Over the past few weeks, students, faculty and staff at UIS have been contacted about multiple campus developments related to COVID-19 and the changes that have been facilitated as a result of the virus. Here are most of them, as of April 2: 

Campus Senate meetings are still being held through Zoom and available to anyone who would like to attend. The list of dates and times can be found at www.uis.edu/campussenate/meetings/senate/, while the agenda can be found at www.uis.edu/campussenate/docs/. 

“The Student Union is closed and tentatively scheduled to reopen April 7. Meals for students are being provided at the Lincoln Residence Hall grab-n-go counter daily. If you are a student living on campus with an active meal plan, please refer to your email for additional instructions.” Even though the Student Union is set to reopen on April 7, one should safely assume that the Student Union will not reopen until the Stay-at-Home order has been lifted. As of April 2, the order stands until April 30. 

ITS is still offering phone and email support at (217)-206-6000 and [email protected]. 

“Starting March 30, campus mail delivery will occur Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; packages will continue to be received and delivered daily Monday-Friday.” HCOM stated that they will be contacting students for confirmation of permanent addresses to direct mail to students that are currently off-campus free of charge, although when this will occur is unclear. Packages and mail will be dealt with in this manner until April 15, according to Department of Residence Life Staff. 

“Students with disabilities should continue to contact the Office of Disability Services at [email protected] to request assistance or accommodations…Campus experts in online teaching and learning in COLRS (www.uis.edu/colrs/) are also ready to provide guidance and assistance with adapting learning styles and ensuring accessibility in remote instructional delivery.” 

“As an essential service, Health Services continues to be available for student health needs. Modifications to the Health Services schedule have been implemented to promote appropriate social distancing. Walk-in appointments will not be taken and online scheduling has been suspended. In-clinic and Teleheath appointment schedules are available at uis.edu/healthservices. Students with a health concern should contact Health Services at (217)-206-6676.” 

“Until further notice, no university-sponsored, in-person events and meetings with 10 people or more are allowed – including events scheduled for the Performing Arts Center, Intercollegiate Athletics and performances of the Music and Theatre programs. Alumni and Advancement events have also been canceled or postponed – including the annual Celebration of Philanthropy and the ribbon-cutting for the new Center for Lincoln Studies that had been scheduled for the end of April. For updates on Performing Arts Center events, visit uispac.com.” 

The UIS Counseling Center is allowing counseling sessions by phone or Zoom to be scheduled to the best of counselors’ ability. To schedule an appointment, call (217)-206-7122 or email [email protected]. 

“Effective April 1, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act creates the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and amends the Family Medical Leave Act to protect families and workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Please visit the University of Illinois System Human Resources website for more information.” 

Faculty and staff who are enrolled in a university employee health plan qualify for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Magellan. Magellan offers counseling services on a wide range of health-related topics such as anxiety, stress, domestic violence, parenting, alcohol/drugs, etc.  We encourage you to take advantage of this valuable resource. More information can be found at www.hr.uillinois.edu/benefits/worklife/eap 

Visit uis.edu/covid-19 for additional updates, information and resources.