This isn’t the first time a virus has changed students’ lives at the University of Idaho. As recently as the fall of 1957, the women of Gamma Phi Beta sorority were forced to quarantine for a time during that year's flu pandemic. Vandals rolled with the punches then and are just as resilient today. (Scroll to the bottom of this message to see a video highlighting our pride in being Vandal Strong right now.) Still, our staff and faculty are working every day to provide some semblance of routine. Our students have demonstrated their focus and adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to attend classes remotely and are completing their coursework despite not being allowed to meet in groups or otherwise enjoy springtime on the beautiful Moscow campus. Student clubs continue to hold meetings via Zoom. I was able to attend a meeting with the Student Alumni Relations Board last week, and we had a great conversation. Some students, many of whom had no other housing option, are still living on campus. About 300 remain in on-campus residence halls, and nine of our 26 Greek chapter houses continue to serve as primary homes for a small number of fraternity and sorority members. Our staff and faculty have worked hard to ensure students have online access to non-academic resources. Student appointments at our Counseling and Testing Center are continuing as scheduled via phone and video conferencing. In addition, Housing and Residence Life, Vandals Dining and Fraternity and Sorority Life teams have done a fantastic job of keeping life as normal as possible for students. Many on-campus students are still being fed by The HUB dining hall, and we are exceeding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for takeout food service. Students can order from a menu catered to dietary needs and get daily grab-and-go meals. The HUB’s executive chef is taking those meal orders himself to limit person-to-person interaction between students and the rest of the staff. Students who are self-isolating because of exposure to the virus are getting meals delivered to their floors by our team in Environmental Health and Safety. They’re also getting needed medical deliveries. Students who stayed home following Spring Break don’t need to be in any rush to move out of their residence hall rooms. Housing will continue to hold onto student belongings until it’s safe to retrieve them. Please know that pro-rated housing and dining credits have been given to those Vandals for days they weren’t able to use our services. Students living in Greek houses are also observing strict social distancing practices and many have either stopped or greatly modified their meal service. They are still holding governing meetings with chapters coming together virtually to conduct business. Fraternity and Sorority Life has created a webinar series to connect chapter leaders with resources on how to do their important work online. Just like the Gamma Phis in 1957, we are also looking toward an eventual return to normal. We have a lot of people to thank for making all the changes required to adjust to this new reality – staff, faculty and students and their families. Efforts by housing, dining and Greek support teams are helping us keep these essential services in place until all Vandals can gather and celebrate in a safe and healthy way. |