Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

COVID-19 Campus Updates

"Congratulations to all our new graduates. You had to overcome a huge obstacle in your final weeks of the semester, but with the grit and determination of a Husky, you persevered and completed your climb and earned the right to be called a college graduate.

While some will remember 2020 in a negative light, I will always remember this Class of 2020 as shining lights who never gave up and continued to persist despite the challenging times. While we could not physically be together to share in the joy and celebrate with you and your families, our goal is to hold a commencement ceremony in August as long as it is safe to do so. At that time, we’ll celebrate this milestone together as a Husky family."

— President Bashar Hanna

Updated Communications Schedule: Each Monday we will communicate weekly updates for Faculty/Staff via The Week Ahead, and each Wednesday for Current Students and Faculty/Staff in this format.

We anticipate being able to return to on-campus programming in the fall semester, and we are working on a plan that will allow us to do so safely. Led by our Provost, Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson, a task force is evaluating a number of possible scenarios that are designed to offer a quality academic and campus life experience. As always, the health and safety of the entire BU community is paramount, and we will also adhere to the direction from the Office of the Governor and the PA Department of Health. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

The campus remains closed until further notice, including the upper campus fields and track at Redman Stadium. In the interest of securing the safety of our faculty, staff, and students, as well as our communities, the Chancellor is following the Governor’s directive regarding continuation of no in-person instruction occurring at our 14 universities during all scheduled 2020 summer sessions.

Events and Athletics
Go to buhuskies.com for athletic updates.

Through the end of July, all events have been canceled until further notice. We will seek opportunities to move programming online if possible and will communicate accordingly.

Coronavirus Update (May 27, 2020) – Next Update Wednesday, June 3

Students

(NEW) Residence Life Update: Final on-campus student move-out is scheduled for next week, beginning June 3. Residence Life will be sending information via email related to the phased moveout plan that focuses on safety and social distancing that minimizes the number of people in buildings at any given time.

(REMINDER) Co-Curricular Transcript in HuskySync – Download By June 1: Please review the important message from HuskySync that was sent to your student email on Tuesday, May 12, outlining the opportunity to download and save your Student Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT). Your CCT serves as a collection of your organizational and other participation and can serve as a valuable resource as you prepare to complete educational requirements and update your resume. HuskySync is transitioning to a new, updated platform this summer, and after June 1, your information can no longer be retrieved. Don’t lose track of the record of your activities; download a PDF of your CCT.

(REMINDER) Book Rentals/Returns to University Store: If you rented textbooks or other course materials from the University Store, the deadline to return books has been extended to May 31. You will receive an e-mail (to the e-mail address you used when you originally rented the books) alerting you to look out for a separate e-mail containing the electronic shipping label. You will also be reminded of the titles of the books you have rented.

Tuition Set by Board of Governors for 2020-21: The Pennsylvania State System Board of Governors voted today to freeze tuition and technology tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, 2020-21. With this action, tuition and fee rates for 2020-21 are now final. Billing for the fall 2020 semester will take place in early July. In the meantime, and for planning purposes, please visit the Bloomsburg University Tuition and Fee Cost Estimator to calculate your fall charges. If you have any questions, please contact the Bursar’s office at 570-389-4013 or bursar@bloomu.edu.

CARES Act Funding: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was recently signed into law, giving Bloomsburg University the ability to award funds to students for expenses related to the disruption of normal campus operations due to the coronavirus. Students not enrolled in exclusively online programs who are eligible for Title IV funding and whose expected family contribution (EFC) is between $0-$13,000 will automatically receive an award and be notified by the Financial Aid office. Disbursement of funds will take place over the next few weeks. Additional funding may be available for spring, summer, fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. Students impacted by the coronavirus may apply for these funds. Please click here for more detail.

My Husky Scheduling Tutorials: For anyone needing assistance with scheduling, here are some helpful tutorials to walk you through the process.
• How to Enroll in a course http://intranet.bloomu.edu/documents/myhusky/enroll-course.pdf
• How to Swap a Course http://intranet.bloomu.edu/documents/myhusky/swap-course.pdf
• How to Drop a Course http://intranet.bloomu.edu/documents/myhusky/drop-course.pdf

Student Assistance Form: Students, if you have a concern or need help with something – we are here to help! Simply click on this request link and tell us what we can assist you with. The link is located at the top of the Current Students page, or click here http://intranet.bloomu.edu/student-assistance

Academics

Writing and Literacy Engagement Studio (WALES) is open for summer sessions: For the summer, WALES will offer online consulting through Zoom. To arrange for an online session, send an appointment request to wales@bloomu.edu from your Huskies email address at least 24 hours in advance.

Library Online Support Hours in Summer Session: Virtual library services and support, during Summer Sessions, is available to students and faculty according to the following schedule. For research assistance and resources, visit: http://guides.library.bloomu.edu/remotestudy.
Online Support Hours at http://library.bloomu.edu

Pass/Fail Option: Pass/Fail as an option for students has been approved for use this semester. Details can be found on the Faculty/Staff page.

Faculty & Staff

From HR - Campus and Leave Status Update: We would like to provide an update in the response to COVID-19 and our work status. Columbia County has moved to the “Yellow” phase.

Moving to the Yellow phase means the following for Bloomsburg University employees:
• Our campus remains closed with no face-to-face instruction.
• Telecommuting should continue where possible.
• With this directive as the foundation for determining work status, your work status will not be changing at this time.
• Over the next few weeks, additional positions may move to essential status as we begin to prepare for the Fall semester. If your position is designated to move to essential status, your supervisor will notify you.
• If there are any questions about your work status, please contact your supervisor. If there are questions about your leave or unemployment compensation, please reach out via HR Connect at hrconnect@bloomu.edu.

We will continue to follow the health directives of the Governor and the Department of Health. We hope that you and your families remain well.

Human Resources is available to help with your questions and can be reached at 570-389-4415.

Student Assistance Form: If you have a student with a concern or needing assistance, please direct them to the following link: http://intranet.bloomu.edu/student-assistance, to complete the webform.

 

The situation is rapidly evolving and recommendations from the CDC, as well as the PA Department of Health, change daily. Members of the Bloomsburg University community are encouraged to monitor the CDC and PA. Department of State websites. Those who believe they may have been exposed to or infected with the novel coronavirus should seek medical care right away.

Before you go to a clinic, doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms. Bloomsburg students should contact the Student Health Center, while faculty and staff should contact their personal healthcare provider for further evaluation.

There's currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Symptoms of the COVID-19 can include: fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying.