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8/26/2020

TO: Center Students
SUBJECT: Session 1 Update

Dear Student,

The last few months have brought about significant change for everyone and we have been hard at work, planning for your safe return in Session 1! We have rearranged furniture within our locations to ensure social distancing in classrooms and in office spaces. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes are available. Upon arrival and departure, you should wipe down your chair and table area in the classroom using the supplied disinfecting wipes. UIU continues to require a face covering anytime you are in a UIU location. This includes wearing a face covering for the duration of your onsite classes. Please bring your own face covering with you to the center. In addition, we wanted to share some important information regarding attendance and UIU’s response to COVID-19 situations.

Attendance for face to face center classes

For those registered for a course meeting at a center, students should plan to attend in person. Each course will be assigned a Zoom meeting ID that can be used in the event that a student is unable to attend in person due to illness, COVID-19 exposure, etc.  You should only attend these center classes via zoom when it is not safe for you to attend in person due to illness or exposure to COVID-19. In this situation, communicate with your instructor when unable to attend class in person at the center. Please see the COVID-19 Classroom Exposure Guidelines below. As a reminder, students must validate their enrollment within the first 14 days of the course.

Attendance can include:

  • face to face in person
  • attending a synchronous zoom session
  • submission of an assignment in uiulearn
  • quiz completion in uiulearn
  • discussion post in uiulearn

Attendance for face to face classes meeting virtually (location classrooms closed)

Some locations are unable to hold in person classes. For classes located in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, DeRidder, Fort Polk, Fort Hood and Fort Leavenworth, students will complete portions of their work in uiuLearn and will also meet virtually from home. A zoom ID will be included in your syllabus that can be used to attend the in person zoom sessions. Students must validate their enrollment within the first 14 days of the course.

Attendance for these courses can include:

  • attending a synchronous zoom session
  • submission of an assignment in uiulearn
  • quiz completion in uiulearn
  • discussion post in uiulearn

Attendance for online classes

In online classes, students will participate using uiuLearn.  The course syllabus will outline outcomes, expectations and attendance requirements for the course.

Attendance can include:

  • submission of an assignment in uiulearn
  • quiz completion in uiulearn
  • discussion post in uiulearn

For those new to using uiuLearn, or those who would like a bit of help with the platform, we are hosting live online uiuLearn demonstrations. Please join us by zoom for one of our upcoming sessions for an overview or to let us answer your questions.

  • Friday, August 28th 1:00 PM
  • Monday, August 31st 12:00 PM
  • Monday, August 31st 8:00 PM
  • Tuesday, September 1st 5:30 PM
  • Wednesday, September 2nd 5:30 PM

Zoom ID for all sessions:  https://uiu.zoom.us/j/7459597799

COVID-19 Classroom Exposure Guidelines

If a student attending class at a UIU center tests positive for COVID-19, the following procedures apply:

  1. Students who test positive for the COVID-19 virus should report this immediately to the center staff. The center staff will follow the established chain of command to ensure appropriate communication, actions and notifications are made.
  2. UIU will work with public health and contact tracing will begin immediately.  Identified employees and/or students exposed to the infected person should immediately transition to a self-quarantine status for the minimum 14 day period.
  3. If the student had attended an in person class prior to receiving a positive test result, the class would meet remotely using video conference technology the following week. The login information will be listed in the course syllabus. After the 14 day window, classes would resume face to face.
  4. Any student exposed* to a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19 should self-quarantine for the minimum 14 day period and may not return to the classroom until the end of the 14 day self-quarantine period from the date of the exposure.
    • *Per the CDC, to be considered “exposed,” a person would have been less than 6 feet for 15 minutes or more from
      • A person with COVID-19 who has symptoms (in the period of 2 days before symptom onset)
      • A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 but has not had any symptoms (in the 2 days before the date of specimen collection)
    • (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html)
  1. Any student with new or worsening symptoms related to COVID-19 are unable to return to class until all three of the following criteria are met:
    • At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications)
    • They has been improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath)
    • At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared.
  2. If a location has an increasing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, a decision could be made to close the center for 14 days or more and all courses would meet virtually during the closure to ensure continued educational quality.

UIU appreciates your attentiveness to these important guidelines. The challenges created by COVID-19 are causing us to do things a little differently than we have in the past, and we appreciate your help and support to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all UIU students, faculty and staff. We remain committed to helping you reach your educational goals.