Keeping Bobcats informed, March 18, 2020

Dear Students,

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus outbreak and to make plans that prioritize your health and safety as well as your progress toward graduation, President M. Duane Nellis wanted to take a moment to address you, our students, who stand at the heart of everything we do and the mission of Ohio University:

“It is times like these that we show who we are as Bobcats and the resilience of the Ohio University community. This is not the spring semester that any of us planned, but it is the spring semester that we are faced with. We are going to make this the best spring semester possible and we are going to learn and grow together.”

On Monday, March 23, we embark on a chapter in our storied history that none of us planned for as together we transition to a remote and online learning environment. In true Bobcat spirit, we know that you are ready to rise to the occasion, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

As we move toward the start of remote and online learning, we continue to work through some of the outstanding questions you have shared with us so that you can successfully resume your studies with as few worries as possible.

Here is today's update:

GRADUATION

Spring Commencement Announcement

You should have all received an email earlier today from President M. Duane Nellis announcing the unfortunate, but necessary news that our Spring 2020 Commencement ceremonies and graduation recognition events on our regional campuses have been postponed. Please know that we share in your disappointment. Watching each and every one of you reach that pinnacle in your OHIO journey is what motivates and inspires us every day, and we look forward to celebrating you, your achievements and our collective resilience as soon as it is safe to do so.

STIPEND INFORMATION

Student Worker and Graduate Student Stipend Information

Ohio University employs several thousand students each year, and we know that worries about finances have made this unprecedented situation we find ourselves in even harder for those students.

We are committed to providing remote work opportunities to all student employees who were employed in University positions for spring semester but who are not currently working. We have also committed to continuing graduate student stipends without interruption through the end of spring semester.

All departments that employ students have been asked to contact those employees who are not currently engaged in meaningful work. If you are one of these students, your supervisor will be contacting you to share remote work options and to inform you on how to track your work hours. In some cases, you may be offered an opportunity to join online work teams that are being developed in support of moving University operations online.

POSTPONEMENT

Returning Student Room Selection

Students returning to the Athens Campus next fall with a housing contract should have received an email notification on Tuesday from Housing and Residence Life informing them that the returning student room selection process has been postponed until April.

CAMPUS TRANSPORTATION

Transportation Updates

OHIO Transportation and Parking Services’ daily campus shuttles (CATS) and night and weekend shuttles (CATS Late Night) have been suspended. Individuals with mobility issues can still schedule a free ride with CATCAB during regular business hours, and Athens Public Transit is still providing free public transportation – with an OHIO ID – to students, faculty and staff.

NETFLIX NIGHT

Keeping Our Students Connected

In addition to keeping you on track for graduation, we are equally committed to keeping you connected to one another while we are all doing our part to combat the coronavirus. The first of these efforts is a Virtual Bobcats Netflix Night at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, hosted by the Campus Involvement Center.

Please continue to carefully monitor your Ohio University email, college/campus/department websites, and the University’s https://www.ohio.edu/coronavirus website for updates and information. If you have additional questions that are not answered on the University’s coronavirus website or its FAQ section, please email them to coronavirus@ohio.edu or direct message them to Ohio University’s Facebook account or Twitter account. 

We’ve heard it many times over the past week: We are living in unprecedented times. But it is in times like these that we find ourselves with opportunities we never imagined – opportunities to learn, to adapt, to be of service to others, and to grow both personally and intellectually. Together, we are ready to seize these opportunities and to grow in ways once unimaginable.

Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and seize every opportunity you can.