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Sept. 15, 2020 As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Click here to learn more about the benefits of flu vaccination. Look for more information soon about flu vaccination opportunities.
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| Sent September 4, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Sept. 4, 2020 Labor Day weekend typically marks the end of summer and is a popular time for traveling. If you plan to go home or take a trip for the long weekend, please be mindful that your behavior while away could impact people and operations here at Georgia Southern. The CDC has some specific guidance about traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others. You and your travel companions (including children) may spread COVID-19 to other people including your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus. Therefore, this holiday weekend might be a good time for a “stay-cation” and we are encouraging all students to stay on-campus instead of taking the opportunity of a long weekend to travel. We hope that you will take this opportunity for a well-deserved break, relax, and recharge. Use this holiday break to practice self-care and re-energize yourself for the remainder of fall semester. If you are staying near one of our campuses, here are 7 things that might spark your interest, while minimizing your risk:
You can also look at other options via the Visit Savannah or Visit Statesboro websites. No matter what you do for the weekend, plan it safely. Do Right and remember to minimize your risks this weekend by:
We wish you a fun, relaxing, and safe Labor Day weekend! | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent September 1, 2020 to Students | Sept. 1, 2020 As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Things Eagles Need to Know Now:
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| Sent September 1, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Sept. 1, 2020 As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 28, 2020 to Students | *Please read this message in its entirety as it relates to Student Code of Conduct enforcement for violations of health and safety guidelines.* Aug. 28, 2020 Dear Students: As we end the second week of classes this fall, we want to thank you for being diligent on campus by following the Eagles Do Right guidelines, including social distancing and wearing face coverings. Your commitment to following these Do Right guidelines is critical to our ability to continue offering an in-person experience this fall. While your attention to these essential health guidelines on campus is impressive, we cannot let each other become complacent. If you care about the wellbeing of your friends, their families, your faculty and the staff that support you; if you want to preserve the health of our campus and local communities; if you desire to continue the semester in-person and enjoy the learning experience you expect from Georgia Southern; and if you hope to continue this semester alongside your friends and fellow students, then we must follow these practices always – on and off campus. You have been so excited for this semester. We have planned, prepared, and enacted thorough health and safety measures. We do not want to be forced into the same decisions as some of our institutional peers who have already had to restrict and cancel all student activities and move to fully remote instruction. If necessary, we will utilize the Student Code of Conduct to protect the safety and well-being of our campus communities. The Student Code of Conduct states, The University may apply sanctions or take other appropriate action when the Conduct of a Student interferes with the University's (a) responsibility of ensuring the opportunity for attainment of educational objectives; or (b) responsibility of protecting property, keeping records, providing services, and sponsoring non-classroom activities such as lectures, concerts, athletic events, and social functions. Georgia Southern University reserves the right to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the safety and well-being of the campus community. Faculty and staff are trying to keep you and our communities safe. We very much desire to provide an on-campus learning environment that enables you to enjoy your friends and Georgia Southern and pursue your studies successfully. College is a time for growth and transformation. Socialization is a part of that process, and we want that to continue, but we implore you to limit face-to-face gatherings, remain socially distant, wear your masks, and wash your hands. Each of us – each student, faculty, and staff member – must do our part in exhibiting responsible practices and behaviors. We are working very hard to ensure the University does its part to keep you safe and keep our campuses open – we are asking you to do yours. We are in this together, and our success relies on one another. We must all continue to Do Right and keep our campuses safe. Thank you for joining us in this effort! Dr. Kyle Marrero Dr. Carl L. Reiber Dr. Shay Davis Little | Students | |
| Sent August 24, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Aug. 24, 2020 As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
This is an important element in our plan to protect the health of Eagle Nation. Thank you for your help in keeping our campus community safe and well! | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 21, 2020 to Students | Students: Our first week of classes at Georgia Southern has been great! The students have been so enthusiastic about the semester, and we are so very pleased with how everyone has adapted to our health and safety guidelines, especially social distancing and face-coverings. As you go into the weekend, it is very important that you continue these habits on your own time. You should also know that the cities of Statesboro and Savannah have issued local ordinances that require the wearing of face coverings when in public. This complements Georgia Southern’s requirement, which states that: ..all faculty, staff, students, and visitors wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings because six feet social distancing may not always be possible. Face covering use will be in addition to, and is not a substitute for, social distancing. Face coverings are not required in one’s own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room, or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met. Remember, these requirements are designed to protect the health of our communities. In addition to always wearing your face covering, please:
Each member of the university community has an individual responsibility to exercise proper behavior, to protect themselves and others as well as to help contain the spread of the virus. Institutional protocols are only as effective as the willingness of individuals to carry them out. To view the specific ordinances online, click here for Statesboro and here for Savannah. Please be aware of local laws and national public health and safety guidelines, and Do Right! Shay | Students | |
| Sent August 17, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 17, 2020 to Students | As we move forward with the fall semester as part of our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Things Eagles Need to Know Now:
| Students | |
| Sent August 17, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Dear Faculty and Staff Instructors, Students are reporting that they are unable to access the attendance verification quiz in many of their classes. In order to give students access to the Attendance Verification quiz, the FOLIO section for your course must be active. To double check whether your class is active or not, go to "edit course" in your FOLIO section and click on "course offering information". Check "course is active" and hit save. Attendance verification is used for several important reasons, not the least of which is remaining in compliance with federal regulations (those also include reporting the ‘last day of attendance’ in cases where a student withdraws from the university). Perhaps most importantly to our students, financial aid cannot be released to a student’s account until their attendance has been verified. This quiz is the uniform tool for Attendance Verification and will be used in every course. Individual “syllabus” or “day one” quizzes or activities can be used in addition to the Attendance Verification quiz, but cannot be used in place of it. We know that taking attendance is an important part of getting to know your students, and this quiz is not intended to take the place of that kind of interaction. Please feel free to call roll, do introductions, or utilize any other first-day activities designed to engage students. This 0-credit quiz will be auto-loaded into each Folio course site at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 17 and will not require any additional set up by the instructor. Please do not adjust the quiz settings (specifically the title and date) as this will break the automation and could cause a student to be dropped from the course. Please remind all students to complete the quiz prior to the point in time where drops take place (see image #2 attached). Beginning on Thursday, Aug. 20th, you will receive an injection page in the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal alerting you about any students who have yet to complete the Attendance Verification quiz. There might be instances, such as student withdrawals or if a student is administratively dropped but indicates that they attended a class, where you may be asked to verify face-to-face or virtual zoom attendance if the student did not complete the attendance quiz or did something else academically related in Folio. This supplemental verification will help to ensure our compliance with federal regulations. Thank you, | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 15, 2020 to Students | Students, Georgia Southern’s Student Health Services department has a variety of COVID-19 testing options for students on both the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses. Detailed information about these testing options, including the cost of each test option can be found on the Health Services COVID testing information page. Information about services available through the student health center on both campuses, including information about associated fees, hours of operation, and instructions for scheduling appointments can be found on the Health Services main website. | Students | |
| Sent August 12, 2020 to Faculty | Dear Faculty, With classes starting on Monday, I just want to send a quick thank you to everyone who has activated their Folio course sites and contacted their students. If you haven’t done so already, please activate those courses quickly. Students need access to the Folio site in order to see which attendance pattern they will follow for the first week. Please also reach out to your students. They are expecting to hear from you about the following:
Thank you again for your flexibility and all the hard work you have put into preparing for the semester. Sincerely, | Faculty | |
| Sent August 11, 2020 to Students | To: All Students Welcome back! We’re excited about the Fall semester. If you didn’t take classes at Georgia Southern this summer, this semester will be your first time using our new attendance verification tool. On the first day of class, your instructors will direct you to the attendance verification quiz in Folio. Keep in mind that attendance verification must be completed for each class. This brief quiz secures your seat in the class and documents your attendance. Our new attendance verification tool is how your attendance will be verified in all your classes, whether your class is online, in person, hybrid, off-campus, etc. Attendance verification is required for all classes, including internships, practicums, and thesis and dissertations. For those of you in courses using Groups for social distancing, you will need to complete the attendance verification quiz on the first day the class is scheduled – regardless of when your Group meets face-to-face – per the instructions provided by your professor. Please click here to watch a video that explains how to find your classroom group assignment in Folio. Attendance verification is used for several important university processes. You should also know that in accordance with federal regulations, financial aid cannot be released to a student’s account until their professors have verified class attendance. If you have classes that meet in-person, on campus, and you’re unable to attend the first day of class because you are under self-quarantine instructions, you’ll need to use the CARES Center self-reporting form, which will prompt a notification to the Dean of Students’ office and your instructor. They will instruct you on how to attend your class remotely, complete your attendance quiz, and verify a timeline for when you’ll be able to attend your class in person. | Students | |
| Sent August 10, 2020 to Students | Students, As we move toward the fall semester and continue to implement our Return to Campus plan, here are some additional Things Eagles Need to Know Now:
| Students | |
| Sent August 10, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Aug. 10, 2020 As we move toward the fall semester and continue our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Six Things You Should Know This Week:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 10, 2020 to Students | Dear Students, The start of the fall semester is just around the corner, and we look forward to welcoming you back to campus to start the semester with in-person classes. Given the precautions we are taking for COVID-19, this semester will look a little different for you. At Georgia Southern University, your safety and well-being are our top priorities. That’s why we are strictly following the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and the University System of Georgia in anticipation of your arrival on campus. We have put numerous measures in place to protect you and our faculty and staff. For instance, we will practice social distancing in our buildings and require the use of face coverings when social distancing is not possible, including your classes. There will be signage all around campus to guide you on how to stay safe, and sanitation stations will be readily available. You should plan to return to campus and attend your classes as outlined in your Folio account. If you fall into a high-risk group according to the CDC COVID-19 guidelines, please contact the Student Accessibility Resource Center to apply for an ADA Accommodation. You can also visithttps://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs, and public health information. This page is updated frequently. I hope you are keeping well, and I look forward to seeing you on campus soon. Please be on the lookout for more information from the University as we get closer to the start of the semester. Sincerely, | Students | |
| Sent August 3, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Aug. 3, 2020 As we move toward the fall semester and continue our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 3, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | August 3, 2020 Good Morning Colleagues, As of today, Phase 3 of our Initial Return to Campus Plan is underway as faculty return to campus and as we all begin final preparations for the start of fall semester. As a reminder, the email you received on August 1 detailed several return-to-work options through Human Resources for employees who seek extended work flexibility for continued childcare needs in light of recent school district decisions. I want to convey my sincere appreciation to the faculty for your hard work and adaptability in preparation for this upcoming semester. You have been asked to modify face-to-face courses and be creative and innovative in order to educate our students with the same level of service and commitment we pride ourselves on. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed - I am inspired and grateful for your dedication to our students! We continue to communicate frequently via email, updated FAQs, bi-monthly meetings with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Staff Council, as well as town halls. Please plan to join me virtually on August 12, at 10 a.m., for our annual State of the University Address. The format will be different than previous years, just as our upcoming year will be. We must remain flexible as we continue to navigate this changing environment and the modifications that will come as we progress through the semester. I look forward to sharing updates with you as we set the stage for the upcoming academic year. More details on the State of the University Address will be coming soon. Before the new academic year begins, I invite you to visit the Performance Excellence tile on your my.georgiasouthern homepage, where you can view each division leader’s annual scorecard report for the past fiscal year as well as each cabinet member’s 90-day actions. The scorecard provides a measurement of each division’s progress toward the key performance indicators aligned with the University’s Strategic Plan. The 90-Day Actions tab allows you to review, in real time, what your leadership is focused on accomplishing. These actions are updated frequently and allow us to review and continue to progress, assess and/or refocus as needed, toward our goals. The work that each of you do every day contributes to our progress, so it is very important to me that you know these goals and that you are able to actively see your contribution to Georgia Southern’s success. After input from many of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff, our Inclusive Excellence Action Plan is almost ready for distribution. Tenets of this plan will be embedded within the annual goals and actions of each division, department, and individual employee. I look forward to sharing the plan with you and working together to achieve the goals laid out within the plan. We have been preparing extensively to meet the challenges that will arise when the academic year begins. Just one example of this is the implementation of our new CARES Center, which is designed as another tool to help mitigate the spread of the virus on our campuses. CARES Center team members are graciously providing their time to care for us, so please exercise our core values of collaboration and integrity when interacting with the center. It’s not an easy job, but it’s a significant job, and I want to thank them for their willingness to serve. Together, this new center – along with social distancing protocols, use of face coverings, and our enhanced cleaning measures – will help us to promote the health and safety of our university community. Finally, please remember that we continue to monitor the impact of the virus daily and are in frequent communication with state and local public health officials, the University System of Georgia, as well as local government and healthcare administrators so that we can continue to make informed decisions as we navigate this changing environment. I ask that you continue to remain flexible as new information comes and we must adjust accordingly. Please continue to read through the information that is shared. It is each of our responsibility to remain informed and up-to-date with current protocols and practices that will allow us to navigate this semester successfully. Colleagues – Georgia Southern is indeed a special place – a resilient, tough, roll-up-our-sleeves kind of place. Through these challenging times, we must support each other and run the race together – albeit six feet apart! Thank you for your continued flexibility, support, and hard work for Eagle Nation. Sincerely, Kyle | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent August 1, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Aug. 1, 2020 Phase Three Return to Campus Begins Monday As we move toward the fall semester and continue to implement our Initial Return to Campus Plan, Monday (8/3) marks the beginning of Phase 3 (pushed back from July 20). As a reminder, over the course of the next week, all faculty and staff should begin returning to their offices unless they have made alternative arrangements after submitting a request through HR. During Phase 3, faculty should be ensuring that they are prepared to deliver instruction in their adjusted environments and communicating with their classes on what to expect. By August 10, which is when Phase 3 will be complete, our goal is to have full presence back on our campuses. Return-to-Work Options through HR for Parents of School-aged Children We recognize the unique circumstances of parents of school-aged children. We continue to monitor school reopenings closely and meet regularly with school district leadership to stay abreast of plans. Some school systems impacting our employees are offering a choice of in-person instruction or virtual education. As such, choosing to keep your children at home for virtual education is generally not covered under any protected leave. Employees opting for virtual education for their children when the school is open for in-person instruction, may be eligible for a telework or flextime agreement. The employee should be fully engaged in work during work hours. Telework and flextime is an employee privilege, not an employee right. Also, not all positions are eligible for telework or flextime. Please review the telework policy to understand the requirements of this arrangement In school systems that are not offering in-person instruction, employees may qualify for telework or flextime. Not all positions are eligible for telework or flextime. Please review the telework policy to understand the requirements of this arrangement. Employees with children in schools not offering in-person instruction may also qualify for leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Some employees are working together with their neighbors and each other to establish a shared responsibility of providing instruction and assistance to children learning virtually. In these situations, it minimizes exposure to a much smaller group and allows employees to minimize the time that work schedules and locations are disrupted. Check HERE for more information on the Telework/ Flextime Request Process. Virtual Training Offered On COVID-19 Reopening Human Resources has developed a training to help you better understand all that has been done to ensure a safe return to work, and what you should do to support this effort. While this training is beneficial for all employees, supervisors are strongly encouraged to view the training to know their responsibilities in assisting with the safe return to campus operations. The training is featured content under the “Training” tile in Building a Better U (BBU), which can be accessed through your MyGeorgiaSouthern page. Once you are in BBU, simply click on the icon of Gus covering his beak and then click enroll. Launch the course and you are on your way to being up to speed about returning to campus. As you return to campus, remember:
For more information, please see the university’s COVID-19 response page, including an extensive FAQ for faculty and staff, at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 31, 2020 to Faculty | Dear Faculty, As the fall semester draws near, we continue our preparations for the reopening of the university. Obviously, this year will not be business as usual. Our plan remains to open the fall semester with in-person classes that will be adjusted to meet social distancing guidelines. We recently shared with you our plan to use Folio’s Groups function to create subsections for all sub-sectioned courses. We also shared this plan with students. I want to thank you for your flexibility and for the time and effort you put into creating subsections for your classes. I’m excited about all the great ideas you came up with for subsections, and I really appreciate your dedication to our students’ success in this new environment. The next step will be for you to reach out to your students. They are expecting to hear from you at the beginning of August about the following:
I know I’m repeating myself, but it bears mentioning again. Please activate your Folio account as soon as possible. Students will need access to the Folio site in order to see which attendance pattern they will follow for the first week. We highly recommend that your Folio site be active (with at least your course policies posted and Groups built) by August 6th. My office is working on providing you with more information to help you navigate the reopening. In the coming weeks, please be on the lookout for messages on:
Thank you. | Faculty | |
| Sent July 30, 2020 to Students | Students, As the University previously communicated, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall. Our plan remains to start the fall semester with in-person classes that will be adjusted as needed to comply with social distancing guidelines. Previously, we shared some information on Folio, and introduced Groups for socially distanced face-to-face courses. As many courses will be using Zoom or Hangouts in addition to meeting in-person, Groups will be how you know how and where you will engage with your class each day. Each course will have variations on how Groups are constructed. Be sure to check your Folio site for each of your courses in case there are differences between the classes. Linked here are:
Between August 6 and August 13, your instructors will be sending out specific information about each course. Providing you a safe learning environment while maintaining some direct engagement with your instructors is our top priority. We hope that you are keeping well, and please be on the lookout for reopening information from the university through the rest of the summer. Office of the Provost For more information, please see the university’s COVID-19 response page, which includes an extensive FAQ for students, at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/. | Students | |
| Sent July 29, 2020 to Students | July 29, 2020 Students, As we move toward the fall semester and continue to implement our Return to Campus plan, University Communications and Marketing will be sending you regular updates on Things Eagles Need to Know Now. As we get closer to the first day of classes, your emails will increase as different departments and your professors start detailing expectations for the Fall 2020 semester. It is important you read these emails, which are official university communications. Your success this fall may be linked to you understanding this critical information. There is an expectation that you will read what’s sent to you, engage with the FAQs and online information, and take responsibility for understanding what is presented. Please continue to monitor your MyGS portal and your Georgia Southern email account. You will be hearing more from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Health Services, your professors and others as details are finalized about things such as Operation Move-In (for housing), student activities, and your individual classes. 1: The new CARES Center is now operational online, via phone and via the GS mobile app. To help with reporting and tracking of COVID-19 cases on our campus, Georgia Southern has developed the CARES Center. Standing for COVID-19 Answers, Resources, Evaluation and Self-reporting, we are providing this center to streamline communications in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus on our campuses. The center provides answers to your COVID-19 related questions; a way for you to self-report your test results, symptoms, and quarantine directions due to COVID-19 exposure; evaluation of your situation; and resources for your COVID-19 related academic, employment and on-campus notification needs. There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
2. Georgia Southern Health Services is ready and currently providing testing for students. Testing students and tracking positive cases of COVID-19 remain important parts of keeping our community safe. Georgia Southern’s Health Services Center has been, and will continue to be, able to test COVID-19 symptomatic students this fall with several testing options including rapid test results. For employees, any person who wants a test can be tested through one of the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) test centers. Locate and contact the test center nearest to you at https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-testingdirect-patient-lines. Additionally, testing is offered through local medical providers, urgent care, and now at local drugstores. We will keep you updated as more testing options and information become available. 3. Face-coverings are to be worn inside and outside where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. All Georgia Southern faculty, staff, students and visitors are now required to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. This means wherever you are on campus, if there’s a chance you will come within six feet of someone else, (for instance, passing one another in a hallway), face coverings must be worn. Face covering use will be in addition to, and is not a substitute for, social distancing. Face coverings are not required in one’s own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room, or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met. 4. If “enforcement” of the face-coverings requirement is necessary, it should be carried out with civility and respect. The university will use messaging, signage and peer communication to remind others of the requirement to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. Appropriate use of face masks or coverings is critical in minimizing risks to others near you. You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you have no symptoms. The mask or cloth face covering is not a substitute for social distancing and should be considered as just one precaution people should take to ensure our community remains healthy. Faculty should use their classroom management expertise and training when working with students who are not following protocols. Anyone not using a face covering when required can be asked to wear one or leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply could be considered a disruption and may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students. For more information, please see the university’s COVID-19 response page, which includes an extensive FAQ for students, at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/. | Students | |
| Sent July 27, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we move toward the fall semester and continue our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 27, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Georgia Southern Cares CenterThe COVID-19 Answers, Resources, Evaluation and Self-reporting (CARES) Center for faculty, staff and students launches today.For your safety and for the safety of our community, Georgia Southern is providing this center to streamline communications and mitigate the spread of the virus on our campuses. The center provides answers to your COVID-19 related questions; a way for you to self-report test results and symptoms; evaluation of your situation; and resources for your COVID-19 related academic, employment and on-campus notification needs. Contact the CARES Center if you:
There are several ways to reach the CARES Center:
A CARES team member also will perform contact notification to help notify campus community members who likely had close contact with a person who has self-reported positive test results. Unlike contact tracing, which is performed by the Department of Public Health, contact notification helps the University quickly communicate to affected faculty, staff, and/or students to mitigate the potential spread of the virus. The CARES Center should not be used for medical advice. If you need medical advice, you need to call your health provider or 911. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 24, 2020 to Students | Students, We can’t wait to have you back on campus next month! Our plan remains to start the fall semester with in-person classes on Aug. 17. Classes have been adjusted as needed to comply with social distancing guidelines. Adjustments also will be made to many student activities, so we are writing to give you an update on how things will look for you when you arrive back on campus. In terms of your classes, details on individual courses are still being finalized, but we can tell you that less than 10 percent of our fall classes that were scheduled in-person are moving fully online. Most will be a mix of face-to-face and some kind of virtual/online experience. All of your courses this fall will utilize Folio for communicating and sharing course content. For those of you who haven’t used it yet, Folio is our Learning Management System. In addition to finding things like your syllabus and course policies, Folio allows your instructor to share course resources, collect assignments, and provide feedback in a wide range of courses. This semester, Folio will also be where you will find information about your in-person courses that have been social-distanced to create classroom Groups. In the days before classes start, your instructors will be sending out specific information about each course, and the university will also provide a step-by-step guide to navigate Folio and detailed information on Groups. Look for more information from your teachers about 10 days before classes begin. In terms of student activities and events, we are committed to providing a rewarding schedule of co-curricular activities. We have developed an extensive set of guidelines to keep students, faculty and staff engaged yet safe. We have mapped out room capacities, identified outdoor spaces that can be used, and developed checklists for registered student organizations to use in planning events. We’ll be asking questions such as:
Please know that as we move forward, all our decisions are being made using the latest health information and with your safety as our top priority. On Monday, look for more information about a new CARES Center, which willprovide answers to your COVID-19 related questions; be a way for you to self-report test results, symptoms; evaluate your situation; and provide support for your COVID-19 related academic, employment and on-campus notification needs. It will be available via the MyGS mobile app, Georgia Southern’s official mobile app available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. We hope that you are keeping well. Look for more information soon in your Georgia Southern email as well as through Folio messages and announcements. Please regularly check the resource page (https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/) for updated return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. See you in a few weeks! Go Eagles! Carl Reiber, provost and vice president for academic affairs | Students | |
| Sent July 20, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we move toward the fall semester and continue our initial Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 13, 2020 to International Students | Dear International Students at Georgia Southern: Georgia Southern University is a member of the American Council on Education (ACE), which has issued a letter to Congressional leaders regarding the July 6 ICE directive on international students studying in the United States. The letter asks that if the Department of Homeland Security is unwilling to withdraw the directive, that Congress act quickly to pass legislation that grants flexibility for international students and institutions during the global pandemic. A copy of this letter can be found here: https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-DHS-ICE-Fall-2020-Guidance-071020.pdf The Office of International Student Admissions and Programs (ISAP) has been actively communicating with and providing support to our international students during this uncertain time in preparation for the fall semester. We continue to monitor developments on this important issue and are reviewing potential impacts to our international students. We will share more information with you as soon as it becomes available. | Students, International Students | |
| Sent July 13, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we move toward the fall semester and continue our Initial Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week:
Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 10, 2020 to Students | To: All GS students As the university previously communicated, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall. Our plan remains to start the fall semester with in-person classes that will be adjusted as needed to comply with social distancing guidelines. As you can imagine, our Fall semester will be new territory for us all. The No. 1 question that seems to be on everyone’s minds right now is “what will classes be like in the Fall?” For many of our courses, “face-to-face” might look a little different than it has in the past. Some of our courses will only see the change in social distance spacing and the use of masks in class. Some of your courses might also use Zoom or Google Hangouts in addition to the traditional physical classroom experience. All of your courses will utilize Folio for communicating and sharing course content. We are currently in the process of reviewing each class space with social distancing requirements in mind, and we will provide a full update to what our classes will look like once that process is complete at the end of July. There remains a great deal of uncertainty right now, and what we are doing is preparing for every option while also following public health guidelines. Just last week, we learned that all Georgia Southern faculty, staff, students, and visitors are now required to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. Use of face coverings will be in addition to, and is not a substitute for, social distancing. Providing you a safe learning environment while maintaining some direct engagement with your instructors is our top priority. We hope that you are keeping well, and please be on the lookout for reopening information from the university through the rest of the summer. You can always visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Students | |
| Sent July 10, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | To All GS faculty and staff As you can imagine, our fall semester will be new territory for us all. This year will not be business as usual. Our plan remains to start the fall semester with in-person classes that will be adjusted as needed to comply with social distancing guidelines. Many of you have been working at various levels on reopening plans and new types of course engagements. As you know, we are moving ahead with having face-to-face courses, but with social distancing in our classrooms. For many of those courses, “face-to-face” will look different than it has been in the past. While there's still a great deal of uncertainty right now, we are preparing for every option while also following public health guidelines as outlined in our Fall 2020 Return to Campus Plan shared by President Marrero on June 18th. Some of our courses will only see the change in social distance spacing and the use of masks in classrooms. Many more will have to make use of Zoom or Google Hangouts in addition to the traditional classrooms to allow as much face-to-face engagement as possible. We are currently in the process of reviewing each class space with social distancing requirements in mind, and we will provide a full update to what our classes will look like once that process is complete at the end of July. This week, the university will send an initial message to students about any changes to the fall schedule. This initial step is vital to prevent confusion about how and where they will be attending classes. You can always visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. We hope that you all are keeping well, and please be on the lookout for reopening information from the university through the rest of the summer. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 8, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | **Sent on behalf of University Housing Good morning, University Housing is excited to welcome back students for the upcoming start of the year. Due to the need to accommodate for more social distancing and to provide for fewer points of contact, Operation Move-In is going to look very different this year from years past. We hope that you will take the time to review the changes to operations within this email as it pertains to dates and times of check-in, volunteer opportunities, and early arrival processes. Check-in Dates and TimesThe biggest change to Operation Move-In is the need to have multiple days for check-in to accommodate for social distancing both at the point of check-in as well as within the residence halls after check-in. Statesboro Campus move-in operations will begin on Monday, August 10, and Armstrong Campus move-in operations will begin on Wednesday, August 12. Students will be able to select their check-in time online through the housing portal located in the My.GeorgiaSouthern.edu portal. Check-In ProcessThe check-in process will vary slightly by campus but essentially the effort will be to minimize the points of contact. University Housing is working to develop a seamless transition that should result in a drive-up/drive-off process once students arrive on campus. We will then direct them to their unloading zones(s) for their residence hall after checking in to get their key. VolunteersWith the changes to Operation Move-In the need for volunteers is still great on both campuses. This year volunteers cannot help students with their belongings, but will be helpful in managing traffic flow, assisting with unloading zone monitoring, and in helping to check students in at our remote check-in locations. Volunteer sign-up information will be coming out shortly for individuals who remain interested in volunteering. Early ArrivalsMany offices on campus have a need for students to arrive early in order to prepare for a variety of programs and jobs on campus. Early arrival is available to students who are affiliated with an official university office/function. Check-in dates on the Statesboro campus are available between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday beginning on July 31 and will continue through move-in week. Check-in dates on the Armstrong Campus are available between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday beginning on Monday, August 10. Students who arrive early are subject to an early arrival fee of $25 per day. This can be paid by the sponsoring department or can be billed directly to the student’s account. If your office has students who must arrive on campus prior to the official move-in dates listed above we ask that you do the following steps.
| Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 6, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for the next phase of our return-to-campus plans, Cabinet leadership and I have been meeting with staff council and faculty senate executive committee every two weeks to ensure we are addressing concerns and updating campus leaders on the latest information we have available. To establish a regular flow of valuable information sharing, University Communications and Marketing (UCM) has begun sending out a weekly email update, HR is developing a regular newsletter, regular messages will continue to go out to students through various channels, and we are frequently updating our online FAQs. Around our campuses, we have:
We will continue to work our plan and keep a close eye on updated public health advisories and guidelines so we can ensure the health and safety of our people and our communities. We are also closely monitoring our public school systems’ opening plans, as we know that may have an impact on our staff and faculty. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 6, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance for managing COVID-19 related issues. In response to those changes from the CDC, the University System of Georgia is providing updated guidance on the wearing of face coverings and for who is eligible to seek alternate work arrangements due to falling into one of the below categories. Therefore, Georgia Southern is providing two additional things you should know this week. 1. Face Coverings Will Be Required on Campus Effective July 15, 2020, University System of Georgia (USG) institutions will require all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. Face covering use will be in addition to and is not a substitute for social distancing. Face coverings are not required in one’s own dorm room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room, or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met. Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or must leave the area. Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students. Reasonable accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for documented health reasons. 2. Guidance is updated on who is eligible to seek alternate work arrangements due to falling into one of these categories:
Georgia Southern will be updating FAQs, HR processes and guidance this week. Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources for Georgia Southern, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent July 6, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | As we move toward the fall semester and continue our Return to Campus phased-in plan, here are Five Things You Should Know This Week: 1. What to do if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. Human Resources has developed an easy-to-follow workflow graphic for anyone concerned about possibly exhibiting symptoms that may or may not be COVID-19. Please refer to the Covid Symptom Checker document online at https://jobs.georgiasouthern.edu/hr-covid-19/covid-19-decision-trees/. 2. What to do about work if you are tested for COVID-19. Human Resources has developed an easy-to-follow workflow graphic for anyone who has been tested for COVID-19 and wondering what happens with their work status. Please refer to the Covid-19 Testing Decisions document at https://jobs.georgiasouthern.edu/hr-covid-19/covid-19-decision-trees/. 3. You are eligible for paid sick leave if you must self-quarantine. You are eligible for paid sick leave if a health care provider directs or advises you to stay home or otherwise quarantine yourself because the health care provider believes that you may have COVID-19 or are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, and quarantining yourself based upon that advice prevents you from working (or teleworking). Only the first 80 hours of this is covered under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act - Emergency Paid Sick Leave. Any additional time would come from an employee’s accrued leave. 4. There are work options for employees now and in the fall. As the campus re-opens, the expectation is that employees return to campus to conduct their work. With that in mind, managers may stagger employee schedules, create rotating in-office schedules, and other flexible arrangements throughout their staffing structure in order to maintain social distancing and other safety measures within their unit. 5. There are special considerations for employees who are considered at high risk of illness or exposure. For employees who are subject to high-risk of illness or exposure to COVID-19, Georgia Southern does allow for flexible utilization of leave.
For more information, view the entire Return to Campus Plan >> https://drive.google.com/file/d/14m7KCHR5UulIj2G5-rR0i4TyYaIdsECN/view Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent June 30, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | The university is aware of the emergency order signed by City of Savannah Mayor Johnson that will require the wearing of face masks in certain areas within Savannah city limits beginning at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1. State property, to include our campuses, is not subject to terms of local regulation. Following current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, the university very strongly recommends wearing face masks or cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. Remember, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses and in our communities. Please visit the COVID-19 FAQ page on the Georgia Southern website for more information. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent June 29, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Georgia Southern faculty and staff: Over the last couple weeks, you have been inundated with information as we move into our Return to Campus Plan. To make information easier to digest, we are beginning a regular, weekly email to all employees with updated information as we prepare for the fall semester. Every Monday, we will highlight at least 5 things you need to know that week. This will add to the information provided on the university’s COVID-19 Resources page, which now includes a searchable FAQ. This communications effort will be supplemented by updates from Human Resources via the HRNews email, President Marrero’s monthly campus update, as well as virtual town hall meetings and additional emails when necessary. Today’s update is long -- longer than future updates will be -- but includes 7 valuable things you need to know this week:
Please see below for more details: Safety Measures for University DepartmentsThe Division of Facilities Services (DFS) will provide hand sanitizer, germ shields, and disinfectant throughout campus. Divisional leaders were responsible for identifying high-traffic or public-facing areas where a germ shield is needed. DFS collected all the suggested locations and have ordered almost 400 germ shields to be installed across our campuses. They are expected to start shipping on July 3. Upon receipt, they will be delivered to the areas previously identified. These shields are portable desktop units, the majority of which are 36” wide by 34” tall with an 18” wide cut out at the bottom to allow for the transfer of papers and materials if necessary. Some larger areas will be provided a 48” wide by 34” tall unit. In addition to being provided germ shields, these areas also will be provided with gallon containers of hand sanitizer, 32 oz. bottles of disinfectant, and rolls of paper towels. The sanitizer is provided for you to place at your germ shield areas so that patrons may utilize it prior to doing business at your point-of-service locations. Disinfectant and paper towels are being provided so that employees working the point-of-service areas can routinely disinfect the areas – this will be of great assistance to DFS, as we simply don’t have enough capacity within our custodial staff to cover all areas of campus throughout the day. Along with these items, we will provide instructions on the use of the disinfectant to include the frequency of cleaning, as well as instructions for how to re-order the supplies as you begin to run low. We do not currently have a delivery time frame for the disinfectant. The sanitizer is on-hand and we are hoping to be able to make one complete delivery to each area if we receive the disinfectant in the next two weeks. Hand Sanitizer throughout BuildingsDFS will install an additional 1,000 wall-mounted hand sanitizer units across our campuses. As you can imagine, hand sanitizer is in high demand, so the delivery of our units is several weeks out. When they are delivered to campus, DFS will install these units in prominent locations in all buildings on campus – one unit in every major lobby/entryway, and one unit outside of each public restroom (if two sets of restrooms are adjacent to one another, there will be one unit installed between the two). Wall units will also be installed in all open and instructional computer labs. This will take several weeks to complete, but DFS expects to have all units up and ready for the beginning of the semester. Custodial services will have responsibility of ensuring these units are kept filled. However, if you find any dispensers that are empty, please contact the Service Response Center at 8-5588 (Statesboro) or 4-2545 (Armstrong/Liberty) and we will dispatch someone to refill the dispenser. DFS has also procured a smaller quantity of portable floor stand dispensers to be used in strategic locations and for a limited purpose – namely events. Campus SignageDFS has worked closely with University Communications & Marketing (UCM) to identify a myriad of signage to be placed across our campuses. The signage will be a combination of standard 8.5”x11” signage and 16”x16” vinyl decals as well as yard signs. DFS is currently installing signage in elevators, restrooms, and entrances/exits. Additional signage for social distancing reminders and one-way stairwells is forthcoming and will be installed soon. We ask for your continued patience as we work diligently to ensure all of this signage is installed in its intended locations. In addition, UCM is providing downloadable PDFs via the University website for a number of different signs that departments are encouraged to print and hang within their office suite areas. We do ask that you refrain from posting additional signage in public areas, but if you have a concern over an area you feel needs signage, please contact DFS directly. DFS will be identifying – where feasible – entrance-only and exit-only points in most buildings on all campuses. Not all doors will have these signs as we do need to ensure continued ADA access points. For doors marked as exit only, we will be transitioning those doors to 24-hour lock. This will ensure that they are not used as entry points but will continue to allow for egress in the event of an emergency. Stairwells within buildings will also be taken to one way either up or down and will be marked accordingly. Elevator capacity in all instances will be limited to 2 occupants at any given time. We anticipate having all signage installed across our campuses by August 1. Custodial ServicesCustodial Services has resumed normal night-time servicing routines across our campuses. This includes nightly cleaning and disinfection of all public spaces, restrooms, locker rooms, classrooms, lobbies, hallways, etc. In order to focus our attention on high-touch/high-traffic areas, Custodial Services has moved all private offices to a once-weekly servicing schedule. This schedule will be disseminated to the Building Managers shortly and will also be posted to the Facilities Services website. If you would like for the trash in your office to be emptied on the evenings where we are not scheduled to service your office, we ask that you leave your trash can outside of your office door. We do ask that individual office occupants assist us in maintaining cleanliness within your office spaces. The normal cleaning procedures used by Custodial Services for nightly cleaning meets all CDC guidance for cleaning during this pandemic. The disinfectants we are using are EPA-registered to kill Coronavirus, and our custodial staff has been retrained on all proper cleaning and disinfecting methods and are provided all applicable personal protection to ensure they complete their jobs thoroughly and safely. Custodial Services will be reworking our daytime custodial staff to allow for a focus on high-touch areas – handrails, door handles, restrooms, elevator keypads, etc. – across our campuses. DFS will not be removing hand dryers from buildings and/or installing paper towel dispensers in lieu of hand dryers at this time. If you see a member of our custodial staff, please thank them as they are working very hard to ensure our safety! HVAC and other Building SystemsDFS has continued to maintain all building systems since the University moved to a remote status in March. All proper preventive maintenance on these systems continues to be completed, as has a full check of our systems to ensure they are functioning as designed and as efficiently as possible. DFS will continue to monitor and manage all air exchange rates and hold firm to our preventive maintenance schedule for filter change-outs and system flushings. We have also increased the outside air intake to our buildings as much as we can while still maintaining necessary humidity levels. We ask that faculty, students, and staff keep their office and apartment/bedroom doors open as much as possible to assist with air circulation. Face Coverings & Personal Hand SanitizersThe University will be providing five branded face coverings and one 8 oz. bottle of hand sanitizer to each faculty and staff member. Human Resources is coordinating the disbursement, which should begin this week. All employees are strongly encouraged to wear a cloth face covering on campus. Cloth face coverings are important in preventing transmission from asymptomatic individuals who have COVID-19. There may be scenarios under which an employee would be required to wear a face covering (e.g. indoor spaces where social distancing is impossible to practice). Employees who are typically required to wear a face covering or other personal protective equipment should continue to do so. Testing and NotificationsThe university is only aware of infections that we diagnose within the student health center, those that are reported to us by Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as being associated with GS, and those reported to us directly by students/faculty/staff who test elsewhere. Any time we report cumulative case reports, it must be reported in the context of understanding that we are only reporting on the cases we are aware of. When we do learn of a positive case, the university notifies DPH, which is responsible for taking appropriate steps to mitigate transmission – that includes contact tracing and notifications to anyone who may be at risk because of contact with an infected individual. Privacy laws prevent the university from identifying or publicly reporting details of individuals who have been tested positive for COVID-19. We are currently defining clear pathways for faculty/staff/students to notify the University if they are positive or are a close contact. We continue to encourage widespread testing and see opportunities to do so expanding. For example, at least one local pharmacy chain is advertising free drive-through COVID-10 testing. Please continue to monitor the COVID-19 resources page, and especially the FAQ for faculty and staff for more information. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent June 19, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | To help encourage our university community to Do Right, you will find "Return to Campus" signage posted across our campuses. Facilities Services is in the process of posting a variety of this signage in public spaces. When you’re a true blue Eagle, you do what Erk said — Do Right.
For other areas across campus, downloadable "Return to Campus" signage resources are provided online for you to download, print and post. These resources will help communicate public health guidelines to ensure the safety and welfare of your area. Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/return-to-campus-faculty-staff/signage/ to download the signage that you need. If the signage you need is not available online, please submit a project request to University Communications and Marketing. Visit https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ for additional return to campus information and resources, including return to campus plans, FAQs and public health information. This page is updated frequently. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent June 18, 2020 to Students | Students: Georgia Southern staff began returning to the workplace this week in preparation for a fall semester when we can welcome YOU back to campus. We have missed the vibrancy of our campuses being alive with students, and we look forward to welcoming you back home! Some details are still being worked out, but our plan is to start the fall semester with in-person classes that will be adjusted as needed to comply with social distancing guidelines. Additional precautions, such as the wearing of face coverings and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from one another, will be strongly recommended. For classes, labs or other situations where social distancing is not reasonable, other accommodations will be made. For students planning to live on campus, University Housing has done an extensive cleaning of all buildings and will be taking a series of steps to keep students as safe as possible. Community bathrooms and common areas will receive regular thorough disinfecting. We also plan to add more sanitizing stations, towel dispensers, soap dispensers and trash receptacles throughout our complexes. Please note that residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and suite and apartment bathrooms. In addition to these precautions in the residence halls, you will notice other modifications to many campus activities and programs to adhere to social distancing guidelines. As we get closer to the beginning of the academic year, you will receive more detailed information about what new expectations you will find on campus, such as in the dining halls and recreation facilities. You can see the university's plans online at our COVID-19 resources page. Following guidance from the NCAA and adhering to strict health guidelines, Georgia Southern Athletics is starting to welcome back student-athletes this summer in anticipation of a full slate of fall sports. While current state guidelines still place limitations on gatherings, departments throughout campus are planning for fall events with the understanding that some social distancing guidelines may still be in place. We will continue to evaluate all our plans and operations -- and continue to rely on guidance from the state, Georgia Department of Public Health (GPDH) and the CDC -- as we move forward. The health and safety of all our community members will always remain our top priority. We will continue to update our COVID-19 resources page at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/ with additional details as they become available. Please also check out the FAQ for students online on this page. If you have a specified issue that needs to be addressed, please contact the Dean of Students Office (Statesboro Campus: (912) 478-3326 • deanofstudents@georgiasouthern.edu / Armstrong Campus: (912) 344-2514 • armdeanofstudents@georgiasouthern.edu). And please remember, you play an important role in keeping our community safe. Please check out this video to learn more about how you can help fight COVID-19. | Students | |
| Sent May 28, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Colleagues: Georgia Southern University is planning to bring our students back to our campuses to begin the fall semester 2020 engaged in the classroom, laboratory, clinical, experiential, extramural, and co-curricular environments. Throughout this process of preparation and implementation, our decisions will be guided by the University System of Georgia (USG), Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). The health, safety, and wellbeing of our students, faculty, staff, and communities will continue to be our utmost priority. As we continue through the summer months with remote instruction, we must prepare for a resumption of in-person instruction in August, 2020. In anticipation of this effort, Georgia Southern will begin a staggered, sequenced, and gradual return to campus for employees (faculty, staff, and student workers) who have been in telework or flexible arrangements for the past several months. Our “Initial Return to Campus Plan,” which you can access under My Messages & Alerts in the MyGeorgiaSouthern portal, addresses and outlines this phased-in approach to the initial return of all employees. Guided and directed by health and safety guidelines, each phase of the return details workplace expectations, staffing options, symptom monitoring, personal safety best practices, specific workplace scenarios, enter/exit control, and mental and emotional wellbeing. As detailed in the plan, the institution is currently progressing through elements of the Phase 1 plan. The target timeline for completion of full Phase 1 implementation is June 1 - June 15. On June 15, the institution will begin taking steps to implement Phase 2 return to campus, for a completion of Phase 2 implementation on July 20. On July 20, the institution will begin taking steps to implement Phase 3 return to campus, in preparation to be fully operational by August 1, 2020. The COVID-19 situation is fluid, and guidance may likely change over time, even after plans are prepared and executed. Georgia Southern is committed to protecting the health of employees, ensuring the well-being of the community and carefully and deliberately preparing for the fall semester. Everyone at the university has an individual responsibility to adhere to public health guidance to protect themselves and others as well as to help contain the spread of the virus. Institutional controls are only as effective as the willingness of individuals to carry them out. Throughout all phases of return to the workplace, all employees are expected to fully comply with the policies, protocols, guidelines and personal safety practices outlined in the “Initial Return to Campus Plan.” We know many of you will have questions. Please review the attached document thoroughly and review an extensive FAQ that has been developed at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/. We will continue to email updated information to all employees and post regularly to our COVID-19 information page. Additional guidance and details as applicable for each division and department will come from your divisional leader. Additionally, I will host a virtual town hall meeting for faculty and staff on June 8, beginning at 10 a.m., to outline this plan and answer questions related to our initial return to campus and budget planning. Details will be shared next week on how to participate in the town hall discussion. Please note that this plan details our initial return to campus only, and communication with regard to the full implementation plan for Fall semester 2020 will be forthcoming. For additional questions, please contact your supervisor directly or email your questions to hrservice@georgiasouthern.edu. Sincerely, | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent April 10, 2020 to Students | Dear students, We are now two weeks into our new fully online environment and I want to thank you for adapting, innovating, and connecting during these challenging times. Thank you also for supporting your professors as they work to provide you with a meaningful educational experience to close out this semester. As I said in my video message last week, I am inspired and encouraged by you! THANK YOU! I wanted to let you know that the university’s leadership continues to meet daily to update each other, resolve issues, develop and implement response strategies, and provide real-time information. In each of those meetings, we ask what we are doing to help our students, and how we can help our students overcome any issues we have heard about. I would like to share with you some important information and updates, as we know them today:
Mostly, I want you all to know and acknowledge to each other that it's okay to feel uneasy, unsure, and even a little disheartened. Personally, I miss you all so much...I'm a people person and I miss the face-to-face interaction with our students who bring our campuses to life. I have no doubt Georgia Southern will be stronger and certainly more innovative as a result of this event. Our students and our communities depend on us! It will be our innovation, sustainability and dependability that will guide the economic recovery and future beyond COVID-19. Education will always be relevant but we must be ready to adapt, and I am the most proud of our adaptability accomplishments to date. Please continue take the time to care for each other, support each other, and follow all health safety guidance. Remember, it is our people (you, our students), that make Georgia Southern great! So, take care of yourself! We need each other! Sincerely, | Students | |
| Sent April 6, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | It has been one week into our fully online environment and I want to thank everyone — faculty, staff, and students — for adapting, innovating, and connecting during these challenging times. As I said in my video message last week, I am inspired and encouraged by you! THANK YOU! The leadership team continues to meet daily to share real-time information, resolve issues, and develop and implement response strategies. Information and guidance continue to evolve so I wanted to highlight and acknowledge some important topics as we know them today:
So — these are only a few of the top-of-mind topics. Please let us know what other questions you may have. Mostly, I want you all to know and acknowledge to each other that it’s okay to feel uneasy, unsure, and even a little disheartened. Personally, I miss you all so much…I’m a people person and I miss the face-to-face interaction with my colleagues and, most importantly, our students who bring our campuses to life. Colleagues, we will make it through all of this…I have no doubt we will be stronger and certainly more innovative as a result of this challenge. Our students and our communities depend on us! It will be our innovation, sustainability and dependability that will guide the economic recovery and future beyond COVID-19. Education will always be relevant but we must be ready to adapt, and I am certain — given our accomplishments to date — that we will continue to lead in this effort. Please take the time to care for each other, support each other, and follow all health safety guidance. Remember, it is our people (you), that make Georgia Southern great. So, take care of yourself, my friends. We need each other! Sincerely, | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent April 2, 2020 to Faculty and Staff | Georgia Southern University and all the University System of Georgia’s 26 institutions will continue to deliver instruction remotely during May and summer semesters, with only limited exceptions. USG institutions are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester should guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health allow it. In the interim, all institutions have been asked to continue their current telework and flexible work strategies for faculty and staff. USG institutions overall have remained open, with only minimal staff physically on-site to ensure continuity of certain services. We continue to prioritize the safety of our students, faculty and staff as we do our part to help stem the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia and fulfill our mission to graduate our students in these challenging times. We understand that we are all overcoming many challenges during these uncertain times. The University is committed to your well-being and success. We have several resources available online related to online learning and the University’s response to COVID-19. In addition, we have answered Frequently Asked Questions for students, faculty and staff, and the public. These FAQ’s are being updated regularly, so please check them often. | Faculty and Staff | |
| Sent March 24, 2020 to Students | Georgia Southern Students: We understand that these uncertain times have left you with many questions. Please rest assured that we are working diligently to provide answers as fast as possible. To that end, we are now able to announce that Georgia Southern intends to implement a prorated refund of Housing and Dining plans, as well as the entire graduation fee for spring graduates, a $25 parking refund for spring only permits, and a portion of the Activity, Recreation/Wellness, Transit, and Residence Life programming fees. This refund plan was completed in coordination with the University System of Georgia. Housing and dining: Refunds are based on March 16 as the last day of service, which means approximately 44% of remaining plans will be refunded. The exact amount depends on the plan that was originally purchased. Students who were granted an exception to remain in the residence halls will not be refunded their housing rent, but they will be refunded for dining. Dining services are continuing to offer limited service on a cash/credit card/Eagle Express card basis. The dining service will be pick-up only. Graduation: A full refund of the graduation fee paid by spring graduates only ($35 per student) will be issued. Parking: A $25 refund will be issued to all students who purchased a spring parking permit. Activity: A refund will be issued -- $10.10 per Statesboro campus student and $4.90 per Armstrong campus student. Recreation: A refund will be issued -- $4.50 per Armstrong campus student and $4.20 per Statesboro campus student. Transit: This fee is paid only by Statesboro students. A refund of $24.37 per student will be issued. Housing Residence Life: A refund of $8.83 per student will be issued. Refunds of these fees will mirror students’ normal refund check process, so it is imperative that students’ home address and direct deposit information is up-to-date. If any corrections are needed to your personal information, please reference this direct deposit link for instructions for updating your banking information. If you want to continue to receive manual checks, then please confirm or update your permanent home address in your WINGS account by selecting "Personal Information," then "View Address & Phone." Our goal is to disperse refunds April 6-10. We will communicate with you directly if there are any delays in this process. All other fees have been carefully studied and vetted with the University System of Georgia and deemed to be essential to the continuity of instruction and business operations. Please note that Georgia Southern has passed the deadline for a student to withdraw from the full spring term. Students who have registered for a spring minimester Term B can withdraw through April 16. Refunds for Term B withdrawals would be processed under normal refunding guidelines. | Students | |
| Sent March 20, 2020 to Students | All students at University System of Georgia institutions are now eligible to consult with doctors, nurses and mental health specialists as they work through issues related to COVID-19. These consultations are no cost for students enrolled in the USG Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) and $40 for non-enrolled students. There is a 24/7 helpline available for all students at no charge. Students who have questions or concerns about whether they are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 should immediately call their healthcare provider or member services number through their insurance plan. For students who need guidance or may not have a provider or insurance, the Georgia Department of Public Health has established a hotline. That number is: 844-442-2681. Services available for ALL studentsTelehealth Services
Optum Support Line
Additional information for Students enrolled in the USG SHIP programAccess to Medical Care, Coverage
Student Assistance ProgramThe USG SHIP program offers a student assistance program through Optum which provides a wide range of resources to students telephonically. The phone number is available on your UHCSR Mobile App or your www.uhcsr.com/MyAccount.
If you have any questions, please contact Georgia Southern's Dean of Students office at:
Georgia Southern's Student Health Services office is also a resource: https://auxiliary.georgiasouthern.edu/healthservices/. | Students | |
| Sent March 20, 2020 to Students | Georgia Southern students, Like you, we are working every day to establish a plan for what our ‘new normal’ looks like for the remainder of the spring semester. Rest assured that the faculty and staff here are working diligently to ensure your success. Together, we will navigate these unprecedented times. Together, we will soar. Here are some questions we know we can answer right now. We are working on more answers and will put them on a new FAQ we are developing that you will be able to find off our new operational status webpage, under "useful links," at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/covid-19-information/. How do I get my belongings out of the residence halls?Communication started going out yesterday to all students in the residence halls. We will stagger your move-out to ensure your safety and the health of staff who will be on hand to assist. Please look for that communication directly from housing and follow their direction on when you are scheduled to come to campus. For questions, or if you need to make arrangements to come at a time other than those provided, please email housing@georgiasouthern.edu. What about my stuff in the academic buildings (lockers, labs, offices)?Please follow the attached schedule to determine when you may come to campus. If you received information from University Housing, please follow that schedule. In addition, you will find the specific location of the building where you should meet and the person who will be available to let you into the locked space. If they are not in the location when you arrive, please call them and let them know you are waiting. If you need to make arrangements to come at a time other than those provided, please email provost@georgiasouthern.edu. Is Georgia Southern working to issue partial refunds?All 26 University System of Georgia institutions are working as quickly as possible to issue partial refunds to students, especially those required to move out of on-campus housing and those who no longer have access to dining services. More information will be forthcoming soon to our campus communities. What about dining services?Dining services will switch to a pick-up only service on Friday, March 20. We expect this pick-up only service to continue through Friday March, 27, After March 27, we will have limited services available at the Galley, Dining Commons, and Gus Mart I and IV. Our preference is you use your EagleExpress, credit/debit or other cashless options (We will still take cash if that is all someone has). We will charge $8.75 per meal and normal prices at Gus Marts. Hours of operation will be as follows beginning Friday, March 20:Dining Commons (Statesboro campus) and the Galley (Armstrong campus in Savannah): Gus Mart I (Statesboro campus) and Gus Mart IV (Armstrong campus in Savannah): How do I learn more about switching to online learning?The University has set up a page for online learning resources that has lots of information and tips to help ease any nervousness about this transition to online-only learning, which starts March 30. It is easily accessible from the home page or you can go there directly at https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/online-learning-resources/. We will pass along more information as it becomes available. | Students | |
| Sent March 18, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Dear Georgia Southern faculty, staff and students, In our continuing effort to keep you informed of developments as soon as possible, we wanted to pass along the latest direction from the University System of Georgia. The University System of Georgia (USG) has directed all 26 USG institutions to cancel Spring 2020 commencement ceremonies. Students will still graduate consistent with academic standards, but the actual ceremonies will not be held as originally scheduled. The USG continues to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance to avoid gatherings of more than 50 people. “We don’t make this decision lightly, nor do we want to diminish all our students have achieved,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “Our institutions are working on creative, alternative ways to celebrate their students’ accomplishments, and I am grateful for the commitment and dedication our students have shown in the face of extraordinary times. They have worked hard and rightfully expect to celebrate and mark their graduation.” This announcement follows a statement from President Kyle Marrero earlier today. "As a follow-up to our initial announcement of spring commencement ceremony cancellation, we know that this decision is profoundly disappointing for many of our graduates and their families," Marrero said. "This decision was made in adherence to CDC and DPH guidance that all University System of Georgia institutions are following. During these unprecedented and challenging times, the safety and well-being of our students remains our top priority. As an update, our commencement committee met this morning, and we are working on a plan for alternative options to celebrate our students' achievements. All options are on the table, including rescheduling, and we will communicate the plan out as soon as possible." | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 17, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Georgia Southern Faculty, students and staff: As we manage this ever-changing situation with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), our primary goal is to protect students, faculty, and staff. One of the most important preventative measures is to avoid having people in large groups as advised by the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC. Accordingly, we unfortunately need to cancel all public events to include our planned commencement exercises on May 8 & 9. Students will still be able to graduate, consistent with academic standards, but the actual spring ceremony will be cancelled. We are beginning discussions now on what options we might still have to celebrate our graduates’ accomplishments. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 16, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | See below for updated guidance just released from the University System of Georgia. Please note that we will provide further information as soon as possible. Following last week’s decision to suspend instruction for two weeks, the University System of Georgia (USG) has decided:
The USG will provide guidance to campuses on refunds to students. Additional details are forthcoming. All USG institutions will remain open with minimal staff physically on-site to ensure continuity of certain services. Please continue to adhere to public health and CDC guidelines regarding hygiene and social interactions, and be especially mindful during the transition this week and next. Further guidance will be forthcoming. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 13, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Georgia Southern Community: While Georgia Southern University has suspended instruction for two weeks, effective Monday, March 16, 2020, this announcement does not mean the university is closing. This announcement from the University System of Georgia (USG) followed new guidance from the state’s coronavirus task force and the Georgia Department of Public Health. This move is designed solely for the health and welfare of our faculty, staff and students. Here’s what this means for Eagle Nation. For students: since Georgia Southern is on Spring Break next week, this announcement means all Georgia Southern classes -- including those online -- will NOT be held until March 29, 2020. Students currently on campus are asked to depart campus by close of business today (Friday, March 13, 2020), and to remain away from campus until March 29, 2020. At this time, students are NOT being asked to move out of their residence halls for the remainder of the semester. For students who are unable to leave campus for the next two weeks, our residence halls will remain open, and some of our dining facilities will be operational on a limited schedule. Look for details at https://auxiliary. For students who may need to remain in housing, please help us assist you better by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/ The university is committed to the continued employment of students who need to have hours. If you need employment, please reach out to your immediate supervisor or contact the Student Employment office in Human Resources at 912-478-6947 or put in a ticket with hrservice@georgiasouthern. For faculty: since Georgia Southern is on Spring Break next week, this announcement means that faculty are not teaching from March 16-20. However the week of March 23-27 is a work week, and faculty need to spend their time ensuring Folio sections are properly built out and ready to be used in the event that a decision is made to convert classes to fully online. Faculty also may engage in research and/or service activities, but are encouraged to do so as much as possible from home. You should also know that the USG has suspended all non-essential travel. More detailed information will be provided by Academic Affairs leadership. For staff: this class suspension does not mean the university is closed. However, a goal of this decision is to reduce the number of people on our campuses. Accordingly, division leaders need to provide direction to their employees as to who may be allowed to work from home, and who is an essential employee that needs to come onto campus. You should also know that the USG has suspended all non-essential travel. We understand there may be more specific questions, so HR is developing an FAQ about this situation at https://docs.google.com/ For visitors: most events -- including sporting events -- on our campuses will be postponed or canceled. Please check online if there is an event you planned to attend. Organizers should work with anyone who has rented space on campus to allow them to easily cancel or reschedule their event. We expect further direction soon from state officials as they continue to assess the current situation regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia. In the interim, all students, faculty and staff who may be traveling in any capacity (either domestically or internationally) are being encouraged to register their travel information through the MyGS portal so we may provide relevant updates. The CDC strongly advises against anyone traveling to a location subject to a Level 3 or higher Travel Health Notice, including most of Europe, South Korea, China and Iran. We also encourage community members to check with the U.S. Department of State website, and talk with family and travel companions to make a wise decision about travel plans, particularly related to travel in Europe. Remember the USG will not authorize official travel to any countries subject to a Level 3 or higher CDC Travel Health Notice. We urge all community members to practice good preventive measures and to visit the USG resource guide for the latest information concerning travel advisories and other guidance. You can also find additional information from the CDC here. Prevention of COVID-19 is paramount, and we urge everyone to take appropriate measures such as:
Guidance from DPH identifies those with the highest risk to contract COVID-19 are travelers to countries with widespread outbreaks, as well as those travelers’ close contacts. Additionally, those most likely to develop serious illness after contracting COVID-19 include persons who are older than 60, as well as persons with chronic health conditions. Health officials advise that the incubation period of COVID-19 is 2-14 days, with an average period of 5 days. Symptoms include coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms. Those who experience flu-like symptoms are urged to contact the Department of Public Health at 1-866-PUB-HLTH. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 12, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | Coronavirus (COVID-19) The University System of Georgia (USG) is consulting constantly with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today announced state agencies, school systems and local communities have been given the flexibility to implement closures. Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, all 26 USG institutions will temporarily suspend instruction for two weeks to allow time for USG institutions to test their business continuity plans and online instruction modules and for state officials to continue to assess the current situation regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia. Students who are currently on spring break are strongly encouraged not to return to campus. Students on campus are asked to depart campus by close of business Friday, March 13, 2020, and to remain away from campus until March 29, 2020. At this time, students are not being asked to move out of their dorms for the remainder of the semester. All institutions are being asked to work with students who are unable to leave campus. We take very seriously the responsibility to make prudent and well-informed choices for the well-being of our campus communities and the public. We continue to prepare for all scenarios in this rapidly evolving situation. All USG institutions have plans to ensure academic continuity as operations are impacted. The USG is providing regular updates to all institutions and the public at its website, https://www.usg.edu/coronavirus. In the interim, all students, faculty and staff who may be traveling in any capacity (either domestically or internationally) are being encouraged to register their travel information so we may provide relevant updates. (Georgia Southern’s travel registry can be found on the MyGS portal.) The CDC strongly advises against anyone traveling to a location subject to a Level 3 or higher Travel Health Notice, including most of Europe, South Korea, China and Iran. We also encourage community members to check with the U.S. Department of State website, and talk with family and travel companions to make a wise decision about travel plans, particularly related to travel in Europe. We urge all community members to practice good preventive measures and to visit the USG resource guide for the latest information concerning travel advisories and other guidance. You can also find additional information from the CDC here. Prevention of COVID-19 is paramount, and we urge everyone to take appropriate measures such as:
Guidance from DPH identifies those with the highest risk to contract COVID-19 are travelers to countries with widespread outbreaks, as well as those travelers’ close contacts. Additionally, those most likely to develop serious illness after contracting COVID-19 include persons who are older than 60, as well as persons with chronic health conditions. Health officials advise that the incubation period of COVID-19 is 2-14 days, with an average period of 5 days. Symptoms include coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms. Those who experience flu-like symptoms are urged to contact the Department of Public Health at 1-866-PUB-HLTH. The health of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority. We will continue to work with USG leaders in collaboration with state officials and DPH to act on the most up-to-date guidance available. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 12, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | From the University System of Georgia: Therefore, all 26 USG institutions will remain open for face-to-face education at this time. For those of you, or anyone on your campus who may be traveling, please make sure they remain in regular contact with your campus for operational updates. Many of you have asked, what can we do? The most important responsibility we each have is to practice prevention. Prevention is paramount. Please urge your faculty, staff and students to take appropriate measures such as:
We take very seriously the responsibility to make prudent choices for the well-being of the USG community. The latest information is that (as of Thursday morning) there are 12 confirmed and 19 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. These numbers are likely to change. For the latest updates, please monitor DPH’s website. Health officials advise that the incubation period of COVID-19 is 2-14 days, with an average period of 5 days. Symptoms include coughing, fever and shortness of breath. Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms. Guidance from DPH identifies those with the highest risk to contract COVID-19 are travelers to countries with widespread outbreaks, as well as those travelers’ close contacts. Additionally, those most likely to develop serious illness after contracting COVID-19 include persons who are older than 60, as well as persons with chronic health conditions. As you are aware, the CDC strongly advises against anyone traveling to a location subject to a Level 3 or higher Travel Health Notice, including Italy, South Korea, China and Iran. USG will not approve travel to those countries. We urge all community members to practice good preventive measures and to visit the USG resource guide for the latest information concerning travel advisories and other guidance. You can also find additional information from the CDC here. We will continue to work with DPH and communicate with you regularly and fully as conditions change. Thank you for all you do for USG. | Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 11, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | In coordination with, and under the direction of, the Georgia Department of Public Health and the University System of Georgia, Georgia Southern is continuing to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation, which is dynamic and changing frequently. As of today, Georgia Southern University has no suspected cases of coronavirus, and Georgia Southern has not been notified that any member of the campus community is suspected of having the virus or being in contact with anyone who has the virus. While the current risk level associated with COVID-19 in the United States remains low, we are continuing our efforts to be prepared to respond if necessary. To that end, we are asking a few things: ● All students, faculty, and staff, we encourage you to voluntarily register any upcoming travel plans for Spring Break or any other reason. Please log your travel through the Travel Registry link within the MyGS portal. This will allow us to communicate directly with travelers and to provide guidance to ensure that your safety is top priority if you have visited an area that is named an area of concern by the CDC. Currently, CDC recommends travelers should avoid nonessential travel to any country designated as a Warning Level 3. A list is available at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html. As a reminder, anyone traveling to a country that is designated as a CDC Warning Level 3 must not return to any USG campus or facility for 14 days following their return. ● Though we are not directing classes to move online, we do ask that faculty keep coursework up to date on our online education platform — Folio, and keep our campuses’ wellbeing in mind when students request not to attend class due to illness. Folio is designed to let students continue their instruction. We do not want to force students to come to class if they are ill, and students should not be required to provide proof of a medical visit when absent. It is better to allow students the opportunity to use Folio than come to class. ● Employees, if you do not feel well, please stay home. Supervisors, please be understanding that if anyone has a fever or a cough, they should not return to work or school until their temperature has been normal for 24 hours without the use of medication. There remains NO current guidance from the state that we need to cancel classes, close the University, or cancel large gatherings of any kind. If anything changes with regards to the operational status of our campuses, we will update the university community as soon as possible. As usual, we want to remind everyone to take the following important steps every day to reduce the spread of the flu, coronaviruses, and other respiratory viruses:
| Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent March 4, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | We have been closely watching reports of a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and there have been no identified cases at Georgia Southern or in the state of Georgia. As of today, there have been five confirmed cases in the United States. As you may be aware, the Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed Georgia’s first cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) involving two residents of Fulton County who live in the same household. According to officials, one recently returned from Italy. Both have mild symptoms; they are isolated at home with other relatives to keep the illness from spreading. State, local and university officials continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 coronavirus situation, and to date, there are no reports of community transmission occurring within Georgia. Additionally, there have been no suspected nor confirmed cases on any Georgia Southern campus. Georgia Southern is actively following anticipatory guidance provided by the CDC, Georgia Department of Public Health, and the University System of Georgia to minimize the risk of transmission on our campuses. We have a robust emergency response plan, and we are in frequent discussion with officials on-campus and throughout the state to ensure Georgia Southern is prepared to respond as necessary. We have a robust emergency response plan, and we are in frequent discussion with officials on-campus and throughout the state to ensure Georgia Southern is prepared to respond as necessary. The latest CDC recommendations ask that universities consider postponing or canceling student foreign exchange programs. These guidelines appear to have a limited impact on Georgia Southern at this moment. We are currently undergoing discussions about future programs, and have identified 7 students who are currently abroad and confirmed that only one of our students is in an area currently designated as Level 3. We are reaching out to those students to provide guidance and assistance as needed. Georgia Southern officials will continue to monitor the situation and are in constant contact with state officials to ensure the safety of all students, faculty and staff. As we approach Spring Break, anyone planning to travel is encouraged to stay up-to-date with current travel alerts from the U.S. State Department and the CDC. Currently, both organizations are recommending that people should avoid nonessential travel to any country designated by CDC as a Warning Level 3. Anyone who has traveled from China, or any other area with apparent community spread of COVID-19, in the past 14 days and who has a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should seek medical care immediately and are advised to call ahead to inform medical staff about their recent travel and symptoms. Students with any concerns can call the Statesboro campus health center at 912-478-5641 or the Armstrong campus health center at 912-961-5726, and faculty and staff should call their primary care provider. While the COVID-19 virus is attracting attention, the flu remains a much more serious public threat. Georgia Southern Health Services continues to see flu cases on a regular basis. It is not too late to receive your flu vaccine. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu vaccine each year. The flu vaccine is available Monday through Friday at the Statesboro campus Health Services pharmacy and the Armstrong campus Health Services clinic for students, faculty and staff. The flu vaccine is also available in most other pharmacies throughout the region. All students, faculty, and staff are urged to take the following important steps every day to reduce the spread of the flu, coronaviruses, and other respiratory viruses:
| Faculty and Staff, Students | |
| Sent January 29, 2020 to Faculty, Staff and Students | We have been closely watching reports of a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and there have been no identified cases at Georgia Southern or in the state of Georgia. As of today, there have been five confirmed cases in the United States. Our health professionals will continue monitoring the situation and are following the direction given by public health experts. It is important to note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a recommendation to avoid all nonessential travel to Hubei Province, China. Symptoms of coronavirus are similar to the seasonal flu, which remains the higher risk for our population. This is also the time of year when we typically see a rise in cases of seasonal flu. Persons on any Georgia Southern campus who have traveled from China in the past 14 days AND have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should seek medical care immediately and are advised to call ahead to inform medical staff about their recent travel and symptoms. Students can call the Statesboro campus health center at 912-478-5641 or the Armstrong campus health center at 912-961-5726, and faculty and staff should call their primary care provider. We encourage everyone on campus to follow the same preventative strategies used during a normal cold and flu season: getting a flu shot, washing hands regularly, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when experiencing symptoms of illness. Flu shots are still available in the student health centers on both the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses for Georgia Southern students, faculty, and staff. It is recommended that anyone over the age of 6 months get the flu shot, and especially people with chronic medical conditions who are at high-risk for flu-related complications. | Faculty and Staff, Students |
