March 20, 2020
An Update from Ursuline College President Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, PhD
Our Ursuline College community continues to work together for two shared purposes, the education of our students and the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. Across our now far-flung reach, we have persevered with faith and resilience.
In the face of a world crisis, we have enacted a series of necessary steps to prepare the College for operations that require only a minimum number of community members to leave their homes. Following two weeks of planning, we are now ready to announce that we will move to a “Mandatory-Only Campus” as of Monday, 23 March, at 5 pm.
Let me assure you that the College is still “open.” All classes continue, virtually, even while buildings may be shuttered. Our faculty and staff have adapted, with a legendary capacity for creativity, to ensure that we maintain direct and indirect services to students. And we continue to serve our wider family, our alumnae/i, our community partners, our vendors, our donors, and more.
With these measures, we contribute to statewide efforts to contain contagion. In addition, we send our gratitude to the graduates of our Breen School of Nursing who serve on the frontlines of a worldwide battle and who put their own health at risk to aid others. In whatever way we can, each of us in our campus community and in our Alumnae/Alumni Association joins you in prayer, faith, and service.
What does a “Mandatory-Only Campus” look like?
As of 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 23, all campus buildings will be locked. From that point until our pandemic-related restrictions are lifted, we expect only mandatory staff to be on campus at any given time. For this purpose, we are defining mandatory staff as:
- Security, with 24-hour coverage
- Facilities and Maintenance, one staff member for a few hours each day
- President, Vice Presidents, Business and Student Services personnel for short visits
FACULTY & STAFF: If faculty or staff need to come to campus briefly to continue the essential operations of educating students, you may. Buildings will be locked. Call Security at 440.221.9025 upon arrival. (This phone number will be posted at each door.) You must show your Ursuline College ID in order to be admitted. Please be patient as the security guard may be at the other end of campus when you arrive!
STUDENTS: Residents’ access to the residence halls is active through Sunday, 22 March at 7 pm. After Sunday, 22 March, no resident may be admitted into the residence halls. After 22 March, students must contact Residence Life if something left in the residence hall is of utmost necessity. Gina DeMart-Kraus or Amy Lechko, in consultation with VP Deanne Hurley, will determine the best course of action.
Lost your Ursuline ID? Stop in to Student Services, second floor of Mullen North, on Monday, 23 March, between 8:30 am and 5 pm for a replacement. Staff or students needing an ID but unable to get to campus on Monday may contact Mary Lynn Perri directly to make arrangements.
The vice presidents are drafting memos with directions regarding all necessary inter-office functions, e.g. mailroom, business office, etc. Faculty and staff will receive these when they are compiled.
Other Announcements/Reminders
Travel
All college-sponsored travel is cancelled, at least through May 15.
Reminders from IT
The IT team has extended support hours for this week and next to help get everyone transitioned to online coursework.
March 20 – until 7:00 PM
March 21 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
March 22 – 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
March 23 - March 27 – 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM
March 28 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
IT has created many helpful articles on the ServiceDesk website. Please look here first https://ursuline.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1882/Portal/KB/.
During this tumultuous time, you may find asking a friend for assistance quite helpful. For IT assistance, open a ticket at https://servicedesk.ursuline.edu or email servicedesk@ursuline.edu or call 440-684-6013 (If you land in our voicemail box, please leave a message. The voicemail is forwarded to our ticket system and will open a ticket for you.) Please include the best phone number and call back time in the ticket or voicemail.
Leftover Food
On Monday, 23 March, Tyler James from Metz is going put food items in the Pilla Atrium for those who may be in need from 10 am – 4 pm. Tyler will collect the unclaimed items after 4 pm and disperse them to the greater community. Bread, bagels, liquid eggs, cheeses, squash, broccoli, and various fruits will be available.
