The University of Arkansas at Little Rock released the following statement on March 12th regarding classes and operations:
Dear Campus Community,
At UA Little Rock, the education, health and well-being of our students and community is a top priority.
- Effective immediately, face-to-face classes will migrate to online – until further notice.
- Effective immediately, on-campus events are canceled through April 30, unless written authorization is granted by the vice chancellor.
- Out of state travel is suspended and visits from out of state guests to campus are canceled through April 30.
- At this time, campus offices, residences and dining services remain open until further notice.
Please stay safe and we’ll continue to keep you updated on how this rapidly evolving situation may impact our campus moving forward.
______________________
Travel guidance and continuity of operations concerning coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 11, 2020
UA Little Rock continues to monitor the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. At this time, face-to-face classes, meetings, and events at UA Little Rock will continue and expedited planning should proceed in case alternative arrangements are soon required. UA Little Rock is taking immediate steps to ensure continuity of campus operations. This includes continuation of university services such as course delivery, health services, safety services, financial services, campus living, campus dining, and more. Please read below for additional information.
Travel Guidance as of March 11, 2020
Students, Faculty, and Staff
University-sponsored travel for the next sixty days to destinations outside of Arkansas should be canceled at this time. Requests for exceptions (with supporting justification) may be submitted through the appropriate vice chancellor for consideration by the University Cabinet. Travelers are encouraged to seek travel-related refunds as appropriate from transportation providers, hotels, conferences, etc.
Visitors
University visitors are encouraged to participate in campus events via teleconference and videoconference services. University visitors from U.S. states that declared a state of emergency as well as visitors from CDC-identified level two or higher countries are prohibited from visiting the campus without vice chancellor approval. Visitors should consider the health and logistical issues with domestic and international travel.
Preparing for Online Instruction
In collaboration with the Coronavirus Emergency Response Team (CERT), Academic Affairs is developing a plan to address the continuation of instruction during a potential campus closure. Other universities that have already closed temporarily are continuing instruction that previously was being done in face-to-face classrooms primarily by moving to online instruction for those classes or portions of classes (in the case of hybrid classes). Please refer to the UA Little Rock Contingency Plan – Office of Academic Affairs.
In the case of UA Little Rock’s moving face-to-face courses to online for any amount of time, UA Little Rock must follow federal and university guidelines regarding syllabi and learning agreements, instructor availability, regular and substantive contact, attendance, and final grades of Incomplete (I). Please refer to the memo from the Office of Academic Affairs regarding Compliance Preparation for COVID-19: Course Change Documentation, Attendance, and Incomplete Grades.
Further Contingency Planning
In accordance with the emergency management plan and pandemic policy, units are asked to prepare for continuity of operations in the event physical offices are temporarily closed. At this time, preparations should account for a potential two- to three-week university closure scenario. Division heads were asked by the University Cabinet to identify essential processes and personnel and assess remote-work capabilities. IT Services is preparing the virtual private network (VPN) server to support a larger number of remote workers.
In the case of students who reside on campus, and especially for those unable to return home in the event of university closure, the university is assessing emergency housing and dining options. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
Communications & Marketing, Health Services, Campus Living, Student Experience Center, and Environmental Health and Safety are collaborating on the printing and distribution of informational resources from the CDC and applicable health organizations. Information is being placed in common areas as well as residential spaces. UA Little Rock will continue posting information online.
Strategies for Stopping the Spread of the Illness
As previously shared, the CDC lists the symptoms of COVID-19 as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, but you may have other symptoms common in respiratory illnesses, including muscle or body aches, sore throat, fatigue, and headaches.
The following recommendations are intended to combat the spread of COVID-19:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve. When you use a tissue, throw it in the trash immediately. Do not use a handkerchief.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Do not share food, drinks, vaping devices or anything that can spread the virus to others.
- Try to get sufficient sleep, exercise regularly, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.
- Keep your hands clean and wash them frequently with soap and water. Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer and use it when you cannot wash your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Do not share cups, straws, or anything else you put in your mouth (especially vaping devices).
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Disinfect surfaces that can be contaminated such as desks, phones, doorknobs, keyboards, etc.
If you have traveled outside of Arkansas within the past 14 days or have been around anyone diagnosed with coronavirus and are experiencing these symptoms, contact your health care provider and Health Services. Call before arriving in-person.
The CDC does not recommend the general public wear masks.
The Arkansas Department of Health activated a call center with epidemiologists to answer questions from health care providers and the public about COVID-19; 1-800-803-7847 during business hours and 1-501-661-2136 outside business hours.) Daily updates about COVID-19 in Arkansas are posted on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website.
Obtaining Assistance
If you are feeling unwell, contact your medical provider or call Health Services at 501-569-3188. If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call ahead before going to Health Services, your medical provider, or the emergency department.
UA Little Rock will continue to work closely with the Arkansas Department of Health and other national and state health officials. As the situation changes, we will follow up with additional information and actions.
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Travel Guidance
March 7, 2020
UA Little Rock is implementing travel guidance for faculty, staff, students, and visitors to mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Individuals are encouraged to consider the health risks and logistical issues with domestic and international travel at this time. Please review the latest CDC guidelines and consider the possibility of travel restrictions, quarantines, and other travel-related issues:
Per the ADH, some travelers may be placed under self home quarantine for fourteen days. If you have traveled to a country with a CDC travel advisory of level two or higher within the last fourteen days, please call ADH at 1-800-803-7847.
Current countries with a level two or higher travel advisory include China, Iran, South Korea, Italy, and Japan.
Faculty, Staff, and Visitors
UA Little Rock strongly recommends that faculty/staff traveling internationally return to the U.S. and suspend future international travel at least through the end of spring 2020. Further, travel to U.S. states that declared a state of emergency due to coronavirus is discouraged. University-sponsored travel to countries with a CDC travel advisory of level two or above is prohibited without vice chancellor approval. Similarly, university visitors from level two or higher countries are prohibited from visiting the campus without vice chancellor approval.
Students
UA Little Rock requires that registered student travelers in countries with a CDC travel advisory of level two or above return to the U.S. immediately. Upcoming study abroad trips will be individually evaluated to determine whether they will be suspended or postponed. UA Little Rock is currently assessing the CDC recommendation to consider postponing or canceling all upcoming international student travel and recalling students abroad.
More Information
Information about COVID-19 is available on the Health Services website.
The Coronavirus Emergency Response Term (CERT), Health Services staff, and university administrators will continue to work closely with the Arkansas Department of Health to keep our community safe and healthy. If the situation changes, we will follow up with additional information.
________________________________________________________________________
Emergency Management
March 4, 2020
The university is enacting the Emergency Management Plan (Policy Number 203.1), including the pandemic component to prepare for the potential impacts of COVID-19. We are at pandemic Level 1; the campus is open; business is as usual; and enhanced planning is underway.
As part of the enhanced planning efforts, the university is forming a Coronavirus Emergency Response Team (CERT) that will help coordinate the university’s efforts as well as provide updates to the campus community. Initial members of the CERT include:
- Cody Decker, Student Affairs and CERT Chair
- Sharon Downs, Student Affairs and CERT Vice Chair
- Emily Bell, Study Abroad
- Thomas Bunton, Information Technology Services
- Regina Carter, Public Safety
- Ophelia Dedner, Human Resources
- Elizabeth Sloan Davidson, Department of Nursing
- Jeff Harmon, Communications & Marketing
- Richard Harper, Dean of Students
- Mike Kirk, Counseling Services and Health Services
- Patti Light, Campus Living
- David Millay, Facilities Management
- David Montague, eLearning & STAR
- Vince Rogers, Environmental, Health, and Safety
Based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for institutions of higher education, the CERT is charged with the following objectives:
- Implement emergency operations plans
- Monitor and plan for faculty and staff absenteeism
- Review and publicize procedures for students, staff, and faculty who are sick on campus
- Review and implement appropriate environmental, health, and safety practices
- Provide accurate and timely updates to the University Cabinet/Emergency Response Time (ERT)
- Assess status and recommend changes in pandemic levels to the ERT
Faculty Guidance for Online Learning Preparations
The university has created an emergency preparedness plan to support university faculty teaching face-to-face classes in case of any disruptions caused by COVID-19. Since Blackboard course shells are already available for all UA Little Rock courses, including face-to-face, hybrid, and webcast courses, faculty could quickly move courses online. eLearning will post on the STaR website seven easy-to-use, “How-To” videos (1-2 minutes each), accompanied by Graphical Guides, enabling faculty to become proficient in the basics of using Blackboard. StaR can provide additional assistance as needed, working with faculty via phone, email, and videoconferencing.
Practicing Personal Safety
Symptoms
The CDC lists the symptoms of COVID-19 as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, but you may have other symptoms common in respiratory illnesses, including muscle or body aches, sore throat, fatigue, and headaches.
Strategies for stopping the spread of the illness
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve. When you use a tissue, throw it in the trash immediately. Do not use a handkerchief.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Do not share food, drinks, vaping devices or anything that can spread the virus to others.
- Try to get sufficient sleep, exercise regularly, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.
- Keep your hands clean and wash them frequently with soap and water. Carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer and use it when you cannot wash your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Do not share cups, straws, or anything else you put in your mouth (especially vaping devices).
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Disinfect surfaces that can be contaminated such as desks, phones, doorknobs, keyboards, etc.
- If you have traveled outside of Arkansas within the past 14 days or have been around anyone diagnosed with coronavirus and are experiencing these symptoms, contact your health care provider before entering the facility.
The CDC does not recommend the general public wear masks.
Arkansas Department of Health has activated a call center with epidemiologists to answer questions from health care providers and the public about COVID-19 (1-800-803-7847). Daily updates about COVID-19 in Arkansas are posted at 3 p.m. every day on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website.
Obtaining Assistance
If you are feeling unwell, contact your medical provider or call Health Services at 501-569-3188. If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call ahead before going to Health Services, your medical provider, or the emergency department.
More Information
Information about COVID-19 is available on the Health Services website.
Additional information is available from the CDC for students, staff, and faculty who plan to travel, or have recently traveled to areas with COVID-19 outbreaks. This information is available at the CDC’s FAQ for travelers and the COVID-19 travel website.
Stopping the stigma
People of Asian descent, including Chinese Americans, are not more likely to get COVID-19 than any other American. Help stop fear by letting people know that being of Asian descent does not increase the chance of having or spreading COVID-19.
The CERT, Health Services staff, and university administrators will continue to work closely with the Arkansas Department of Health to keep our community safe and healthy. If the situation changes, we will follow up with additional information.