ASSOU opened up their Instagram to questions regarding COVID-19 and how it’s affecting SOU. Here is a transcript of what questions they received and the answers they gave:
Q: Why are campus finals still an option?
ASSOU: Good question! Some finals may require in person due to the department and nature of the final. Due to rapid changes on campus, we are urging faculty to hold remote finals but making it as safe as possible to hold in-person finals if they choose.
Q: Why are we adding to the end of spring break when the problem is now?
ASSOU: To clarify the question, do you mean why did we extend spring break a week? Making it a two-week spring break? We are extending spring break to allow faculty to transition their classes into a remote format and ensure it is ready for that as well as accessible to students.
Q: What would stopping classes next term and starting when this is all over look like?
ASSOU: Would this be referring to everyone? If so, I do not believe that would be an option as many are so close to graduating and spring term is that last step. I strongly believe SOU would do everything in its power to deliver classes spring term. I would not worry about this happening.
Q: Are meal plans canceled since students won’t be here next term if classes are online?
ASSOU: The dorms and housing department will be fully functional during spring break and the time during spring term we are remote. The Hawk will be up and running, so meal plans will not be canceled.
Q: How do we say no to teachers who want us to go in for finals if we’re not comfy with it?
ASSOU: Many professors are informed, and very understanding, that not all will be comfortable.
- Just try talking to your professor
- You can try contacting the division director
- You can reach out to the dean of students office if further response is needed
Q: Will we still have a full 11 weeks of spring term? We need the full term to learn!
ASSOU: We will not have the full term. Week 1 (starting April 6th) to week 9 will be classes. Week 10 (June 8-12) will be finals week. Commencement is set for June 13th.
Q: Do I have to take my final on campus or can I take it online?
ASSOU: Currently faculty is (or already has) assessed whether they will be having an online final or in-person. Refer back to a previous question for what to do if it is an in-person final and you are not comfortable with that.
Q: As of now how long are they predicting a remote spring term?
ASSOU: Unfortunately this is a day-to-day assessment campus and health officials are making. I would say we are similar to most universities who are going online for about the first three weeks and from there evaluating. We will be keeping students highly informed of each step we take. You can see those constant updates in the link in our (Instagram) bio!
Q: Will spring term be online?
ASSOU: Referring back to previous replies: It will be held online for a majority of classes. Some may have in-person aspects such as lab sciences. Faculty was urged that online methods were preferred and in-person should be limited and follow health precautions.
Q: If the Coronavirus is still this bad come June, how will graduation be affected?
ASSOU: That conversation is not being widely had at this time as we are hoping that will not be the case. Options floating around would be having separate departmental commencements to allow for smaller crowds. However, that is not yet a topic of discussion!
Q: Will the price of classes go up next quarter?
ASSOU: Of you are referring to the online service fee that is typically added to your bill ($65). This is a concern we have been trying to address and avoid since we got the call to go online. Admin and our registration office are finding a way to avoid this cost for students. No updates yet, however, it’s been about two days since we started looking.
Q: Will move in date be moved to April 5th now?
ASSOU: This is a question for the housing department! I am assuming that they will move back move in but also at this time, under these circumstances, I believe flexibility will be at an all-time high.
Q: Will the student rec center remain open?
ASSOU: Rec center will remain open!
Q: Will we be charged for building fees even though classes are online next term?
ASSOU: Similar to the online fee that is happening. Considering campus will be open and operating I still believe that building fees will be present.
Q: Are we moving out of the dorms?
ASSOU: The dorms are staying open to students as we do not want anyone to not have a place to live (shame on schools who have closed dorms). If you choose to leave that is up to you and questions about contacts and such should be sent to the housing office!
Q: What will happen to students who work on campus and that’s their only source of money?
ASSOU: Great question! This is one of the reasons campus will remain open and functioning. We do not want student employment to be at risk. Currently, the campus is open and employment should remain, I’m sure some hours will shift just as every business currently is. If things progress further we will update you. If you are out of campus employment for whatever reason please reach out to me at assoupresident@sou.edu.
End of Q&A
We will do our best to keep all of you updated and informed as more information is shared with us. Stay safe SOU!
