University Updates on Coronavirus

Millersville University is closely monitoring the emerging Coronavirus (COVID-19) concern. As updates are sent to the campus community, they will be posted here, with the most recent information at the top.

The latest verified information is available on the following websites:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• CDC – Resources for Institutes of Higher Education
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Pennsylvania Department of Health

June 12, 2020 Dear Marauder Family, Under normal circumstances, the month of June is quiet on campus, except for a few activities such as our COT meeting and ramping up of summer camps. However, in addition to our regular activities, we have witnessed a great deal of deliberation and decision making towards the end of this academic year. As such, I would like to share some of the more salient information from campus. Over the past ten days, we have received important directives from state agencies that provide important oversight to guide our campus operations going forward. First, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released comprehensive guidelines for K-12 schools and post-secondary educational institutions. Earlier this week, the Board of Governors of the PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) approved unanimously the 2020 Fall Framework, a set of parameters to support student progress while protecting the health and safety of students and employees. The President’s Cabinet and Incident Response Team (IRT) have examined the two sets of guidelines and are working hard to align our internal plans and protocols with them. My initial review is encouraging and I am proud that our Millersville teams and task forces have already constructed plans that, in some cases, exceed what is expected by the state agencies. We will continue processing those documents and enhancing our plans over the next few weeks. In my message last week regarding the three fall scenarios, I promised to provide additional information as soon as my senior leadership made a decision. To this end, I am pleased to report that Millersville University will open as scheduled on August 24, 2020 for the fall semester.  The semester will be modeled on the hybrid approach and include a combination of in-person courses and those delivered in remote modalities. After the Thanksgiving break, online-only learning will continue until the close of the semester on December 6. Details regarding housing, dining, athletics and other areas are still being developed and will be communicated in the days and weeks ahead.  We appreciate your patience as we finalize those decisions. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety and well-being of our students and employees has been at the forefront of our decisions. This guiding principle will serve as the foundation of our fall plans and we will implement modifications to our campus environment that support a safe and orderly opening. We will monitor and reduce student and employee density, require universal face coverings, deploy enhanced cleaning measures, and mitigate health and safety risks for students, employees, and visitors. Rest assured, our plans will adhere to health and safety standards provided by federal and state agencies. In addition, we plan to educate our community on risk factors for the virus and the protective strategies that will minimize the likelihood of transmission. At this time, we continue to monitor and respond to the phased re-opening plans for the region and the Commonwealth. As of June 5, there are 34 Pennsylvania counties in the green phase and 33 in the yellow phase. Lancaster has moved to the yellow phase of the reopening and some restrictions on work and social interaction have eased. There has been a noticeable increase in vehicular and pedestrian traffic and more outdoor activities as the days have grown longer and warmer. We have reminded employees who are working remotely not to return to their campus work areas for the moment. We will implement safety and security protocols such as social distancing, universal masking and workplace cleaning to minimize the risk to our community. While our focus has rightly centered on plans for the fall semester, I am excited to report that on Wednesday, our Council of Trustees cast their eyes on the longer term with their unanimous vote to endorse the 2020-25 University Strategic Plan. This new strategic plan, which will commence on July 1 builds on the success of our current strategic plan, Our Bold Path. I am grateful to the members of the All-University Council (AUC) for their dedication and hard work to produce a forward-thinking plan that will provide our students with a first class experience. In the weeks ahead, we will unveil the details of the new plan with news stories, a website, and print communications. Let me end this week’s message on a cautiously optimistic note. While we certainly hope to welcome our students back to campus in the fall and are preparing aggressively for that to occur, we also know that the public health situation will dictate what is ultimately possible. Our nation has seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in certain southern and western states. With this in mind, we must remain vigilant in our local region and continue personal health practices that have helped to flatten the curve over the past two months. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy. With warm regards, Daniel A. Wubah University President JUNE 4, 2020 Dear Campus Community, With the spring 2020 semester forever etched in our individual and collective memories as one for the ages, I am writing today to update you on our planning and preparations for the fall semester. At Millersville University, our sister universities in the State System and institutions across the nation, we are working hard to navigate our way through this uncertain time. In the interest of transparency in our decision-making process, I want to take this opportunity to provide a summary of our current thinking, knowing that things can and will change. We will develop a plan that works best for our campus community and adheres to the State System guidelines to: Support all students’ progress toward their degrees while mitigating health and safety risks that exist for students, employees and our surrounding community. Follow the health and safety standards provided by federal and state agencies and comply with guidelines from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Include contingency plans for alternate modes of operation should the pandemic evolve in such a way to require it. With the above in mind, we will soon lay out specific plans for our employees return to work along with our students return to campus in the fall. To guide our decision-making, we have assembled two groups: the Reopening Working Group, which is a subgroup of the Incident Response Team and has been working on safety protocols, and the Innovation Task Force, which is working on scenarios for the fall semester. The groups include faculty and staff from across campus and I am impressed with the magnitude of their work and what they have been able to accomplish so far. Their efforts will help ensure a great fall semester for all of us. SCENARIOS As of now, there are many questions we cannot answer including how the pandemic will progress this fall, how many people we will be able to test and how contact tracing will be implemented. While we cannot eliminate all risks or say with certainty what the fall semester will look like, we know that the threat of spreading COVID-19 remains real and that safety protocols are not just prudent, but essential. Our Innovation Task Force has been working on three different scenarios for the fall semester and I would like to share them with you. All of the scenarios are built on the goals to put students first, address student equity and inclusion, maintain our EPPIIC values, preserve human life and protect the health and safety of the entire campus community. Scenario 1 Under this scenario we would be fully remote for the fall semester. There would be no on-campus activity and the University would look like the second half of this past spring semester with online instruction, students living and studying remotely and only essential employees on campus. Scenario 2 This scenario would include a 15-week semester, with no breaks. It would run August 26 – December 6, with in-person classes ending by Thanksgiving. Students would leave campus for the winter break at Thanksgiving and the semester would continue online until Dec. 6. There would be on-campus residency for selected cohorts such as graduating seniors requiring experiential courses, graduating athletes, those requiring experiential courses and first year and transfer students. There would be on-campus instruction that will adhere to specific health guidelines. Essential staff would be on campus and other staff would be allowed as restrictions permit. Those who are able, would continue to work remotely. Scenario 3 The third scenario would have everyone back on campus for a typical fall semester. There would be the usual mix of in-person and online classes, students would be on campus and employees would all return to pre-pandemic work. SAFETY PROTOCOLS The safety of our employees and students is paramount in this process. In order to prioritize this, the Reopening Working Group has identified protocols that will be considered and used during any reopening scenario. A lot of work has already been accomplished, and more work will continue, as our teams answer questions that have been identified as critical before our students and employees return. These questions include: Which employees and students can return to campus once we begin the phased reopening? How do we monitor that students and employees are in a healthy state and minimize the risks from contracting COVID-19 when they are back on campus? How will we control high density campus spaces as well as outdoor spaces? How will we adapt returning employee and student schedules to achieve lower density on campus? How will we support employees and students for engagement in telework and remote instruction? What systems will be implemented for contact tracing? GUIDELINES While we certainly hope to welcome our students back to campus in the fall and are preparing aggressively for that to occur, we also know that the public health situation will dictate what is ultimately possible. Any plan for fall 2020 will comply with the State System’s collective bargaining agreements, its academic, operational, and other policies and standard procedures. On June 3, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued, “Preliminary Guidance for Resuming In-Person Instruction at Postsecondary Education Institutions and Adult Education Programs.”  We will follow those guidelines, as well as those from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To keep you informed, we will provide periodic updates throughout the summer as we learn more specifics about what the fall semester will look like. We are eager to share details as soon as we have more clarity on the new school year. Together we have faced and overcome so many challenges. Through all the turmoil and uncertainty, we remained committed to our EPPIIC values and served our students and the community. I believe Millersville University will emerge from this current crisis more agile, resilient and innovative; and I believe we will benefit from this challenge. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.    With warm regards, Daniel A. Wubah University President

May 29, 2020 Dear Marauder Family, I hope you enjoyed the fine weather of Memorial Day weekend and took the opportunity to relax and unwind. While the weekend may have looked different than previous years, it was a welcome break and a reminder that summer is upon us. We continue to receive inquiries from students and parents regarding our plans for the fall semester. The Chancellor has been working diligently with the 14 university presidents to develop a framework that will ensure the safety of our students when they return to campus this fall. As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, our leadership team is currently developing plans for the fall semester that comply with guidance and regulations from the CDC, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). We will share more details over the days ahead, and I can assure you that Millersville University will be open this fall. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to providing our students with a rich learning experience to prepare them for their future lives. To make this happen, my cabinet has been working closely with two task forces to prepare new protocols and innovative plans that will allow campus to open in an organized and safe manner. Currently, our students and faculty are fully engaged in the first summer session. As you know, all summer courses are being taught remotely and the response has been astounding. For Summer I, we have 2,864 undergraduate and 709 graduate students enrolled in courses, one of our largest summer sessions ever recorded. Summer II is showing strong gains as well with almost 2,000 undergraduate and 650 graduate students enrolled so far.  Seats are still available in many classes and I invite interested students to review our offerings and register. The student move-out from residence halls is going extremely well with over half of our spring residents completing the process. So far, I have heard only positive comments. I truly appreciate the students and families who are following our safety protocols and working collaboratively with our dedicated staff members. The residence hall move-out continues through June 6 at which time we will deep clean all of our facilities. Kudos to our Residence Hall and Facilities staff who are engaged in this process. While the campus grounds may be quiet, the amount of virtual summer activity is very impressive. To support our summer session students, we launched a new initiative with Smarthinking, a free online tutoring service that’s fast, simple, and convenient. This service will be available all summer, seven days a week. On June 3rd, we will host our first summer Virtual Job and Internship Fair for students seeking employment and career building opportunities. A remarkable array of businesses from across the region are already registered to meet with our talented students. And our summer intramural e-sports leagues continue to provide great recreational excitement for our students. We are cautiously optimistic about re-opening plans for areas of Central Pennsylvania.  Yesterday, Governor Wolf announced that 17 counties will move to the green phase and eight additional counties will move to the yellow phase including the adjacent counties of Dauphin and Lebanon.  Lancaster County remains in the red phase currently but is expected to move to yellow by June 5.  While moving to the yellow phase for Lancaster County will mean that some restrictions on work and social interaction will ease, our campus will remain vigilant and continue with safety and security protocols to minimize the risk to employees and students. We will continue to practice social distancing, universal masking, workplace cleaning and other guidance from state and federal agencies. As the summer sets in and our region begins the long awaited re-opening, I must stress the importance of continuing the prevention strategies and practices that protect you and your loved ones. As a scientist, I know the importance of relying on sound data to tell the story of this pandemic and guide our future actions and decisions.  We are not out of the woods, but the indicators are heading in the right direction. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy. With warm regards, Daniel A. Wubah University President

MAY 22, 2020

One of my maternal grandfather’s favorite quotations states “It is never wise to remove thorns in your clothes while standing in the middle of a field of thorns.” Under normal circumstances, this saying applies but not in our current turbulent times. Due to the uncertain times in which we find ourselves, it has become necessary to come up with creative and experimental solutions to address unexpected challenges that appear to emanate from nowhere on a daily basis. Hence we seem to be removing thorns from our clothes while standing in the middle of thorns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is when our core value of “Exploration” is on full display. Most of the approaches that we have employed to address the pandemic have been rooted in being resourceful. I am glad to say that our community has lived up to this value by coming up with and implementing innovative ideas. Isn’t this what the Marauder community is all about? Over the past few weeks, two task forces have been working hard to develop plans for re-opening our campus. The Re-Opening Task Force is a subgroup of the Incident Response Team (IRT) that is developing health and safety protocols to guide our employees and the University community when state and local officials move Lancaster County into the Yellow phase of the Governor’s phased reopening plan for Pennsylvania. Although Lancaster County remains in the Red phase and under the existing Stay-at-Home order until June 4th, several counties in Central Pennsylvania will move to the Yellow phase today, May 22. The Innovations Task Force was charged with developing new ideas and thinking boldly about teaching and learning models for the fall semester and beyond. I will work closely with my Cabinet and the IRT to unveil the plans and guidelines from the two task forces in the weeks ahead. We also have an aggressive outreach effort planned for roll-out, including videos on return-to-work procedures, a new website with re-opening information and FAQs, as well as informative print and email communications. I am grateful to the talented faculty and staff who answered the call to serve on these important teams. In this issue of my monthly newsletter, I am pleased to highlight some of the extraordinary Marauders who make our campus a unique and caring community. We found new ways to virtually celebrate with our May graduates and to financially support our students through this challenging time. We honor our exceptional student-athletes, highlighted by Ben Fellman of our men’s tennis program. We applaud our talented students from Chromatic Expansion for their beautiful music. And we recognize the faculty, staff and students who are partnering with a local school district to support students and families in need. Our campus community never ceases to amaze me and our EPPIIC values continue to shine brightly. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy. CONGRATULATIONS 2020 GRADUATES On May 9, nearly 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students became alumni of our University. While our spring 2020 commencement was far from typical, in true Marauder fashion, we found many ways to celebrate. CAREs Act, EPPIIC Fund & Millersville foundation support students It quickly became clear that as a university we needed to support our students during this difficult time by providing emergency funds for basic needs. STudent survey results   We recently surveyed over 6,000 students on communication, access to technology, University resources and more. ’Ville’s psac scholar – twice Congratulations to junior men’s tennis player Ben Fellman, who was the recipient of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Champion Scholar Award for the second year in a row. MU’s a cappella group brings joy and inspiration While the sudden transition to remote learning was challenging for many individuals on campus, it was especially difficult for our student a cappella group, Chromatic Expansion. penn manor partnership Millersville University students have volunteered to support our neighbors, the students and families of the Penn Manor School District in their transition to online learning.

MAY 8, 2020Dear Marauder Family,Commencement is a time for celebration.  It’s a time to honor our Class of 2020 graduating students for their academic accomplishments and their unique contributions to our campus community.  It is my distinct pleasure to congratulate our graduating students, your family and friends and our faculty, on this important occasion. Our 2020 graduates have persevered through a difficult time with grace and fortitude, and their futures are bright.Graduates, with your well-earned degree in hand, you have brought acclaim to yourself and to our university. Your graduation is a definite indication that you have accomplished something valuable, noteworthy, and challenging that will stand you in good stead throughout your lives. Go forth into the world with passion, resilience and strength to make your mark. Remember that you will always be a Marauder and, therefore, part of the Millersville family. Stay connected to your alma mater. We want to hear from you.As we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates, my thanks to the parents, guardians, families, and friends for supporting your students on their journey and helping them to realize their dreams. I am grateful to the faculty and staff who have nurtured, encouraged and mentored our students along the way. All of you have made a difference in the lives and futures of our graduates and for this, we are all grateful. Speaking of making a difference, this week our university celebrated a major milestone with the announcement of our second largest gift and the naming of our first college.  On May 6, 2020, we unveiled the Lombardo College of Business and announced a $3 million gift from our great benefactors, Dr. Samuel and Mrs. Dena Lombardo.  With other gifts throughout the years, it brings their total giving to Millersville University to $5 million! The gift will be used where it is most needed in the Lombardo College of Business, for student scholarships, faculty development, equipment and internships.  This transformative gift from Dr. and Mrs. Lombardo leaves a lasting legacy and will impact our students now and in the future. I am forever grateful for their friendship and philanthropy and for their steadfast commitment to our university. The long-term financial and societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future. It would not be wise to think we will return to ‘business as usual’ once the pandemic has passed. So, let me provide a brief update on the status of our campus. With the announcement yesterday that Governor Tom Wolf has extended the stay-at-home order until June 4, campus facilities will remain closed and employees currently working and teaching remotely will continue to follow the current safety protocols. Lancaster County remains in the “red” phase of Pennsylvania’s re-opening plan, so the June 4 extension applies to Millersville and the surrounding region. The President’s Cabinet and Incident Response Team have prepared new protocols that will allow campus to have an organized and safe reopening once the order is given. While our plans for the All-Employee BBQ scheduled for next Friday have been postponed, we have plans to virtually recognize the contributions of our faculty and staff in the upcoming weeks. I know most of you may be wondering what will happen in the fall. Due to the uncertain nature of when the COVID-19 pandemic will subside in Lancaster County, it is impossible at this time to be certain, but our goal is to return students to campus as soon as conditions permit. Therefore, I have established a task force that is considering various scenarios for the fall and developing plans to ensure safe reopening of our campus. Upon submitting their final report to the Cabinet at the end of this month, we will be in a position to make decisions about safely reopening the campus in the fall under the directives of the Governor. To our current and returning students, please keep in touch with us over the summer months. We are ready and able to answer your questions, listen to your concerns, and resolve issues that may arise. Our staff will be available to support you as questions surface and ensure that you receive accurate information from a caring staff member.  Staff are regularly monitoring and diligently responding to your questions at the following email – OfficeofStudentAffairsEnrollmentManagement@millersville.edu.  On a positive note, student move-out from residence halls will commence on May 18 with the appropriate safety protocols in place. As stated above, our goal is to resume campus operations and have our students return to campus for the fall semester. Today marks the end of the 2020 spring semester. I’m confident that it is permanently etched in our individual and collective memories. Let us take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished in the face of this historic crisis. Together we have faced and overcome so many challenges.  And, through all the turmoil and uncertainty, we remained committed to our EPPIIC values and served our students and the community.  I am so proud to be a Marauder! Be kind, be safe and stay healthy. With warm regards, Daniel A. Wubah University President

May 1, 2020

Dear Marauder Family,

Growing up in Ghana, May 1^st was one of the few days in the year that we celebrated two different holidays. The first was May Day, a vestige of British rule of the Gold Coast (pre-independence name of Ghana) and the second was the equivalent of Labor Day, because workers are honored on May 1^st. So, this morning when I saw the date as May 1, 2020, I stopped for a moment to let it sink in. Like many of you, I am trying to wrap my head around the notion that April slipped by, acknowledging that the frenetic pace of the last six weeks has somehow changed my perception of time.  What I am sure about is that May 1 means we are close to the end of the spring semester and the beginning of our celebration of this year’s graduating students.

Finals week is upon us and I offer my best wishes to our students as they prepare themselves for this undertaking. You have worked hard this semester, under challenging and unprecedented circumstances, and I am confident that you are ready to showcase your knowledge and abilities. To our faculty, I am grateful for your patience and dedication as you have transitioned your courses to remote instruction at a rapid pace and with great care and compassion (did anyone say EPPIIC!). Our staff has moved mountains as well, transforming our student support services and our technology infrastructure to make teaching and learning successful.  Together, we have accomplished something that would have seemed unimaginable a few months ago.

As we look forward to Commencement week, I know that our campus community is very disappointed that we won’t be together on May 9 as we had planned. However, the University is committed to making sure our May graduates are honored on their special day, as well as in the future. While an exact date will not be set until we get further direction from the Governor and Chancellor’s Office, the University will give graduates and their parents at least 45 days’ notice before the event.

I am thrilled to join the campus community to recognize our graduates and applaud their accomplishments. Our 2020 graduates have persevered through a difficult time with grace and fortitude, and their futures are bright. I encouraged our faculty and staff to find creative ways to honor our ‘Ville grads and to share how they do so. Below are a few activities that are going on around commencement.

• Our University Bookstore worked rapidly to open a portal for ordering commencement caps and gowns, and to develop a new delivery process.
• Students and their families are allowed to come to campus to take outside photos for graduation. Please bring masks with you and practice social distancing. And, most of all, please share your photos! Watch out for Miller and S’ville in your photos.
• We will celebrate the class of 2020 online through a variety of social media and online portals. To join the celebration online, search for Millersville University on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and use #VilleGrad20.
• A letter from Alumni Association President John Held was mailed to all graduates that includes a tassel and a note encouraging graduates to post selfies.
• A video featuring “20 words of encouragement for ‘20” will be emailed to all graduates.
• Finally, stay tuned for a special commencement video message from me to members of the Class of 2020. This video will also be placed on Millersville.edu and shared across all social media platforms.

Our campus remains in a moment of extraordinary uncertainty. Decision-making is more complex than ever, and many considerations are beyond our control at the state and local level. The Governor’s existing Stay-at-Home order, which was extended through May 8, will be lifted in 24 counties in the northwest and north-central regions of the state, moving them from red to yellow beginning on May 8. While Lancaster County is not yet part of this re-opening order, the President’s Cabinet and IRT have developed new protocols that will allow us to have an organized and safe reopening once the order is given.

We continue to receive inquiries from students and parents regarding our plans for the fall semester. My leadership team is developing multiple plans for the fall semester to address different scenarios. At this time, our goal is to resume campus operations and have our students return to campus for the fall semester. This is our hope, however, we must be prepared and have alternate plans in place should the need arise.  Rest assured that we are committed to providing high quality instruction this fall to ensure our students’ academic progress and success.

Let me close with a reminder to be vigilant in the practices that protect you and your loved ones. While I understand your natural impulse to get out and be social, the risk level remains high. If you leave your home, stay six feet apart in public and wear a mask or other covering.

We are Marauders and we don’t quit. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

University President

 

April 27, 2020

Dear Residential Student,

Millersville University has initiated plans to have students retrieve their belongings from the residence halls over the course of several weeks starting on Monday, May 18^th at 8 a.m. and concluding on Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 8 p.m. We want to provide you with direction related to moving out of your residence hall in the safest and most orderly manner possible. We do understand this is going to cause various logistical hardships, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work through this stressful time. Please understand that it is possible that this timeline may need to be expanded pending actions by the Governor or the Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

The entire email and schedule link were sent to students via their Millersville email.

Additional information is available here: https://blogs.millersville.edu/housing/2020/04/27/important-covid-19-move-out-update-for-residential-students/

 

April 22, 2020

It was reported to the Incident Response Team on 4/22/20, that a Millersville University student, living in Student Lodging, Inc., (SLI) property tested positive for COVID-19. Health Services is in touch with the student, who is self-isolating while recovering at their apartment. Other people, who may have been in contact with the student, have been notified.

April 19, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

To comply with the April 15 Order by the Governor of Pennsylvania, effective Monday, April 20, 2020, all employees, students and visitors must wear a mask while on Millersville University property.

Wearing a mask protects others and when others wear a mask, it protects you.

Millersville University will provide masks to employees starting Monday, April 20, 2020.  See your supervisor for a mask. Employees may use their own personal masks if they wish.  Please have the mask approved by your supervisor or by Millersville’s safety directors, Gail Fellows or Patrick Weidinger. Employees will be responsible for laundering their own cloth/fabric masks daily. The CDC has additional information on the “Use of Cloth Face Coverings.”

Visitors or faculty/staff who come to campus and who do not have a mask may receive one from University Police.  They should bring that mask with them for any future trips to campus.

Millersville University employees and student volunteers are making masks at this time to supplement the small supply of disposable/surgical masks presently on hand.

Masks are not a substitute for the other essential public health measures Millersville University has implemented to protect our community from the COVID-19 virus. Please follow the CCD guidelines of “How to Protect Yourself & Others.”

If you do need to make a quick trip to your office, please call MUPD at 717-871-4357 (HELP). Be aware that they will ask if you, or anyone with you, have flu-like symptoms or have been tested for COVID-19.

Warm regards,

Patrick Weidinger
Director of Environmental Health and Safety

 

April 17, 2020

Dear Marauder Family,

As we approach the end of the spring semester, I am grateful that our campus has adjusted to our new environment of working, learning and teaching remotely. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity this week to meet virtually with some of our students, faculty and staff. I was pleased to see first-hand that the level of engagement and motivation is still high. And while our traditional culminating celebrations may be conducted differently this year, they remain an important and valued aspect of our community.  Our Marauder spirit is strong and our community is resilient and supportive. Tomorrow, I will take part in the quarterly meeting of our Alumni Association. Our goal is to keep connected through our virtual platforms.

I am pleased to announce that the application and distribution process for the EPPIIC Student Compassion Fund is ready to assist our most vulnerable students who have unmet needs due to the pandemic.  Our Office of Advancement has collected approximately $20,000 in donations from generous alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students. These funds will be used to assist students with food, online learning resources, housing assistance, medicine and other health- related assistance and transportation.

Working closely with the leadership team, we have started exploring options and plans for fall semester and beyond. At this time, our goal is to resume campus operations and have our students return to campus for the fall semester. However, I am in touch with the Governor’s Office and the Office of the Chancellor to monitor the effects of COVID-19 and carefully prepare alternate plans if the situation changes.  Rest assured that we are committed to providing high quality instruction this fall to ensure our students’ academic progress and success.

While remaining cognizant of the depth and scope of the current crisis and its’ toll on our campus community, our county and the state, we have some glimmer of hope with encouraging news of the flattening of the virus curve. Earlier today, Governor Wolf released the broad contours of a plan for reopening the state and beginning the recovery process. We will await further information in the weeks ahead about the plan’s specific implications for our university and other institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth.

I can report that our campus is already in compliance with most of the Governor’s directive for safe business operations that came out earlier this week, while also working quickly to address the remaining areas. The directive asks businesses to take additional specified safety measures for employees and visitors including following social distancing, enhancing cleaning protocols, conducting meetings and trainings virtually, providing masks for employees to wear during their time at work, and staggering work start and stop times for employees while limiting persons in common areas.  As you know from my previous messages, our focus is on ensuring the safety and well-being of those students and essential employees who remain on campus.

This afternoon, we were officially notified by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that our university accreditation remains in place and good standing while we await the delayed arrival of the site visit review team.   As you know, their visit was postponed due to the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus crisis, and it has been rescheduled for mid-September.

The month of April is traditionally the time of year that our campus hosts a wide variety of awards, banquets and celebrations to honor our talented students for their excellence in academics, athletics and other areas. In the coming weeks, I will highlight some of these notable award winners who deserve our praise for a job well done. Our inability to meet as a group should not detract from our ability to applaud and recognize our best and brightest students.

Recently, our Athletics Department announced three of the most coveted annual awards that would have been part of the previously scheduled “Dining with Champions” event.  Kay Liebl and Darian McCauley won the female and male Career Achievement Awards for 2020, respectively.  With record setting performances as both a soccer player and track and field athlete, Kay exceled in two demanding sports in an age when few athletes play multiple sports. Darian is the only two-time all-region goalkeeper in the history of our men’s soccer team, tallying the second-most wins in program history while registering a school record of 24 shutouts.  Another prestigious award, the Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Award, goes to senior Madison Martin for track and field. An accomplished performer with the PSAC’s dominant throwers group and standout in the classroom, Martin posted a 3.96 cumulative GPA as a mathematics major.  I applaud Kay, Darian, and Madison for their noteworthy accomplishments and for being part of our exceptional Marauder teams.

Let me close with a reminder to be vigilant in the practices that protect you and your loved ones. Whenever you must leave your home, stay six feet apart in public and wear a mask or other covering.  Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds whenever appropriate.

Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

University President

 

April 15, 2020

RE: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FACULTY PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, SPRING 2020

Dear University Faculty,

At the state level, it has been agreed that faculty performance evaluations will be on an
extended schedule for this spring. At the local level, APSCUF and the Administration concur
that performance evaluations for all temporary-part time faculty are suspended for spring
2020. Full-time temporary faculty and tenured faculty will be evaluated on the extended
schedules shown below:

For temporary full-time faculty, due dates have been extended as follows

• Committee evaluation – CBA date 4/1, extension date 4/22
• Chairperson evaluation – CBA date 4/8, extension date 4/29
• Dean evaluation – CBA date 5/15, extension date 6/5

For post-tenure and interim evaluations, due dates have been extended further:

• Committee evaluation – CBA date 4/1, extension date 6/5
• Chairperson evaluation – CBA date 4/8, extension date 6/12
• Dean evaluation – CBA date 5/15, extension date 7/31

Your deans’ offices will work with you to implement the following method for securely sharing
documents related to performance evaluation:

Each dean’s office will set up a Team in Microsoft Teams for each individual faculty member
being reviewed to share their documents. Access will initially be granted to the faculty being
evaluated, who will need to upload their documents for review to the Team. Once the faculty
member’s materials are uploaded, the dean’s office will remove the faculty member’s access
and add the departmental committee members.

The dean’s office will grant chairpersons access to the Team on 4/22 (for TFTF) or 6/5 (for
tenured faculty) and remove the departmental committee members’ access; add access for the
dean on 4/29 or 6/12, respectively, and remove the chair’s access; and add access for the
provost on 6/5 or 7/31, respectively, and remove the dean’s access.

At each review stage, prior to the committee’s, chair’s and dean’s evaluation reports being
completed, they will be shared with the faculty being evaluated for feedback and discussion (as
necessary and desired). Department committees and chairpersons will be asked to document
the faculty member’s opportunity to review the evaluation.

The committee, chair and dean will upload only their final evaluations to the faculty’s Team on
or before the applicable due dates. Draft evaluation documents should not be archived to the
Team Folder.

If you have questions about this process, please contact your dean’s office.

Thank you for your attention to this process change.

Sincerely,

Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs

 

April 10, 2020

Dear Marauder Family,

Walking across campus this week, I was filled with mixed emotions.  Spring has arrived in all of its glory and splendor.  Pacing around the pond and visiting with our resident swans, Miller and S’Ville, I experienced the bursting buds, radiant colors, and sweet and odoriferous aroma that mark the beginning of the new season. Yet, it was quiet, too quiet. Missing was the energy and enthusiasm of our students that would normally engulf the landscape and ignite my smile.

As the spring season and warmer weather begins to settle in, the COVID-19 situation in the region and across the state remains fluid and extremely serious. On April 3, we received notification that a Millersville student who resides off-campus tested positive for coronavirus. The student is doing well, and is under medical supervision. Our health services staff is in contact with the student and we send our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

We must remain determined in implementing the recommended protective measures as cases have increased across our region and the Commonwealth. The President’s Cabinet and MU’s Incident Response Team continue to enact necessary procedures to protect our students, faculty, staff as well as our community. Let’s continue to act in ways that safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of ourselves and our loved ones.

With the shift to our “new normal” of teaching, learning and working remotely, we are confronting a new threat and I am asking all Marauders to be watchful. Our IT team has seen a dramatic increase in cyberattacks through new phishing scams and ransomware campaigns. These perpetrators are using the “COVID-19” crisis to gain access to computers, networks and your personal information.  Similarly, the U.S. Department of Justice has issued new warnings against increased financial scams and fraud.

Let me highlight several new developments since my last message to campus.

• The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania remains under a state-wide “stay at home” order through at least April 30.
• On April 10, Governor Wolf issued a new directive to extend the closure of K-12 schools for the remainder of the academic year.  He further directed that colleges and universities refrain from in-person instruction or opening physical locations.
• Department of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera issued a new directive waiving student teaching requirements.
• Cabinet has approved moving all summer session courses online. Our instructional design team will host training the week of April 20 to help prepare faculty to teach remotely for summer sessions.
• To support our students who have critical needs during this crisis, the EPPIIC Student Compassion Fund has raised over $20,000 from employees, alumni and friends. Information is forthcoming regarding the application process.

To the members of the Marauder family who are celebrating religious holidays this week, I offer my warm wishes for peace and good health among you and your loved ones.  Against the backdrop of the historic challenges we face, I am reminded of the importance of community and the hope for better times ahead.  Now, more than ever, we must find new ways to express our support and care for one another.

Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

University President

 

April 8, 2020 – From IT

Dear Campus Community,

Since the onset of the coronavirus there has been a noticeable increase in cyberattacks worldwide. Both the volume and sophistication of the attacks are being reported by agencies tracking this activity. The Millersville IT Network team has noticed a similar pattern of activity attempting to intrude the MU network.

What the MU Network team is reporting:

• A dramatic increase in phishing scams and ransomware campaigns. These ‘bad actors’ are fraudulently using “COVID-19” to solicit activity that provides access to computers and networks aimed at stealing personal information such as passwords, ID details, bank account details, credit card numbers, etc.
• A 20% increase from foreign countries attempting to intrude the MU network.

Millersville has a robust Intrusion Prevention System in place to isolate such attempts.

What can you do to maintain security for the Millersville infrastructure and your personal devices:

• Report suspicious activity

·         Attackers and scammers have been known to exploit heightened emotions and panic.

·         Avoid the “last minute” requests that are appearing. STOP, THINK!!!

·         Please, if you feel as though something is “out of the norm” with the email or notification, either report the email as spam, or forward the correspondence to the helpdesk at help.desk@millersville.edu.

·         REMEMBER:  You can always reach out to verify if a request is correct/real. That one extra step can alleviate any misgivings.

• Refrain from using non-Millersville email systems (google, hotmail, etc.) for University business.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi wherever possible
• If Using a personal device to conduct University business:

• Ensure anti-virus software is up-to-dat
• Ensure operating systems are up-to-date

As always, the IT department staff remains available to support your technical needs. Please check https://wiki.millersville.edu/display/ittac/welcome for help desk contact information and additional technical topics.

Thank you,

Stephen J. diFilipo, Jr.
Chief Technology Officer

April 7, 2020 – Refund FAQ

https://blogs.millersville.edu/villedaily/files/2020/04/COVID-19-Refund-FAQs.pdf

 

April 6, 2020 From HR

Dear employees,

On Friday, April 3, 2020, we announced that we were following the Governor’s extension of paid Administrative Leave through April 10, 2020 for employees for whom work is unavailable.  We know this is a stressful time and want to provide you with additional information regarding what will happen after April 10, 2020.

For those employees performing essential services on campus or telecommuting they will continue to do so.  For employees who are currently not working or who are unable to telecommute, and for on-campus essential employees working reduced hours, the System will follow the Governor’s direction for the leave extension.

Beginning April 11, 2020, those employees for whom no work is available, who are unable to telecommute, or who are working reduced hours will be required to use their own leave or unpaid leave while maintaining health benefits. This program allows employees to keep their health benefits and choose from a range of leave options based on what works best for each person.

If you have any questions about the information below please do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources office at human.resources@millersville.edu.  FAQs can be found here – https://www.millersville.edu/coronavirus/faculty-staff-faq.php.

Thank you for everything you do for our university and our communities.

Diane L. Copenhaver

Executive Director, Human Resources

Employee Information

• On-site work locations will continue to operate but only to provide life-sustaining operations until at least April 30, 2020, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.  Employees who are able to will continue to telecommute.   Millersville University remains open, and our operating hours continue to be 8am to 4:30pm with appropriate break periods as would be observed while on campus.

Employees Who Are Not Working or Not Telecommuting

• Millersville University is committed to supporting employees who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to support the operational needs of the university.  Therefore, employees in the categories above may request to use any of the paid or unpaid leave types listed below, for which they are eligible, via ESS:
• Accrued and anticipated annual leave
• Compensatory leave
• Accrued and anticipated sick leave (without the usual requirements around the use of sick leave)
• Accrued and anticipated personal leave
• Approved leave without pay, with benefits
• Holiday leave earned from working on a holiday
• Due to the COVID-19 emergency, State System leave policies prohibiting employees from using paid leave during their first thirty (30) calendar days of employment and prohibiting employees with less than one (1) year of service from using anticipated leave are BOTH SUSPENDED temporarily for those employees who are not working or who are unable to telecommute.
• For those employees who have carryover leave that was set to expire on April 10, 2020, that leave would ordinarily either convert to sick leave or be forfeited.  The State System has waived the deadline to use excess carryover leave during this state of emergency. Employees will not lose this excess leave and will not have it converted to sick leave at this time. Once the state of emergency is over, the State System will reinstate the policy with at least 60 days’ notice.
• If you choose not to use, or are not eligible for, any paid leave benefits, you may be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits.  Please contact uchelp@pa.gov.  For additional information, please click here.

Employees Who Are Working or Telecommuting

• Employees who are reporting to work on campus or are telecommuting should continue to do so.
• For employees who are currently working or telecommuting, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides up to 10 days of paid sick leave and up to 10 work weeks of paid and 2 work weeks of unpaid expanded family and medical leave for eligible employees based on the type of qualifying event.  This additional leave may be at a reduced rate of pay.  These provisions will apply from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

More information about the FFCRA is available here

Employee FAQs with respect to the FFCRA are available here

• Employees who are not working or who are unable to telecommute are not eligible for the FFCRA leave described above.
• If you have questions, or wish to request paid leave under the FFCRA, please submit your request via email to COVID19LeaveRequest@passhe.edu.

 

April 3, 2020 From President Wubah

Dear Millersville University Community,

Millersville University received notification today, April 3, informing us that a Millersville student tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

The student is doing well and is under medical supervision. The University is in contact with the student and sends its best wishes for a full recovery.

Upon consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA-DOH), the student who tested positive for COVID-19 will continue to self-quarantine.

The student, who lives in Millersville Borough, did not live in campus housing or affiliate housing. The student’s housemates are also self-quarantining. University Health Services is in contact with the student and the housemates with advice and instructions for quarantine.

University Health Services recommends, consistent with advice from the PA-DOH, that the campus community avoid social contact where they would be less than six feet apart. Many individuals may have the virus, but not show symptoms for several days to two weeks.

PA-DOH is aware of this positive COVID-19 case and has advised the University that given the timeframe of when the student was last on campus, there is low risk of exposure to students and employees.

Students in need of support during this time are encouraged to contact the Millersville Counseling Center (717) 871-7821, chaplains within Campus Ministries, and Health Services (717) 871-5250. Employees should contact the State Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-692-7459.

This development reminds us of the need for everyone to follow social distancing guidelines in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. During these challenging times, we ask that everyone continue to engage in practices that prioritize your physical and mental health.

Daniel A. Wubah
University President

 

April 3, 2020 From President Wubah

Dear Marauder Family,

I want to begin my weekly update by expressing my gratitude to all members of the Marauder family.  Last Friday I encouraged everyone to show patience and trust as we confront the unknowns of our “new normal.”  Teaching, learning and working remotely is a massive shift, particularly in such a short time period, and runs counter to our needs and desires as social beings.  I was hopeful, yet uncertain, about the first week of our collective experiment.

As the sun sets on this week of transition, I am proud of our community’s accomplishments and grateful for the collaborative spirit that made it happen.  Our faculty and staff have truly come together to support our students and each other.

To support our students who have critical needs during this crisis, the EPPIIC Student Compassion Fund has raised over $12,000 from employees, alumni, and friends. Students who have needs brought on by the pandemic can apply for assistance.

Our campus is also supporting the community through the collection of personal protective equipment and other emergency supplies for our local emergency responders and health professionals.  Over 150 N95 and half-face respirators and 1,700 pairs of gloves, in addition to other products, were collected from various departments, inventoried and disbursed to areas of need. A great effort and reflection of our core EPPIC values indeed!

Our situation remains fluid and extremely serious. I would be remiss if I did not temper our stories of giving with the reality that this pandemic poses a threat to each of us. As at this morning, no case of the coronavirus have been reported on our campus, but we must remain vigilant as the incidence of this infection increases across our region and the Commonwealth. We must be mindful of and safeguard the physical and mental health of ourselves and our loved ones.

On April 1, Governor Tom Wolf extended his stay-at-home order to all 12.8 million people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The amended “stay at home” order remains in effect through April 30. The President’s Cabinet and MU’s Incident Response Team continue to enact necessary measures to protect students, faculty, staff and our community. On a practical level, this means:

• University personnel who provide life-sustaining services are permitted to continue their work, so long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines.
• Essential and non-essential employees, who have been working remotely, are asked to continue doing so through the end of April.
• For those who are not working remotely, I can report that administrative leave has been extended by the Governor and the Chancellor until April 10.

Now let me share with you several data points about our technology platforms that are undergirding our work while being pushed to new limits.

• Microsoft Teams is now a backbone of our work from home effort with 1,488 active users and 893 teams. Those users sent over 3,500 messages and launched approximately 600 calls.
• Zoom has rapidly become a primary communication system by hosting over 6,500 meetings in the month of March with over 2,700 new users added to our campus’ zoom environment.
• To support remote learning, 716 new D2L courses were added to the Millersville platform.
• Our campus Help Desk handled 1,420 new requests for assistance in March.
• The MU Website witnessed over 70,000 page views of the new Coronavirus webpage.

Let me remind all employees to remain off campus and in the safety of their homes, with the exception of those required to perform life-sustaining functions. If you absolutely need to come to campus to retrieve essential educational or work materials, please contact campus police dispatch at 717-871-4357 to facilitate your visit following our safety protocols. From all reports, our protocol is working effectively.

I am confident that Millersville will both prevail in the present crisis and achieve our important mission of ensuring a bright future for current and future students. For now, I am grateful for the collective spirit of our campus community that has come together at this extraordinary time. Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

University President

 

April 1 – From University Police

Millersville University Buildings Closed – Stay at Home Order

To: University Community
From: Chief Pete Anders
Re: University Building Access Notice

In conjunction with Governor Wolf’s Statewide Stay-At-Home Order, the University has closed buildings
to all employees other than essential employees on campus for life sustaining duties and the limited
students in the residence halls. Card access to buildings has been cancelled to all employees other than
essential employees for the safety of our community and to restrict building access to the current
academic and business needs of the University. With rare exception, an employee’s visit to campus
should be brief, limited to 15 – 30 minutes.

STUDENT Access – Students, including student employees, will not be provided access to campus
buildings without approval from VP Gil Brown or Chief of Staff DeSantis. This approval process will be
very limited and will occur through written request through supervisors.

Faculty Staff With KEYS – Faculty and Staff with keys should notify their immediate supervisor of
their need to come to campus prior to coming to campus. Upon arrival on campus, faculty and staff with
keys should call University Police dispatch at 717-871-4357 then press #2 for non-emergency police
service and provide the below information to the dispatcher:

1. You are calling from Millersville University. Please then provide your name, the building you
plan to enter, the time you are entering and time that you expect to leave, the door you will key
enter, the rooms you will be entering or using. Please wash your hands and follow all guidelines
for safety prior to coming to campus and while on campus.
2. Please call the same number when leaving campus. University police will provide this
information to housekeeping to allow cleaning on touch points for community safety.
Faculty/Staff WITHOUT Keys – Faculty and Staff without keys should notify their immediate
supervisor of their need to come to campus prior to coming to campus. After arrival on campus, faculty
and staff without keys should call University Police dispatch at 717-871-4357 then press #2 for nonemergency service and provide the below information for a building unlock:

1. You are calling from Millersville University and need a (provide building name) unlocked for
access.
2. When the officer arrives, please again provide the officer with your name, the time that you
expect to leave, the rooms you will be entering or using. Please wash your hands and follow all
guidelines for safety prior to coming to campus and while on campus. Please maintain social
distance with the patrol officer.
3. Please call dispatch when leaving campus. University police will provide this information to
housekeeping to allow cleaning on touch points for community safety

 

March 31, 2020 From Academic Affairs For Students

Update: Pass/Fail Grading Option for Undergraduate Students

Dear Millersville University Students,

After receiving feedback on our plan to provide students with the option to receive P/F grades for
Spring 2020, the university has decided to change the deadline for students to make that decision.
Students will now have the opportunity to view the final calculated letter grade assigned by their
instructors before choosing between the calculated grade and the P/F option.

To ensure that all students have the opportunity to successfully complete the semester,
the university will allow all undergraduate students the opportunity to receive Pass/Fail grades in
any or all of their Spring 2020 classes, whether the course was moved to remote learning or was
initially planned to be taught online. This opportunity will only apply to Spring 2020 courses.
If you wish to select the Pass/Fail option for any of your courses, you will need to submit your
request through an electronic form that will be available on Friday, May 15. The form will allow you
to change the assigned letter grade you received in a course to a “P.” The deadline to submit your
requests is 5:00 PM on Friday, May 22. Those who do not submit requests for Pass/Fail grades by
this deadline will receive the letter grade earned in the course.

If you choose the Pass/Fail option, you will receive a P in any course in which your earned grade
is D- or better. However, you must satisfy any specific course requirements that usually require a
C- or better. If you choose the Pass/Fail option for a course that requires a C-, you may not use
your P grade to fulfill the program requirement or prerequisites for other courses, and you may
need to repeat the course. The P would not impact your GPA, however.

Students who are currently on probation, or have a GPA below 2.0, may have their financial aid
impacted by choosing the Pass/Fail option. Please contact the Financial Aid Office before
submitting your choices. We also strongly recommend that you speak with your advisor before
making your final decision.

The Pass/Fail option will apply to any course, regardless of course level, Gen Ed requirement,
your current GPA, or the number of credits you have earned to date. Courses taken P/F in Spring
2020 will not count toward the two-course maximum Millersville usually allows. You may apply
your P grade toward your major, minor, professional studies, or general education requirements.
We are providing special accommodations to our graduating Seniors. If you have completed all of
your graduation requirements by the end of Summer Session 3, the minimum grade rule will not
apply. You may use your P grades from Spring 2020 for any program or course requirements,
including any courses that require a specific minimum letter grade.

We wish you all the best for a successful Spring semester. Your health and safety is our primary
focus as we work together to mitigate the impact of the corona virus pandemic on your academic
progress.

Stay healthy and safe.
Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 31, 2020 From Academic Affairs For Students

Dear Millersville Students,

Given the uncertainty surrounding the length of time it will take the coronavirus epidemic to recede, and following guidance from the Chancellor’s Office, the University has determined that all 2020 Summer Session instruction, including co-curricular activities in Summer Sessions 1, 2, and 3, will be offered only through distance and/or remote learning (no in-person instruction) modalities. All in person educational experiences that cannot be moved to a remote modality, including coops, professional placements, and internships for credit, are suspended until further notice.

Please contact your advisor and/or the instructor of the course(s) you are planning to enroll for further guidance.

Thank you for your patience as the faculty, staff and administration is making every effort to meet your needs during this difficult time for all of us.  Your health and safety is our primary concern. I wish you every success in your academic and career goals.

Best wishes,

Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 31, 2020

Dear Millersville University Faculty,

After receiving feedback on our plan to provide students with the option to receive P/F grades for Spring 2020, the University has decided to change the deadline for students to make that decision. Students will now have the opportunity to view the final calculated letter grade assigned by their instructors before choosing between the calculated grade and the P/F option.

All undergraduate students will be allowed to convert grades for courses in which they are currently enrolled to a Pass/Fail grading scale.  This option will be extended to students regardless of the modality of the course (whether they are enrolled in a fully online or F2F course). This option will not be extended to graduate students, including those enrolled in post-baccalaureate certificate programs.

Faculty will submit grades for students through MAX as usual. The deadline to submit final grades will be extended to 12:00 noon on Friday, May 15. Students will be able to view their earned grades and will have one week to decide whether to keep their earned grade or to elect the Pass/Fail option. Students who wish to elect the Pass/Fail option will have the opportunity to submit a request for any or all of their courses to be converted through an electronic request form that will be available on May 15.  Students must use this form to elect the Pass/Fail option by 5:00 PM on Friday, May 22. Those who do not submit a request will receive the letter grade they earn in their course(s).

All grades that calculate to a D- or better must be submitted as a P for all students graded on the P/F option, including for any and all courses that usually use a C- or other grade higher than a D- as a passing grade. All undergraduate students may elect to receive P/F grades in any course, regardless of course level, Gen Ed requirement, student GPA, or number of credits earned to date. Courses taken P/F in Spring 2020 will not count toward the two-course maximum allowed by policy. Students may apply P/F courses taken in Spring 2020 toward their major, minor, professional studies, or general education requirements.

Minimum grades required for courses will remain in force. If a student elects the P/F option for a course that requires a C- to successfully complete the course, the student may not use the P grade to fulfill the program requirement, and may need to repeat the course. The P would not impact their GPA; however, automatic exceptions to this rule will be granted to graduating seniors (those graduating in Spring or Summer 2020). These students may elect the P/F scale for any or all of their course grades from Spring 2020 and may use a P grade to satisfy the grading and program requirements for any course or program in which they are enrolled in Spring 2020, including any courses that require a specific minimum letter grade.

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our students’ success.

Warm regards,

Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Provost and Vice President   for Academic Affairs

 

March 27, 2020

Dear Marauder Family,

In my weekly update last Friday, I mentioned the monumental shifts occurring in how we live and work.  While no one could have imagined this level of turbulence in our society, I am grateful for the myriad of ways that our campus is coming together to support our students and each other. I admire the ingenuity and positivity across our campus community as we settle into a “new normal” of teaching, learning and working.

Before I report out on our progress areas from the past week, I want to take a moment to reflect. Undoubtedly, we are all experiencing some anxiety and trepidation in this transition to working remotely. I’ve had my share of technology glitches over the past two weeks and continue to make strides as a tele-worker. Among them were dropped conference calls, a Zoom meeting that froze, and a file that did not transfer seamlessly in Microsoft Team. Patience and trust are crucial, and rest assured that your technology glitches will be fixed promptly, your call will be reconnected, and most important, your colleague on the other end will understand and work with you to smooth out the rough spots. Let me repeat that, patience and trust are keys to our success at this moment.

On Monday, many of our students will start their new experience as e-learners and I recognize this will be a challenge for some of them.  The same holds true for many of our faculty who are experiencing remote instruction for the first time.  Let’s all be patient and kind with ourselves and others. We’re all in this together, so let’s keep the lines of communication open.

Now let me share with you several new developments about the transition to remote instruction and enhancements to student support that have occurred since my last message.

• Our team of instructional designers led 24 sessions last week and another 25 sessions this week in an effort to help transition our teaching and learning to remote instruction.  During the week of March 16^th, over 200 faculty members participated in D2L and Zoom training sessions.
• Faculty and administration have worked together on several initiatives to support our students including temporary policies on pass/fail grading, extensions of the course withdrawal and incomplete grade deadlines.
• Advancement launched the new EPPIIC Student Compassion Fund and has already raised over $7,000 to support our students.
• Staff are working hard to finalize policies and implement the new directives for the reduction of student charges for spring semester and for continuing student employment. More information will be forthcoming shortly.

I would also like to report on several issues supporting employees, ensuring business continuity and our regional community.

• Administrative units across campus completed their Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans for submission to PASSHE.
• Essential and non-essential employees, who have been working remotely, are asked to continue doing so through April 3. For those who are not working remotely, I can report that administrative leave has been extended until April 3.
• A team of representatives from FEMA, PEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers came to campus today to review several of our buildings for possible emergency use by federal or state agencies.
• Our campus has collected inventories of personal protective equipment and other emergency supplies for possible use by our local emergency responders and health professionals.

Let me remind all employees to remain off campus, with the exception of those required to perform life-sustaining functions. If you absolutely need to come to campus for a short visit to retrieve essential educational or work materials, please contact campus police dispatch at 717-871-4357 to facilitate your visit following our safety protocols.

No cases of the coronavirus have been reported on our campus, but we must remain vigilant. It remains vital that all Marauders practice the protective health measures recommended by the CDC and other health agencies to reduce the spread of this virus.

Let me close by reassuring everyone once again that we will, as a community, work together to respond to this crisis and get through it.  And, as a compassionate community with a public mission, we will work collaboratively with state and local officials as well as public and nonprofit agencies to support our neighbors.  Now, more than ever, we are called to collective action.  Be kind, be safe and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

President

 

March 27, 2020 (from Student Affairs and Enrollment Management)

Dear Marauder Students,

As Millersville University President Daniel Wubah said in a letter to the campus community earlier this month, we have been working hard on our refund policy for various services that were terminated due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This policy includes reducing spring 2020 semester charges by 46.6% for housing, dining plans and certain fees. We arrived at 46.6% because that is how much of the semester was remaining prior to spring break.

Refunded amounts will vary from student to student based on a number of variables including the type of dining plan they had, how much of the dining plan they used, and if they received money from scholarships, federal aid, the Veteran’s Administration or, if they have outstanding balances.

Fees that will be refunded include those for the Student Memorial Center, Student Activity Fees, parking and the shuttle bus. The Health Services fee will not be refunded, since those services remain available for the duration of the semester. There will not be any reductions for tuition or for the technology fee.

All refunds will be made by April 10, 2020. If a student is owed money, they will be sent a physical check, or if they are set up for direct deposit, it will be put into that account.

This policy to give monetary relief to our students and their families was made following guidance on policies related to reimbursements from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, of which Millersville and its 13 sister universities are members.

Offices across the campus are working diligently to ensure the accuracy of each student’s refunds, and we appreciate your patience.

If you have additional questions on this reduction in charges, please email Eric Sheppard at Eric.Sheppard@millersville.edu.

I hope you and your family are safe and healthy.

Warm regards,

Brian P. Hazlett
Vice President, Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

 

March 26, 2020 – From Academic Affairs for Faculty

 

 

March 25, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Millersville University Faculty,

 

Millersville University is currently facing extraordinary circumstances that led to a temporary but immediate transition of scheduled face-to-face courses to remote learning. To ensure that all students have the opportunity to successfully complete the semester, the university will be temporarily suspending most limitations on the use of Pass/Fail grades for Spring 2020. 

 

All undergraduate students will be allowed to convert courses in which they are currently enrolled to a Pass/Fail grading scale. This option will be extended to students regardless of the modality of the course (whether they are enrolled in a fully online or F2F course). This option will not be extended to graduate students, including those enrolled in post-baccalaureate certificate programs.

 

Students who wish to elect the Pass/Fail option will have the opportunity to submit a request for any or all of their courses to be converted through an electronic request form that will be available on April 13. Students must use this form to elect the Pass/Fail option by 5:00 PM on Friday, April 17. Those who do not submit a request will receive the letter grade they earn in their course(s).

 

When submitting grades for students through MAX, faculty will be given the choice of P or F for those students who elect the Pass/Fail option, and the usual letter grade scale for those who do not. The deadline to submit final grades will be extended to 12:00 noon on Friday, May 15.

 

All grades that calculate to a D- or better must be submitted as a P for all students graded on the P/F option, including for any and all courses that usually use a C- or other grade higher than a D- as a passing grade.

 

All undergraduate students may elect to receive P/F grades in any course, regardless of course level, Gen Ed requirement, student GPA, or number of credits earned to date. Courses taken P/F in Spring 2020 will not count toward the two course maximum allowed by policy. Students may apply P/F courses taken in Spring 2020 toward their major, minor, professional studies, or general education requirements.

 

Minimum grades required for courses will remain in force. If a student elects the P/F option for a course that requires a C- to successfully complete the course, the student may not use the P grade to fulfill the program requirement, and may need to repeat the course. The P would not impact their GPA, however.

 

Automatic exceptions to this rule will be granted to graduating seniors (those graduating in Spring or Summer 2020). These students may elect the P/F scale for any or all of their course grades from Spring 2020 and may use a P grade to satisfy the grading and program requirements for any course or program in which they are enrolled in Spring 2020, including any courses that require a specific minimum letter grade.

 

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our students’ success.

 

Warm regards,

Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 25, 2020

TO:                  University Faculty and Advisors
FROM:           Registrar’s Office – Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
RE:                  Student TAPs for Fall 2020 Registration

Undergraduate registration for the Fall 2020 term is approaching, and we would like to remind you of a few important points:

1. Fall early registration for most undergraduates will be held April 9-17.  All currently enrolled undergraduate students in a degree-seeking program and non-degree students on probation must have a TAP to register.  Advisers will distribute TAPs to their advisees during advisement prior to registration.  Please check your advisee list on Banner Web for Faculty to be sure you are giving students a valid TAP for Fall 2020.  A different TAP number is generated for students each semester to ensure that they will contact you for advisement before registering.

1. 1. Special Needs & Veteran students register on April 6^th starting at 8AM (TAP number starting with 499)
   2. Athletes (TAP numbers will start with 433) & Honors College students (TAP number starting with 466) register on April 8^th starting at 6AM

1. TAPs for Fall 2020 registration are available to all faculty and advisers via Banner Web for Faculty.  If you need instructions on how to view a list of your advisees with their Fall 2020 TAP numbers, please review TAPS for Your Advisees on the Registrar’s Office web site.
2. Department chairs and deans will receive a master list of TAPs for all students in their department or college.

Please be sure to give your advisee the correct TAP number.  Here are some tips to help avoid common errors:

• A TAP is a 6-digit PIN, so please be sure to include leading zeros, if any, when you give a TAP number to an advisee.
• Double-check the number sequence; if any numbers in the 6-digit sequence are transposed, the TAP won’t work.
• Be sure the TAP you give an advisee is the correct one for him/her, and not the TAP for another student just above or below that person on your advisee list.

NOTE:  If you do not see a TAP for a student, they may either have a different adviser assigned or a TAP is not required for registration.  After a student has registered for at least one class, the TAP is no longer necessary and will be removed.

If you have any questions concerning TAPs, please call: John Sicotte, Assistant Registrar for Registration, at x5572 or email john.sicotte@millersville.edu

REMINDER: The last day for students to withdraw from most SPRING 2020 classes is Friday, April 10^th (extended from April 3^rd).

 

March 25, 2020 – A MESSAGE FROM THE MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

At this time the University is not available for students to return to campus for residence hall checkout or to collect their belongings.  While we understand the frustration this causes, we are doing this in cooperation with directives and instructions from the Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania until further notice.

If medicine is an item that is left in your University residence, you may want to contact your prescribing medical practitioner to inquire about a cover prescription for medications. You may also contact your faculty members to inquire about alternative access to textbooks and academic course materials. All textbooks for Millersville classes will be available for free on the Redshelf or Vitalsource platforms. Students and faculty should go to bookshelf.vitalsource.com or studentresponse.redshelf.com and create an account using your Millersville.edu email address.

We appreciate your understanding, patience and cooperation during the critical social distancing period of the pandemic. Please regularly monitor your MU e-mail and also the University Coronavirus website https://www.millersville.edu/coronavirus/  for the most updated information and communication to the campus community.

 

March 23, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Faculty,

Please see below the faculty evaluation deadline extensions approved at the State level for this spring:

 Promotion

Committee/President	Current Deadline	Extension
University-wide Promotion Committee Recommendation	April 15	May 1
President Decision	July 15	July 31

 

Tenure

Committee/President	Current Deadline	Extension
Faculty Application (Spring Hire)	May 1	May 15
University-wide Tenure Committee Recommendation (Fall Hire)	April 1	April 22
President Decision (Fall Hire)	May 31	June 19

 

5^th Year Evaluation for Tenured Faculty

Committee/President	Current Deadline	Extension
Department Committee	April 1	April 22
Department Chair	April 8	April 29
Dean / Appropriate Manager	May 15	June 5

 

Probationary Faculty Evaluations

	Committee/President	Current Deadline	Extension
First Year	President renewal	April 1	April 22
Fifth Year (Spring Hire)	Department Committee	April 1	April 22
	Department Chair	April 8	April 29
	Dean / Appropriate Manager	April 15	May 5

 

Temporary Faculty Evaluations

	Committee/President	Current Deadline	Extension
FT Temp (Appointment for Academic Year)	Department Committee	April 1	April 22
	Department Chair	April 8	April 29
	Dean / Appropriate Manager	May 15	June 5
FT Temp (Appointment for Spring Semester)	Department Committee	April 1	April 22
	Department Chair	April 8	April 29
	Dean / Appropriate Manager	May 15	June 5
PT Temp (Appointment for Academic Year)	Department Committee	April 1	April 22
	Department Chair	April 8	April 29
	Dean / Appropriate Manager	May 15	June 5
PT Temp (Appointment for Spring Semester)	Department Committee	April 1	April 22
	Department Chair	April 8	April 29
	Dean / Appropriate Manager	May 15	June 5

 

March 20, 2020 From President Wubah

Dear Marauder Family,

As promised, I am writing to update you on the University’s efforts to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Since my update last Friday, we have witnessed monumental shifts in how we work and how we live.  It is clear that our societal norms and routines are being challenged in ways that no one could have imagined.

I appreciate your continued patience with the deluge of new information.  Each day brings new directives from state and local authorities as well as additional policy guidance from the Office of the Chancellor (OOC).  Rest assured, I will continue to update the campus every Friday by email and more frequently if the need arises. While the restrictions on our personal activity are challenging, please understand that these protective measures are being put in place to ensure the long term safety of all of us in the Commonwealth.

Lancaster County reported its first two cases of coronavirus on Wednesday but there has been no reported case on our campus.  Since my email last week, several testing locations have opened in Lancaster County including a new test center at the PA College of Health Sciences.   It is vital that all Marauders practice the protective health measures recommended by the CDC and other health agencies to reduce the spread of this virus.

Now let me share with you several new developments about the transition to remote instruction that have occurred since my last message.

• Last evening Governor Wolf ordered that all “non-life sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania – including colleges and universities – must close by 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 19.  Millersville has responded accordingly to comply with these directives and an email was sent to provide further guidance to campus.
• All employees must remain off campus, with the exception of those required to perform life-sustaining functions.
• Due to travel restrictions from the Governor, the planned move out of the residence halls has been postponed to a later date.
• Campus Dining will cease operations effective at 6 p.m. on March 20.
• The University was recently notified that our Middle States Reaffirmation of Accreditation site visit will be postponed to a later date.

Spring commencement is an occasion that our entire campus looks forward to every year in May.  It is with great disappointment that we must officially postpone this May’s Commencement ceremonies and festivities.  We are closely following CDC recommendations against public gatherings of 10 or more people for at least the next eight weeks.  I know this decision is a tremendous disappointment to our graduates who have worked so hard to complete their degree programs.  I share your frustration and pain.

Earlier today, the OOC finalized guidance to PASSHE campuses for providing refunds to students and their families.  Using these policies, I have instructed our staff to move expeditiously to provide relief to students who have been impacted.   Students will receive refunds on a pro-rata basis for various services that have been terminated due to the COVID-19 outbreak. These refunds include housing, dining, parking and shuttle bus fees.  All other student services are moving to remote delivery and virtual platforms and will remain available to students. Detailed information will be made available on our coronavirus website.

We have also received guidance from the OOC about how to ensure that our student workers receive their wages without any interruption. In addition, the OOC has provided guidelines on how to provide counseling services to our in-state students using telemedicine and we are awaiting similar guidelines for our students who reside out of state.

To keep everyone informed during this rapidly changing time, we will continue to use the three-pronged approach for communicating with our constituents mentioned earlier i.e. the President’s weekly email updates as well as messages from other campus officials as needed, regular updates to our campus coronavirus website, and messages posted in the ‘Ville Daily.’

Let me close by reassuring everyone that we will, as a community, work together to respond to this crisis and get through it.  Our focus is to ensure that students have the support they need to complete their studies this semester and beyond. These new challenges will continue to test our collective and individual resolve in unforeseen ways. Our university’s leadership group will continue to maintain our high level of dedication and service to our community.  Our EPPIIC values are on full display and I am proud of the Millersville family and our response to this crisis.  Be kind, be safe, and stay healthy.

With warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

President

 

March 20, 2020

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Office of the Chancellor Guidance
HOURLY STUDENT WORKER GUIDANCE

On March 5, 2020, the U. S. Department of Education (ED) issued the following guidance for paying student workers who are disrupted by COVID-19. The underlined section was added for emphasis: 

ED Electronic Announcement

March 5, 2020 – Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

“Federal law includes a provision allowing an institution to make FWS [Federal Work Study] payments under certain limited circumstances to disaster-affected students who are unable to continue working. Given the unique nature of this situation, it is unlikely that an entire region would be declared a Federal disaster area, yet to students enrolled at a campus that must close temporarily, the loss of this important form of financial aid can be devastating. The impact may be magnified if the institution accommodates students by providing alternative instructional opportunities and the student is required to continue paying tuition, but the student loses FWS as an important part of their financial aid award. For students enrolled and performing FWS at a campus that must close due to COVID-19, or for a FWS student who is employed by an employer that closes as a result of COVID-19, the institution may continue paying the student Federal work-study wages during that closure if it occurred after the beginning of the term, the institution is continuing to pay its other employees (including faculty and staff), and the institution continues to meet its institutional wage share requirement. Students who were prevented from beginning a term at the institution as a result of a COVID-19-related disruption would not be eligible for Federal Student Aid for that term, and therefore could not be paid FWS wages for hours they did not work. Graduate students who are paid FWS wages on salary may continue to be paid for the remainder of the term if the institution is also paying its faculty and staff during that period. In these instances, institutions should document (as contemporaneously as feasible) that the COVID-19 disruption was the reason the student received FWS funds without documentation of hours worked.”

System Conclusion: Federal work study funds may be paid even if work is not performed for as long as the campus is disrupted by COVID-19 or until the end of the semester, whichever comes sooner.

Principles for Fair and Equitable Treatment of Hourly Student Workers

These guidelines are applicable to those students who remain enrolled full-time for the remainder of the semester. The following are scenarios to help institutions determine financial decisions relative to payment to student workers who are paid through 1) institution, state, or federal work study funds, and 2) institutionally funded student workers not part of a work study program. Institutional decisions to pay students for work not performed should remain consistent for all work study students.

Federal work study vs. Institutional-funded work study vs. Institutional-funded non-work study —Some universities treat work study as one combined program regardless of fund source. Students know they have a campus job or work study award but may not know the fund source. Treating work study students (federal-funded work study and institutional-funded work study) different depending on their fund source may create equity issues. Universities will locally manage decisions regarding student work that is not part of the work study program.

The following guidance is applicable for as long as a campus is disrupted by COVID-19 or until the end of the Spring 2020 semester, whichever comes sooner.

Scenario	Guidance	Other Comments
A student has Federal Work Study (FWS) and is able to work on site or remotely and the campus has work for the student to do.	Pay the student for the hours worked on site or remotely.	Timesheets are required; alternative work assignments may be provided by the university.
A student has received Federal Work Study and the student is able to work remotely but the campus does not have any remote work available.	Pay the student without work being performed as long as non-FWS student workers receive the same availability for pay without work.	Document in the student’s file that timesheets were not required to be collected due to COVID-19 disruption.   See below for suggested payout methods
A student has received Federal Work Study and is offered remote work and chooses not to take it.	Do not pay the student.	Documentation of student choosing not to work.
A student worker is being paid through institutional funds (either work study or non-work study) and is able to work on site or remotely and the campus has work for the student to do.	Pay the student for the hours worked on site or remotely.	Timesheets are required; alternative work assignments may be provided by the university.
A student worker is being paid through institutional work study funds and is not able to work and the institution does not have remote work available.	The student may be paid at the university’s discretion without work being performed.	Federal guidance implies the institution is to follow the same procedures for all work study student workers.
A student worker is being paid through other (non-work study) institutional funds and is not able to work and the institution does not have remote work available (the university may assign alternative work).	Local decisions.	Some universities allow departments to hire student workers outside of the financial aid process; therefore, their work/pay is not awarded (up to a maximum dollar amount) as a source of financial aid.
A student does not return and/or withdraws from classes.	Student should not work or be paid further.

Methods for Payment:

• For institutions who are paying student workers who cannot work remotely, the recommendation is to take the average pay of the last three pay periods to determine payment amount. Students cannot receive more than the allocated total award amount or exceed the maximum allowable hours. An alternative batch pay process will be followed to activate pay without students completing timesheets.
• Students who are working need to follow the normal process for entering time worked in order to have their payment processed through the regular student pay methods.

 

March 20, 2020
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Office of the Chancellor Guidance
Provision of In-State Student Counseling Services via Telemedicine

Background:

Counseling for State System Students Located within the Commonwealth

During the COVID-19 emergency, services may continue to be provided by university counselors to State System students via telemedicine where the student is physically located within Pennsylvania at the time that the counseling service is provided. Please note that this relates to students who are located within the Commonwealth at the time of counseling services, and is not dependent on the residency classification of the student. Under guidance issued by the CDC regarding social distancing, and recent guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), mental health service providers are encouraged to provide therapy services via telehealth modalities (e.g., Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc.) in order to curtail transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Authority for Provision of Teletherapy by Pennsylvania Providers to Patients in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not generally regulate the modality of mental health services for patients in Pennsylvania and no specialized licensing or certifications are required. 49 Pa. Code § 47.1.[1] Further, to the extent that regulatory concerns may be an issue, recent state and federal guidance has rendered these concerns moot during this emergency.  As regards federal HIPAA regulations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has issued guidance waiving HIPAA regulations that might otherwise have limited use of teletherapy by a HIPAA-covered entity. Further, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (“DHS”) has issued guidance suspending regulation of telehealth requirements that apply under certain DHS-funded medical assistance programs. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, in collaboration with DHS, has issued a notice encouraging coverage of costs associated with telehealth (as opposed to traditional) services during the emergency. Thus, it is clear that use of teletherapy is permissible and encouraged for provision of counseling services during the COVID-19 emergency.

Teletherapy Modalities That Are Permissible Under This Guidance

As set forth in the guidance issued by HHS and DHS, service may be provided via telephone and via telecommunication applications that are widely available to students on smart phones and other electronic devices, including: Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video, or Skype, Skype, Skype for Business, Updox, VSee, Zoom for telehealth, and Doxy.me.

Guidance for State System Universities

During this emergency period, State System universities may provide counseling services to students who are physically present in Pennsylvania via teletherapy. To enable this, the State System has contracted with Zoom for provision of telehealth video services at no cost to the universities. Zoom telehealth video services may be obtained by having University personnel with procurement authority complete the Zoom Business Associate Agreement. A copy of that Agreement has been directed to Zoom for signature and will be provided for your use in the near future should you need it.

Presidents are directed to ensure that counselors provide services to our students pursuant to this guidance. Any issues/concerns regarding implementation of these services should be addressed through the University Human Resources office in conjunction with State System Labor Relations and ULC.

(Additional guidance regarding provision of mental health services for students who are outside Pennsylvania at the time of service will be forthcoming.)

[1] Please note that this applies only to requirements for providing the service within Pennsylvania.  Where a provider engages in teletherapy across state lines, licensing requirements in both the state where the provider is and the state where the patient is physically present at the time the service is provided.  As a result, guidance will be issued addressing provision of services for students who may seek assistance while they are present in another state.

 

March 20, 2020

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Office of the Chancellor Guidance
REFUNDING SPRING 2020 STUDENT FEES GUIDANCE

The following guidance is provided for refunding student fees associated with the suspension of in-person instruction due to COVID-19 during the Spring 2020 semester.
Background:

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Guidance

Although the US Department of Education has released  Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (March 5, 2020), this guidance does not address the impact of suspending in-person instruction on student living decisions and associated costs.

Applicable guidance was provided by ED in 2018 regarding the inability of the university to educate students relating to a natural disaster or pandemic influenza outbreak. That 2018 disaster guidance from ED specified: “The Department strongly encourages institutions to provide a full refund of tuition, fees, and other institutional charges, or to provide credit in a comparable amount against future charges, for students who withdraw from school as a direct result of a disaster. The Department also urges institutions to consider providing easy and flexible re-enrollment options to such students.”

System Conclusion:

Given that the university is providing full educational and student services, tuition and other academic/student service fees do not need to be refunded. The above federal guidance would indicate that if a university will not be providing services for which the student has been charged, an appropriate refund (or credit) should be made to the students’ accounts. Therefore, guidance is focused on auxiliary or self-supporting services that will no longer be provided and which were charged to the student via specific fees.

Principles for Refunding Students in Spring 2020 Due to COVID-19:

1. These guidelines are applicable to those students who remain enrolled for the remainder of the semester. The suspension of in-person instruction for the remainder of the semester does not change the student’s modality classification for billing, financial aid, and/or reporting purposes.
2. Given that the universities are providing full educational and student services (including health services), tuition and academic/student service fees will not be refunded.
3. Students should be refunded for services they will no longer receive, including housing, dining, and unused portions of other fees as determined by the university.
4. Refunds should be prorated, based on the number of days for which the service will not be provided to the student(s).
5. Refunds involving affiliates, such as activity fees and some housing fees, may be dependent on the cooperation of the affiliate. Similarly, refunds for dining may be dependent on vendor agreements.
6. The preferred method of reimbursement is through a refund to the student account. Credits to student accounts for future use, while not recommended, may be used as an alternative only if refunds cannot address solutions to #5, above. However, if a credit is applied, it should first be applied to any remaining current charges. Please be aware there may be federal financial aid implications for credits applied in the future award year.
7. Generally, universities should not change the Cost of Attendance. Please refer to all applicable federal and state financial aid regulations and guidance.
8. Refunds for eligible students will be processed by the universities at the earliest possible time based on a schedule determined by the institution.

The following scenarios illustrate situations where refunds are to be provided and the proration effective date.

Scenario	Timing	Guidance
1)University required students to move out of campus-provided housing.	Students were not allowed to return to live in housing after the original spring break period.	Room, board and other fees identified by the university must be refunded, prorated to the first day after the end of the original spring break.
	University required students to move out of campus-provided housing. Students returned to live in housing after the original spring break period.	Room, board and other fees identified by the university must be refunded, prorated to the effective date housing was “closed.”
2)Students are able to remain living in campus-provided housing. Student chooses to move out.	Varies by student. The earliest date applicable would be the first day after the original spring break period.	Room, board and other fees identified by the university should be refunded, prorated to the effective date the student terminated housing/dining contract.
3)Students remaining on campus.	No housing/dining refunds.	For other services that may no longer be provided, other fees identified by the university may be refunded based on the date services ended.
4)Students living off-campus, not university property.		Other fees identified by the university must be refunded, prorated based on the same timing in scenario 1.
5)Affiliate housing excluded from above.		Each university will have to work with their affiliate housing providers for the best interest of the students.

Withdrawals:

Universities are not required to refund tuition and fees for students who choose to withdraw, given that the university is providing full educational and student services and the refund period is passed. See Board of Governors’ Policy 1983-19-A: Refund of Tuition and Fees, and University refund policies. However, Section B.8. of the Board policy provides: “A student is eligible for consideration for a refund for any reason approved by the president or his/her designee.”

For those who do withdraw, universities should provide a flexible and easy way for students to re-enroll, either in the current semester or future terms.

 

March 19, 2020

Dear Resident Students:

 A few hours ago, Governor Tom Wolf ordered that all “non-life sustaining” businesses in Pennsylvania – including colleges and universities – must close by 8 p.m. Thursday, March 19.

 As a result, we are cancelling the planned move out until further notice.

 Millersville University intends to comply with this new directive from the Governor, and the health and safety of our students remains our utmost concern.  Please understand that these measures are being put in place to protect all of us in the Commonwealth.

With that in mind:

 – The small number of students that remain on-campus will continue to be provided life-sustaining services—food, shelter, and security.

– To protect those students remaining on campus, no visitors will be permitted.

 Again, the planned move out of the residence halls has been cancelled until further notice.  Further instructions will be forthcoming.

Warm regards,

Vice President Hazlett

 

3/19/20 – PRESIDENT WUBAH

 

3/19/20 – IT INFORMATION FOR FACULTY

 

3/19/20 – ACADEMIC AFFAIRS FOR FACULTY

 

March 17, 2020 (from Vice President Brian Hazlett)

Dear Residential Student:

In response to the decision to complete the spring 2020 semester remotely, Millersville University has initiated plans to have students retrieve their belongings from the residence halls over the course of the next several weeks. We want to provide you with direction related to moving out of your residence hall in the safest and most orderly manner possible. We do understand this is going to cause various logistical hardships, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work through this stressful time.

• Students who registered for the spring break period and are currently residing on campus (i.e., you are currently physically accessing your room) can vacate the residence halls starting today Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at noon (12:00 PM). An “Express Check Out” process will be in use in that you may remove all your belongings and return your physical room key in the enveloped provided at the front desk of your residence hall. Please write your name on the envelope along with listing your room number and bedroom letter. Please sign the envelope, place your room key in the envelope, seal it, and place it in the box provided.

• Students who are from the areas of Allegheny, Delaware, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties will be contacted this week to arrange a date and time to retrieve their belongings from the residence halls in accordance with the Governor Wolf’s shutdown order. Please check your email account regularly. You will not be permitted to return until the Governor has removed these counties from the list.
• Residential students who went home for the break period and were not expecting to return until the week of Monday, March 23, 2020 or after will be asked to adhere to the following schedule in order to remove their belongings any time between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. We are utilizing this approach to increase social distancing and other precautionary measures as much as possible. Again, this does not pertain to those residential students from Allegheny, Delaware, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties.
• Please adhere to the following schedule based on the building location in which you reside and the first letter of the resident’s last name:

 

• Last names starting with letters “A – M” from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Last names starting with letters “N – Z” from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

 

• East Village A – Saturday, March 21, 2020
• East Village Pods (Marauder Suites) – Saturday, March 21, 2020 (same as EVA)
• East Village B – Sunday, March 22, 2020
• West Village A – Saturday, March 21, 2020
• West Village Pods (Marauder Suites) – Saturday, March 21, 2020 (same as WVA)
• West Village B – Sunday, March 22, 2020
• Reighard Hall – Sunday, March 22, 2020
• Shenks Hall – Saturday, March 28, 2020
• South Village A – Saturday, March 28, 2020
• South Village B – Sunday, March 29, 2020
• South Village C – Saturday, March 28, 2020
• South Village D – Sunday, March 29, 2020

 

• We strongly encourage students to bring their own handcarts and / or carts.
• There will be no need to have staff inspect your room or suite as we are attempting to expedite the process.
• Any decision on refunds will be made at the end of the semester and will be communicated.

Please understand that the COVID -19 situation is continuing to unfold.  We are working under federal, state and PASSHE guidance.  Please continue to view the University’s Coronavirus page for updates as well as checking your student email account for ongoing information.

Let us all take note of our EPPIIC values, especially compassion for each other, now more than ever.

 

Brian Hazlett
Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

 

March 16, 2020 (from President Wubah)

Dear Marauder Family,

I want to assure you that the health and safety of our University community is my paramount concern. My leadership team has been monitoring the changing landscape due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Because of the latest directives coming from the Center for Disease Control, the Governor’s Office, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Office of the Chancellor, I am announcing the transition of all face-to-face classroom instruction to remote instruction for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.  While we all hoped that this situation would not come to pass, I understand the critical need to make this change in order to mitigate the transmission of the coronavirus.

At the time of this writing, there are no reported cases on our campus or in Lancaster County (as of 12:15 p.m. per the Pennsylvania Department of Health). This may change in the future, but I want to share the most recent official information with you. I will continue to update the campus every Friday as promised and more frequently if the need arises.

Our instructional plan is as follows:

• Previously arranged online courses scheduled to begin next Monday, March 23, will resume as planned.
• Face-to-face classes will remain suspended during the week of March 23 to allow faculty to transition to remote instruction.
• All face-to-face classes will transition to remote instruction, resume on March 30 and continue in that mode for the remainder of the semester.

Our professional staff will be engaged in planning and mitigation efforts throughout this period to ensure business and educational continuity. The Incident Response Team (IRT) will continue to meet on a regular basis to assess our institutional handling of this outbreak.

Per the Governor’s recent announcement at 2 p.m., the University is moving to “essential employees only” beginning on Tuesday, March 17.  The following applies:

• Essential staff whose duties require a physical presence at the University will continue to report to work for their regular shifts until further notice. Supervisors will work with those essential employees who will continue to report to the University to implement social distancing measures in order to protect their health and safety.
• Essential and non-essential employees, who have been identified as able to complete their work remotely will continue the critical work of the University from their homes beginning Tuesday, March 17, through March 27.
• More details about specific measures will be shared with supervisors and employees. Employees are encouraged to speak to their supervisors about any questions or concerns.

 

I realize that the changes announced in this email will generate questions from members of our community. I have instructed my vice presidents to send additional information as quickly as possible to offer further guidance for students, faculty and staff. Our aim is to work together to ensure that students have the support they need to complete their studies this semester and beyond.

 

The latest information for our campus community will be posted at https://www.millersville.edu/coronavirus/.  We will update this site with the latest information from government and other official sources and we will also update the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) based on feedback from our community.

 

Kindly allow me to reiterate my recent message to campus. We are in uncharted territory that none of us could have anticipated. The situation continues to evolve by the hour. I know that these changes are drastic, and that they affect all of us deeply. Let’s all be guided by facts and reason, and not panic and rumor. I encourage you to take steps necessary to safeguard your personal health and to minimize risk exposure.

We are one Marauder family, and we will get through this crisis.

Warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

President

 

March 16, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Millersville University Faculty,

The following is the guidance we received from the Office of the Chancellor on student experiential learning.  All PASSHE institutions must follow these guidelines in implementing their student experiential learning.

Per the chancellor’s guidance of 3/13/20 regarding suspension all in-person instruction starting 3/16/20 through 3/29/20, please note that this guidance also applies to undergraduate and graduate students in experiential learning sites, including professional placements, practica, internships, research internships, and clinical rotations, unless the accrediting and/or licensing agency has issued superseding guidance. Supervisors/program directors should provide alternate learning experiences for the period of time that classes are in session and the directive against in-person instruction is in force. Any request for an exception to this system-wide guidance should be directed to the Chancellor.

Thank you,

Vilas A. Prabhu, Ph.D., M.B.A.

 

March 16, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Millersville University Faculty:

Millersville is committed to remaining fluid in our response to coronavirus as situations change in efforts to keep all of our faculty and staff safe.  As a result, all in person training sessions that were scheduled in the McNairy library have been modified: all sessions will now be held online via Zoom meetings. The original calendar of dates/times for sessions will remain the same. But no in person sessions will be hosted in McNairy Library. The following options are available to you:

1. All training sessions scheduled between March 16 and March 27 will be delivered via Zoom. Faculty should still register for sessions. Those who register or have already registered for sessions will receive an email containing links to scheduled zoom meetings with additional instruction for those who have never attended an online Zoom meeting.
   1. Session Calendar: https://millersvilleuniversity-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/marie_firestone_millersville_edu/EbIrUSHsCVVGgs1p9_LRxTMB1VmvZJAFVtexrCQqNbwcfg?e=6XZL40
   2. Registration Form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lDfskvC4k0-3M3owqKK1G4PYQ6-vto1LhiT6zFFcG3pUME0zRTU3UDEzR0k2NjhVSFFNSEgzRVA3OC4u
2. Individual sessions or requests for assistance must be requested through the Help Desk in order to help appropriately direct requests and manage expected increases in volume. https://www.millersville.edu/logins/index.php or call (717) 871-7777.
3. Additional supports available to you include:
   1. Wiki page with resources https://wiki.millersville.edu/display/d2ldocs.
   2. Self-paced training for instructors located within D2L
4. https://millersville.desire2learn.com/d2l/home
5. On right hand side, click Resources for Faculty and Instructors

• Choose: Self-paced training for instructors

1. 1. Preparation guides for Instructors located within D2L

1. https://millersville.desire2learn.com/d2l/home
2. On right hand side, click Resources for Faculty and Instructors

• Choose: Preparation for Remote Teaching

1. 1. Additional resources for remote technologies supported by the university can be located at https://wiki.millersville.edu/display/ittac/IT+Remote+Resources

Any faculty member who does not have personal internet access or has concerns about capability of their device(s) should contact the IT help desk.  Please call the help desk with immediate needs only. IT requests all other requests to the help desk be submitted via email or web form. The help desk information is included in the communication to the entire campus issued from IT last Friday.

Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to our students’ success during these extraordinarily difficult times.  I am confident that we will get through this the Millersville way, relying on our EPPIIC values.

Warm regards,

Vilas A. Prabhu

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 13, 2020 (from President Wubah)

Dear Marauder Family,

As promised, I am writing to update you on the University’s efforts to monitor and respond to the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.  I will continue to update the campus every Friday by email and more frequently if the need arises.  At the time of this writing, there are no reported cases on our campus or in Lancaster County (as of 8:00 am per the Pennsylvania Department of Health).

Let me begin by thanking all of you – faculty, staff, students, volunteers – for your patience and flexibility during this rapidly-changing public health crisis.  The situation remains fluid at the national, state and local levels and we continue to monitor and respond on an hourly basis.  We are working diligently to best anticipate future questions and concerns and how to address them.  For example, later today, you will receive an email from our Chief Technology Officer related to technology resources and services.

Our Incident Response Team will continue to serve as the primary group that is leading our efforts because information sharing is critical for our ongoing response. I have expanded the IRT to include representatives from all our collective bargaining units.

I have directed this team to implement a three-pronged approach for communicating with our constituents. To ensure maximum reach, our approach is:

• Send email updates from the President’s Office and other campus officials on a regular basis directly to our faculty, staff, and student listservs.
• Post all email updates to our campus coronavirus website – https://www.millersville.edu/coronavirus/
• Put regular updates in the ‘Ville Daily (A special section at the top of the email for easy reference).

Since my last email message regarding the transition to remote instruction, there have been several new developments that I want to share with you.

• Governor Wolf has issued an emergency disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and two directives to state agencies and employees regarding official business travel and large gatherings.  Working with Chancellor Greenstein, Millersville has responded accordingly to comply with these directives.
• The President’s Cabinet and the Incident Response Team (IRT) will continue to meet on a regular basis to make operational decisions to keep our students, faculty and staff safe as the coronavirus outbreak evolves.
• We have expanded our coronavirus website with frequently asked questions (FAQs) to address questions from our community members. This website will continue to grow as we hear from our students, faculty and staff.  We also posted recent messages from Human Resources, Academic Affairs, and Housing and Residential Programs.
• The NCAA and PSAC conference have made decisions that impact spring athletics. I participated in a PSAC conference call at 8:30am this morning at which time it was decided that effectively immediately, all athletic competition is suspended for the remainder of the semester.  Practices are suspended until March 30, at which time the PSAC Board will review a proposal from Athletic Administrators.

Let me close by reassuring everyone that we will, as a community, work together to respond to this crisis and get through it.  While I recognize that the current situation escalates our anxieties, I ask that you prepare, not panic, and be guided by facts and reason. I encourage you to take steps necessary to safeguard your personal health and to minimize risk exposure.  Self-care is an important aspect of maintaining our personal well-being.

As a reminder of just how special our community is, just yesterday, I was touched by a compassionate student who asked me, “President Wubah, how are you doing through this crisis?”  Let us all take note of our EPPIIC values, now more than ever.

Warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah

President

 

March 12, 2020 (from Human Resources)

Dear Millersville University Employees,

As a follow-up to President Wubah’s communication yesterday, Millersville University continues to take the necessary steps to ensure a healthy and safe learning and working environment for all University community members during the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.  It is important to note that as I write this, Millersville does not have any confirmed or presumed cases of the virus.

As noted by President Wubah, administrative operations will continue as usual, and all university staff are expected to report to work.  Employees who wish to seek reasonable accommodations due to serious health conditions, which may increase their vulnerability to complications of COVID-19, should contact the Human Resources Office at 717-871-4950 or human.resources@millersville.edu for assistance.

If any of the following situations apply to you please notify your supervisor/Dean immediately to determine appropriate next steps before returning to campus:

• You will be traveling to or returning from domestic or international locations by air or cruise ship, regardless of destination
• You reside with someone who will be returning from an area experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 cases (domestic or international)
• You have recently visited or will be visiting an area which is experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 cases (domestic or international)

You should stay home if unwell and follow the CDC’s guidelines for prevention to minimize the possibility of the spread of the virus:

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, or cover coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer which contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available, but wash your hands as soon as possible afterwards
• Wipe down surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, remotes and other frequently touched items
• Stay at least six feet away from others who are sick

​​All employees and their family members, which includes anyone who resides in the same home, parents, siblings, and adult children regardless of where they live, have 24/7 access to the Employee Assistance Program (SEAP).  This is a free referral service which offers confidential assistance with personal and/or work-related problems that may impact job performance, health, mental, and emotional well-being.  SEAP can be reached by calling 1-800-692-7459 or by visiting www.liveandworkwell.com. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.  Our primary goal is to keep the university community safe while making every effort to minimize adverse impact on the academic progress of our students.  Thank you for everything you do for our students and the university.

Respectfully,

Diane L Copenhaver

Executive Director, Human Resources

 

March 11, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Millersville University Students:

As a follow-up to President Wubah’s communication this morning, face-to-face classes will be suspended for the week of March 23^rd so faculty can transition needed materials and set up a remote learning environment for all face-to-face classes.  Previously scheduled online classes will continue as scheduled. Classes will be held remotely via D2L or other technologies beginning Monday, March 30.  Please note that all academic performances and activities on campus are suspended until further notice.

If you have not worked in the D2L environment before or need any assistance, please visit www.millersville.edu/logins, click the orange B, and enter your username and password to enter D2L for further instructions. Resources are available in D2L to guide you through your course. There are additional D2L resources on the Wiki located off of the logins page. If you have any technology issues, please submit a Help Desk ticket via the logins page so we may assist you.

Please look for electronic communications from your professor regarding how they will be conducting class during this transition.  It is your responsibility as a student to stay abreast of the changes as communicated by your faculty. Please reach out to your faculty advisors remotely to assist you for advising needs and receive a TAP number for registration purposes. Course registration for the fall 2020 semester will begin as scheduled the week of April 6.

The goal of transitioning to remote delivery is to support your ongoing learning and ensure access so you can continue your semester. Please note that your professor will be sharing an updated syllabus, and learning assignments may be modified.  If tutoring assistance is needed, please communicate with the department chair of your major. Library operations will continue during normal business hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Access to electronic library resources will continue to be available through the McNairy Library.  Faculty librarians will continue to be available to assist you via chat or other online and electronic services. Please visit www.library.millersville.edu, for more information.

Faculty will continue to provide counseling services to students through phone and video (Zoom) sessions.

The Writing Center will also move their operations online to support you. Refer to the Writing Center website for additional details at https://www.millersville.edu/english/writingcenter/index.php

Here are some things you can do to be successful in this transition:

1. If you have questions or do not know how to do something, ask your professor or advisor.
2. Review the modified expectations in your course by viewing the course syllabus.
3. Check in every day or several times a day for updates.
4. Stay on top of reading assignments and work that needs to be completed.
5. Communicate with your professor if you become ill or have issues accessing any materials. Their contact information should be in your original syllabus or found online.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.  You will receive additional communications from Housing and Residential Programs and other offices at the University as needed.  Our primary goal is to keep the University community safe while making every effort to minimize adverse impact on the academic progress of our students.

Have a safe and healthy Spring Break.

Warm regards,

Vilas A. Prabhu

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 11, 2020 (from Academic Affairs)

Dear Millersville University Faculty:

As a follow-up to President Wubah’s communication this morning, Millersville University is taking the necessary steps to ensure a healthy and safe learning and working environment for all University community members during the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.  The primary objective of these actions is to ensure that students complete their academic requirements for the semester.  Millersville does not have any confirmed or presumed cases of the virus at this time; however, we will be transitioning our courses to remote delivery via D2L and other technologies and will be reassessing our return to normal operations on a weekly basis.

Faculty are permitted on campus to complete any work necessary to ensure academic continuity and access any resources they need.  Academic performances and events on campus are suspended until further notice.  All faculty supervising internships for credit, clinical and field placements, and student teaching assignments will continue as long as the host institution is open for business.

For non-instructional faculty who provide services to students (e.g., counseling/advising/library services) we encourage you to maintain your accessibility to students through phone and video (Zoom) sessions.  Online library services and information resources will continue to be available to faculty and students.  Please contact your subject librarian (http://library.millersville.edu/directory/subject-librarians) with any questions. The Writing Center will move operations online and continue supporting students.  Any questions can be directed to Dr. Bill Archibald, Director. The link to the Writing Center is: https://www.millersville.edu/english/writingcenter/index.php.

IT is creating course shells in D2L for any faculty member whose courses currently do not have a course shell.  The course shells are located in D2L and will be inactive.  Faculty will need to activate their course shell so it becomes accessible to students.  Once activated, the course will appear in D2L for students to access.  Faculty will need to modify their syllabus, update assignments or directions, and post it in the D2L shell so students are aware of any modifications.  All faculty must provide their chairs and deans with an explanation of how the course will be completed.

To support faculty with the transition for remote delivery, face-to-face classes will be suspended for the week of March 23^rd.  This week will be dedicated to faculty in person and Zoom trainings/meetings in order to transition needed materials to virtual format.  Previously scheduled online classes will continue as scheduled.

Sessions will include Basic D2L resource sharing, course communication, grades set-up and collection and assessment of student work. Additional sessions will be offered using University supported tools for live synchronous class sessions and performance or presentation assignment assistance. Please see the March 12 ‘Ville Daily for sign-up information and a calendar.

Workshops will be 30-45 minutes in length and are scheduled so interested faculty may attend multiple sessions in sequence. All workshops will be hosted in McNairy Library room 104 and facilitated by Marie Firestone and Matt Fox from the Instruction & Technology Support Team. All sessions are open to anyone who is interested in refreshing their skill sets.

Faculty who have not used D2L or delivered courses through a remote environment will be required to participate in the training.  Training will be available during the week of Spring Break on a voluntary basis.  Training will be required the week of March 23 for those who do not attend sessions during the Spring Break.  You are strongly encouraged to have materials available for students via remote delivery by the end of the day on Friday, March 27^th.  This will enable students to check their ability to access materials in a timely manner.

In addition to the in-person trainings, the Instruction & Technology Support Team has created and made available: Preparation Guides, Self-Paced Training Module for Remote Teaching, Self-Paced Training including 22 topics and a host of resources available on the Wiki.  Instructional Designers will be available if you have specific questions.  The Instructional Design team will be available in person and via Zoom for assistance.

For the current semester, faculty are required to report student attendance for Title IV aid compliance.  Faculty advisors are expected to reach out to their advisees to complete academic advising (through remote technologies) and also provide TAP numbers to complete their registrations. We will instruct students to reach out to their faculty advisors.  Course registration for Fall 2020 semester will begin as scheduled the week of April 6.

As we make this transition, I want to also remind faculty that FERPA regulations prohibit any type of “posting” of student grades where others have access to them.  This applies even if a unique, non-identifying number is used to “mask” each student.  Also, grades should never be posted on a non-University approved source such as google docs or sent within a list of grades via a mass email.  If you have any questions regarding the FERPA requirements, please contact Registrar Alison Hutchinson.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.  Our primary goal is to keep the university community safe while making every effort to minimize adverse impact on the academic progress of our students.  Thank you for everything you do for our students and the university.

Have a safe and healthy Spring Break.

Warm regards,

Vilas A. Prabhu

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

 

March 11, 2020 (from Housing and Residential Programs)

Dear Millersville University Residential Students:

We would like to provide an update as a follow up to President Wubah’s message earlier today regarding housing information and instruction for residential students who live in The Villages (East Village, South Village, West Village), Shenks Hall and Reighard Hall.

In light of the decision to suspend face-to-face instruction for a week, from March 21-27, and an additional week of remote instruction, from March 30 to April 3, Housing and Residential Programs is issuing the follow:

• We encourage students who have the option to go home for the week of suspended face-to-face instruction and the additional week of remote instruction to do so. While we don’t expect you to remove all of your belongings from your room and suite, resident students should take all essential belongings, medications including those from Health Services, and course materials from your residence hall in case it should become necessary to restrict return access to campus for at least the three weeks listed.
• Students who need to remain on campus through the week of suspended face-to-face instruction and the additional week of remote instruction should sign up through the Department of Housing and Residential Programs’ existing break process, described HERE. Access to the residence halls will be limited to only those students who register.
• Additional Spring Break Housing Information includes:
  • The residence halls will be operational for students who need to remain on campus during the break.
  • Guests and Visitation is not permitted during the break.
  • Residence Hall Offices will have limited hours of operation during the break – see front desk for contact information.
  • There will be limited Dining Services hours of operations. Please refer to their website for specific hours.
  • Students are not required to surrender residence hall keys to the staff prior to leaving for the break.
  • Housekeeping and Maintenance Operations staffs may be working in the campus residence halls to perform maintenance tasks during the break that require entrance to resident rooms. Housing staff may post a courtesy sign on your door indicating that the room is occupied. This sign will ensure that workers will not enter your room without knocking.  Please leave it in place for the duration of the break.
  • Those students who have already signed up for break housing, but have decided they no longer need break housing given this new information, should email Housing & Residential Programs Associate Director Rita Miller at rita.miller@millersville.edu to indicate that you will not be remaining on campus.

We appreciate that you have a lot of questions and concerns during this time. Please refer back to the University’s coronavirus webpage frequently where the most up-to-date information is posted.

Dr. Scott M. Helfrich – Director

Housing and Residential Programs

(717) 871-4200

Housing@millersville.edu

 

March 11, 2020 (from President Wubah)

Dear Marauder Family,

As I reported in my previous messages, the health and safety of our community is of utmost importance.  We have been monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak carefully and the Incident Response Team has continued to meet throughout the past week.  As I write this message, I can share that Millersville University does not have any confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19).

To ensure the safety of our community, the University has made the decision to move to alternate modes of instruction for a limited period after spring break.  Faculty will prepare their courses for remote delivery and also prepare for remote advising. Advising and registration will continue as planned for summer and fall terms.  Specifically, we are implementing the following:

• Spring Break will occur as scheduled from March 14, 2020 to March 20, 2020.
• Current online courses will not be affected and will run as scheduled.
• All face-to-face instruction, including the Ware Center and other off-campus locations, will be suspended from March 21, 2020 to March 27, 2020.  Students should not report to campus during this period.
• On March 30, 2020 all face-to-face courses will resume remotely, either online or through other technology-enhanced delivery methods.  Students should continue to not report to campus during this timeframe.
• All internships for credit, clinicals, and student teaching assignments will continue as long as the host institution is open for business.
• Faculty will maintain their office hours via technology.

The University will reassess these interim measures on a weekly basis. We are focused on ensuring our students finish the semester successfully with as little interruption as possible while safeguarding everyone’s health, safety and welfare.

For business continuity, the day-to-day administrative operations of the University will continue, and University staff will report to work as usual. Student employees should contact their supervisors. I encourage you to continue healthy practices that will minimize the possibility of the spread of the virus. Managers are prepared to work with you so that you will not be adversely affected.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update the campus community.  Further communication will come from my office, Academic Affairs, Housing and Residential Programs, and Human Resources.  I encourage you to check the University website  frequently as we will be posting updates on a regular basis.

Be safe and healthy and enjoy your spring break.

Warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D.

President

 

March 9, 2020 (from Student Affairs & Enrollment Management)

Dear ‘Ville Community,

With international, U.S. and state-wide concerns about the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the current focus in the news on travel, I wanted to reach out regarding potential spring break plans.

Prior to traveling anywhere over spring break, please consider the potential risks that may be involved in visiting your destination, including the risk of transmission as well as the risk of quarantine upon return. Avoid places experiencing sustained community transmission. Keep in mind that guidance may change once you have arrived at your destination or returned home. Updated information on recommendations for travel can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) website.

As you think ahead to your return to Millersville after spring break, please be aware that if you have been traveling in an area of known risk/exposure as defined by the CDC, you must contact Health Services prior to returning to campus for an initial phone screening. Given the incubation period of the illness, you will be advised to remain at home, off campus, for a 21-day self-incubation period. You will then be required to check in with Health Services prior to returning to campus to ensure you are asymptomatic.

Health Services and the University continue to monitor the situation and provide updates related to COVID-19.

As we head into mid-terms and spring break, please keep our EPPIIC values in mind in all that you say and do.  Inclusion is at the core of Millersville University and it is important to treat our students, faculty and staff with the same respect that you would want in return.

Good luck on mid-terms and have a safe spring break.

Warm regards,

Brian Hazlett

Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

 

March 6, 2020 (from President Wubah)

Dear Marauder Family,

I am writing today to update you on the University’s efforts to monitor and respond to the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.  As promised, I will continue to update the campus as the need arises.

Let me begin by restating my message from last Friday, that there have been no reported cases in our campus community or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Information sharing is an important aspect of our ongoing response.  I encourage you to review the information for our campus community on the university website at https://blogs.millersville.edu/news/2020/03/04/university-updates-on-coronavirus/.  We will keep this site updated with the latest information from government and other official sources.

I want to assure you that the health and safety of our university community is my paramount concern. University leaders and professional staff have been engaged in thoughtful review and planning throughout the last several weeks to ensure business and educational continuity.  I have asked the Incident Response Team (IRT) to meet on a regular basis for the duration of this situation.

To date, we have taken the following actions:

• Activated the IRT with Mr. Gil Brown and Dr. Victor DeSantis as co-leads.
• Opened lines of communication with public health agencies and local health facilities.
• Directed all university divisions to review processes and services to ensure continuity.
• Developed informational resources and a communications plan to keep everyone informed.
• Restricted international travel as appropriate and curtailed our study abroad programs for the safety and well-being of our students and faculty.

We encourage you to take steps to safeguard your personal health and to minimize risk exposure.  Yesterday, our health services team disseminated helpful tips on good hygiene and health practices. Additional guidance on spring break travel will be coming out early next week.

My hope is that, working together, we have a successful conclusion to the spring semester.

Warm regards,

Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D.

President

 

March 5, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

Millersville University Health Services would like to remind the MU Campus about how we can all best prevent respiratory infections during this winter’s cold and flu season. MU Health Services has been seeing a higher than usual number of cold, cough and flu cases this season. This, along with the emerging Coronavirus (COVID-19) concern, makes it a good time to review basic respiratory infection prevention tips as endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other major health organizations including the American College Health Association.

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
4. Stay home when you are sick.
5. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
6. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
7. Get a flu vaccine. The Flu Vaccine is still available – students can stop in any time at Health Services to receive a free flu shot.

Along with these basic tips, we would also recommend that you consider, in the event that you are experiencing fever and cough, to wear a respiratory droplet mask when you are in public places. As always, we recommend that you schedule an appointment with us at the Witmer Building if you would like to be evaluated for any health concerns. Our phone number is 717-871-5250. MU Health Services is available for all registered students of Millersville University.

Thanks,

Tim Weaver, M.D.  Supervising Physician
Lauren Blevins, CRNP Nurse Practitioner
Joanne Ocasio, RN     Nursing Supervisor

Millersville University Health Services
Witmer Building

 

March 4, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

The health and safety of our students is of utmost importance to Millersville University and we are continuing to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Based on information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities, Millersville has made the difficult decision to bring home our students studying abroad in Asia and Europe.

The impacted students have been notified. They will return home by March 11 and are asked to self-isolate for 21 days at their United States home, off-campus.

For students who have yet to start their experience abroad this spring, regardless of destination, you are required to remain in the U.S.  All future Millersville University study abroad programs are suspended until further notice.

Millersville University’s Incident Response Team continues to meet regularly on Coronavirus. While there have been no reports or evidence of any transmission impacting our campus community, it is critical that we remain informed.

Our first and primary concern is for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. Any decisions we make will be based on the latest information we have to keep our campus community safe.

We will soon be posting information to our website with the best resources for information on the Coronavirus.

Warm regards,

Dr. Vilas A. Prabhu

Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs

 

February 28, 2020

Dear Marauder Family,

Earlier today, the Millersville University Incident Response Team (IRT) met to discuss the growing concern surrounding the Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).  While there have been no reports or evidence of any transmission impacting our campus community, it is critical that we remain informed and assemble the necessary team of professionals to monitor and respond in the event the situation escalates.  The IRT is made up of staff from across the campus, including Safety and Environmental Health, Health Services, Campus Police, Housing and Residential Life, Dining, Athletics, Human Resources, and others.

The IRT will meet regularly over the next few weeks to monitor the situation and ensure that our campus has plans and procedures in place should the situation change.  While there are no immediate threats or concerns, I believe it is important to be proactive to ensure the safety and security of our campus community.

I will provide an update to campus regarding the Coronavirus in the near future.

Have a good weekend.

Best regards,

Daniel A. Wubah, Ph.D.

President