Dear Graduate Student Community,
Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic the Graduate Student Association has been meeting with the University to see what we can do to try and help prevent the spread of this virus and to protect our campus and community. The health and safety of students and staff is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution the Graduate Student Association has made the difficult decision to cancel all student events, both on and off campus, indefinitely. We feel that this bold and decisive action is necessary in order to best comply with all suggested health guidelines for group gatherings and social distancing.
Please note that refunds will be automatically processed for any GSA tickets that were purchased prior to this announcement for cancelled events, however this process will take some time as refunds must be processed individually for each and every sale and every event. Please be patient as the Ticket Office works to accommodate this task.
The GSA North Campus office will remain open until we are directed otherwise (the South Campus office will be closed until further notice), but we strongly recommend that students only come to campus if they are directed to do so specifically by a Professor or Supervisor. Should the University close, please note that GSA staff will do their best to continue working remotely to the best of their abilities in order to provide uninterrupted service to our constituents. Please keep in mind that the University’s current directives prevent us from being able to approve any new requests for international travel, and domestic travel should be undertaken at your own risk. We are working on a plan to continue processing pre-approved reimbursements for conferences and MDRF research grants and will notify students directly if alternate submission policies become necessary. Additional information about the University’s response can be found on their COVID-19 FAQ page.
Additionally, please note that we are working on determining an online solution for hosting the GSA’s April 1st Board meeting where next year’s budget should be approved. We will be reaching out to all Board members and club officers directly with instructions on how to access the meeting as soon as they are available. Similarly, the GSA’s Officer Elections and Referendum vote will take place online as planned from April 6th to 9th. We will be sending out the mandated reminders to all students for these votes, so please be on the lookout.
Students who have no access to the internet may want to note that Spectrum is offering 60 days of free internet service and waiving all installation fees for college students. For more information, please call Spectrum directly 1-844-488-8395.
We urge all community members to practice caution and strictly follow the CDC’s guidelines for preventing the spread of disease during this time. We will continue to provide updates as necessary. We truly appreciate your patience as we navigate this unprecedented situation.
Please stay safe and be well!
Sincerely,
Jessy Coley, President
Connor Walters, Vice President
Joshua Joseph, Treasurer