Dear Parents,
Faced with an unprecedented public health pandemic, Doane University has extended spring break on the Crete campus through Sunday, March 22 and will resume classes in an online modality beginning Monday, March 23. There will also be no in-person, face-to-face classes on our Lincoln, Omaha, and Grand Island campuses next week, Current online classes will continue uninterrupted. Although there are no known cases at Doane, this decision has been made to protect the health and wellness of members of our community including our students, faculty and staff. Although these changes impact the way we operate, they don’t change who we are and we are committed to the success of students at Doane University.
This message includes several important updates on this evolving situation. You can keep up-to-date with the most recent information by visiting Doane COVID-19 repository site.
Academics
Doane is moving to an online/virtual modality for the remainder of the semester. Plans are underway to allow students to continue to make progress on their degree. All Doane classes will resume on March 23. This coming week will be used to plan the transitions. Students will receive additional information regarding their classes by email in the coming days.
For those who do not have access to wi-fi or a home computer, the library and computer labs will remain open at all campus locations. TigerTech has a limited number of laptops that can be checked out. Students who are not able to return to campus and don’t have access to a device should reach out to the Academic Success Center.
Residential Life and Education
Doane University will remain open and continue to serve our academic community including health and counseling services, dining services and residence halls. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we encourage students residing on campus to return to their permanent residences because of advantages for social distancing. Students currently away from campus on spring break are encouraged to stay home--if that is an option.
The Office of Residential Life and Education sent an update to all residential students on Friday, March 13 that included instructions on notifying Doane if they planned to return to residence halls or move off campus for the remainder of the term. Students are asked to complete one of the linked forms by Wednesday, March 18. Those choosing to return home are asked to make plans to complete their check-out and move-out by Sunday, March 22. Students requiring additional time to complete their move-out may indicate so on the check-out form.
Dining services will be in operation as scheduled beginning Sunday, March 15 at 5:30 PM with pre packaged meal options available for pick up from the dining hall. Meal service will be altered as part of our social distancing protocol, but all dietary restrictions and needs will be met.
Health and Wellness
In an effort to minimize the potential spread of this disease, we have made the decision to close the Student Health Office to walk-in appointments at this time. We ask that instead of coming to the Student Health Office, all students needing assistance should contact Nurse Kelly Jirovec by phone (402-826-8265) or email (kelly.jirovec@doane.edu).
The Counseling Center will remain open for students with existing appointments. Students with current appointments who are displaying flu-like symptoms or who have recently traveled are encouraged to reschedule appointments. Contact the Counseling Center for more information on how to connect with a therapist in your home community.
Students can reach the counseling center by email at myron.parsley@doane.edu or kristal.flaming@doane.edu.
Finance and Administration
The Office of Finance and Administration is closely monitoring guidance being sent from the Department of Education regarding impacts to federal financial aid and how this impacts our students. We are also working closely with peer institutions to understand how others are supporting students during this unprecedented moment. In the coming days we will share updates on how Doane will implement federal, regional and local guidance.
Athletics and Campus Events
All university events including lectures, concerts, theatre performances and student organization activities are canceled for the remainder of the spring semester. The Office of Student Life will be reaching out to student leaders with additional details regarding plans for previously scheduled events and celebrations.
The GPAC conference is suspending all events (practices and competitions) through April 5 at which time they will re-evaluate circumstances. The Doane Athletic Department has shared a message with all impacted student athletes which can be found on the Doane COVID-19 repository site.
No decisions have been made at this time regarding commencement in May.
External Resources
- Charter has offered 60 days of free internet for students who don’t currently have wifi access. Click here to learn more.
- U-Haul is offering free storage for 30 days and discounts on moving equipment. For more information, please visit their website at www.uhaul.com.
There are a lot of questions that families have and we are working around the clock to identify solutions that support our students. This is an unprecedented situation and in this moment, we are prioritizing the health and wellness of our students. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate these unchartered waters.
Visit Doane’s COVID-19 online repository where we will continue to post updates and additional information as it becomes available.