Following yesterday’s announcement that the University of Indianapolis will be extending spring break for students until March 22 as part of the university’s plan to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Kory Vitangeli, vice president for student and campus affairs and dean of students, sent out a follow-up email to students on March 12 to answer students’ questions about the decision and clarify the university’s plans.
Starting on March 16, offices on-campus will open at 8 a.m., despite the spring break extension, according to Vitangeli. Spring break was extended so that UIndy’s faculty has time to prepare for modified instruction.
Clarifications and Additional Information
- Residence Life and Housing:
- Residence halls and apartments will remain open during the extended break, according to Vitangeli. Residence halls will reopen on March 15 at 2 p.m.
- Students can enter residence halls any time after 2 p.m. on March 15, however, UIndy does recommend that students should stay at home next week if they are able to.
- Students do not need to remove their belongings from residential spaces, according to Vitangeli. If a student is out-of-state and has concerns about getting any items that they may need, they should let Vitangeli know and UIndy will try their best to help. Vitangeli can be emailed at kvitangeli@uindy.edu.
- UIndy also recommends students who choose to stay in the halls and apartments practice social distancing. The university will also be modifying “large-scale” programming and gatherings that are allowed in common areas.
- Dining Services:
- Dining Services will open at 4 p.m. on March 15, according to Vitangeli.
- The Dining Hall will operate on a “to-go” basis only, meaning that students can get food from the dining hall, but no dining is allowed in the dining hall. The food must be taken to-go and will be served by UIndy Dining employees.
- All three grill areas, the Hound Express and the Perk locations will be open, however, no personal cups will be allowed or able to be filled up with drinks.
- Health & Wellness Center:
- The Health & Wellness Center will be open, according to Vitangeli.
- If any student is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, have traveled to a Level 2 or Level 3 country as categorized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or has a health condition that places them at greater risk, as determined by the CDC, they are asked to call the center at (317) 788-3437 instead of visiting the center in person. The Health & Wellness Center will advise them on how to best seek treatment.
- Counseling Center:
- UIndy’s Counseling Center will open with all other campus offices on March 16 at 8 a.m., according to Vitangeli. If students need to change or schedule an appointment, they can contact the center at (317) 788-5015.
- Class supplies:
- The bookstore will be offering free shipping for any supplies students may need, Vitangeli said. If any students have accessibility concerns due to remote learning, they should the university’s Office for Disability Services at (317) 788-6153.
- Off-campus clinicals, internships and other off-campus experiences:
- If students are participating in clinical experiences, internships or other off-campus experiences tied to their academic studies, they will still take place unless students are instructed differently by their faculty, Vitangeli said.
- L/P credit and campus programming:
- L/P credit programs and campus programming that will continue to take place, Vitangeli said. However, changes will most likely have to be made to the size of the programs, along with many of the larger-scale programs being canceled.
- UIndy is continuing to evaluate and make decisions about campus programming will keep students updated, Vitangeli said
- End of the spring semester and Commencement:
- The end of the semester and commencement ceremonies that are scheduled for May 2 will continue as planned, according to Vitangeli. However, as UIndy continues to monitor the situation, they will inform students and their families if the university needs to postpone the commencement ceremonies.
For more information on what coronaviruses are, how they spread and how to protect yourself from them, click here.
For our latest coverage of the COVID-19 coronavirus’ impact on the University of Indianapolis, go to http://reflector.uindy.edu/tag/covid-19/.
