COVID-19 Update: April 3
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
Today, Alabamians received a stay-at-home order from Governor Kay Ivey, effective at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. This order instructs us to remain in our homes and refrain from all non-essential activities. It is critical that we comply with this order, as cases of COVID-19 are increasing daily in Alabama and in our region. This is the only way that we can keep ourselves safe and help limit the spread of this pandemic threat.
For JSU, this means employees will continue to work remotely, classes will continue online, we may visit the Student Health Center or other health care facilities to tend to essential medical needs, and we may complete work and school-related errands. As a result of Governor Ivey’s order, the university has adjusted the housing move-out plans, and resident students should have received an email this evening from Housing Operations and Residence Life, providing updated instructions.
Additionally, the JSU administration recognizes the difficulty many students have experienced this semester in converting to online classes, as well as the overwhelming stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to do what is best for our students, we are developing an alternate grading policy for the Spring 2020 semester. This policy will be available for most undergraduate and graduate students, but some students in professionally accredited programs and/or in certain courses will not be eligible for the option. Details of this policy are being finalized, and more information will be forthcoming by the middle of next week.
The Governor’s order has also led to some operational changes for JSU:
- Financial Aid: The office is now conducting operations remotely. Although staff are not physically in the office, the phone lines remain open, and email is monitored frequently. Call 256-782-5006 or email finaid@jsu.edu for assistance.
- Mail Center: To allow residents to pick up their mail and packages before leaving campus, the center will be open on Saturday, April 4, and Sunday, April 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please enter through the fourth floor of the Theron Montgomery Building.
- Houston Cole Library: To help students with their coursework, Houston Cole Library will fill requests for materials, by appointment only, on Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Submit a request for assistance online.
- Dining: Jack Hopper Dining Hall and The Red Rooster continue to provide takeout meals to residents who remain on campus.
Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate this unprecedented time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr.
Acting President