page background

Weekly Digest: Home Office Edition

Franklin College Student Academic Services

Weekly Digest:Home Office Edition Franklin College Student Academic Services

March 23 - March 27, 2020

Good morning everyone. I hope you're all hanging in there and doing well. Below are updates and reminders. Thanks to everyone who is creating wonderful resources for our students. You all are great!


You are invited to email me(mjenn@uga.edu) your home office employee of the week pictures. Thanks to everyone who has sent some in. I've received so many that I'll publish a few every week. Keep them coming!


Please contact me at mjenn@uga.edu if you have suggestions or if there is anything you'd like me to include in the digest.


Where we stand (from Diane Miller)

Based on the March 17th memo from President Morehead instructing offices to minimize on-campus operations, we've changed the staffing plan for Brooks Hall. We are no longer staffing the front desk; the automated message on the front desk phone has been changed to the following (GCO and OTAS phones are forwarded to the front desk):


  • You have reached the Franklin College Office of Academic Advising. Our advisors and staff are currently working remotely and are accessible by email.
  • To find your advisor’s contact information, log into SAGE at sage.uga.edu. For all other questions, please listen to the following options.
  • If you have questions for the graduation office, please email askgco@uga.edu.
  • If you have questions regarding transfer student services, please email otas@uga.edu. For all other advising questions, please email askfranklin@uga.edu.

  • Candee's automated message directs students to contact Jenny, Candee, or me as appropriate and includes our email addresses.


Dean Dorsey has made it clear that staff and faculty should no longer be working on campus, with very few exceptions.


I know this creates a hardship for those of you with kids/unreliable Internet connections/other situations that interfere with working at home. If you have a particular concern please contact your supervisor and cc me, and I'll talk with the Dean about whether an exception is allowable. But my understanding is that as of last night's announcement I don't have the authority to allow anyone in our office to work on campus, myself included.

If you don't have a laptop and need one to work at home, please contact Jon so he can try to arrange one for you. If there are items you need to retrieve from your office you can go in over the weekend or on Monday to get what you need. I'll be doing that and you have permission to do so as well, as long as you practice social distancing. But please try to get everything you need out of the office by Monday at 5 p.m.

If you have individual questions feel free to follow up with Diane at dmiller@uga.edu. I'm truly sorry for the additional difficulty this creates for some of you in what are already difficult circumstances.


Also note that all of the virus-related UGA messages, some of which went to staff and some of which didn't, are archived in one place, at https://www.uga.edu/coronavirus/messages/. So if people want to reference previous information or see what other information UGA has sent out, they can go to that link. For example, the most recent message, which went only to students and parents, is about the refunds students can expect to receive.

Home Office Employee of the Week Nominations*

zoom_out_map

Danny

Nominator: Kathy Bolt

Worked so hard he fell asleep.

zoom_out_map

Butter

Nominator: Kathleen Anderson

Waiting to Zoom conference with a student

zoom_out_map

*Felix

Not Amber's cat

Not nominated by Amber

Invaded Amber's house, got in her way, and shed fur into her teacup.

For Advisors

Important Information and Action Items for Advisors

How are things going?


Registrar's Schedule of Classes pdf


Additional Resource link from Athens Clarke County


Student Questions about Remote Instruction (from Julia)

If you hear from a student who believes they are being required to complete any assignment or test during the remainder of this two week period, please follow the steps below:

  1. Reassure the student that they are not required to do or submit anything until instruction resumes on Monday March 30th.
  2. If not already provided, ask the student to send you the exact language they received from their instructor, which you could use to clarify whether the instructor is requiring something, or merely offering an option to participate.
  3. If, based on your interpretation of the student’s concern, you believe an instructor is requiring an assignment or test, please email me directly (jmbm@uga.edu) so that OVPI can follow up.


Midpoint Withdrawal Deadline Moved

  • The midpoint withdrawal deadline is now Friday, April 17th.


Please Encourage your Students to Use Franklin College Social Media

  • Alan Flurry has created a new hashtag for Franklin OSAS: #beadvised.
  • Please encourage your students to sign up for Franklin social media. Now is a great time for them follow us and see our posts.
  • See the attached social media graphics for all of our hash tags and contacts


Course Drop-Back Deadline Moved

  • The drop-back deadline for ENGL 1101, MATH 1101, MATH 1113, and MATH 2250 has been moved to April 1st.


A Great Pre-Advising Resource from Mike Merva

  • I just developed this, which I will be sending to any student who has an appointment or asks for an appointment over email: https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/SV_bQICjc0NYeFNHmt?Q_SurveyVersionID=current&Q_CHL=preview.
  • This is more or less everything I would ask in a normal appointment, but saves a lot of back-and-forth emailing. Once the student completes it, Qualtrics automatically sends me an email with all of the answers. I can then contact the student and finish advising, addressing anything they brought up there.
  • If anyone wants to use this, the best thing to do is let me know (mervam@uga.edu) and I will share it with them in Qualtrics. They should then make their own copy of it, adjust any of the language as they see fit, and change the email trigger so it emails them instead of me.


UGA Library Functions (from Kathleen Kern)

Effective at 5pm 3/17, we will close the Main Library to the public with staff access only. The exception is that we will allow by-appointment access to the Main Library computer lab for students who must be on campus and lack other tech access.

To address access needs/issues for print material:

  • University users will be able to request materials from our facilities, which we will retrieve and deliver by appointment at the Main Library entrance;

  • Scan published material needed by faculty and students consistent with our newly approved fair use statement: https://guides.libs.uga.edu/COVID19/copyright;

  • Provide by-appointment research access at Special Collections for faculty and graduate students, and particularly for faculty working to move archives-based courses online;
  • Provide free digitization of archival materials from Special Collections for faculty and students; and
  • Extend all library book loans to June 30.


Please see Information to Share with Students below.

  • There's important new information coming out hourly. The most recent information for students is below, but please caution them to keep checking email, as everything right now remains in flux.

Upcoming Meetings

March 25th - Reading and Project Group meetings:

  • The Sustainability Group and the Reflection Group will not meet.
  • The Safe Enough Spaces reading group will meet virtually..


Greg has said his Group will do Zoom meetings.

  • If you are in GCO or the Upper Division Advising Group, be on the lookout for his emails about meeting times.

Attached to this Email

  • Five-Minute Meditation handout
  • Hobson's SAGE COVID-19 resources and PowerPoint
  • EL handout
  • Updated Working Remotely handout
  • Franklin Social Media graphics

Information for Advisors

De-Stress

  • Kiz Adams, who teaches wellness classes such as Pilates and yoga to UGA staff, shared the attached five-minute meditation handout to help with stress.


SAGE Resources (from Ashley Whitten)

  • Michelle, our project consultant for SAGE, and she has shared COVID-19 resources from Hobson’s. They are attached.
  • Also, there was a webinar regarding COVID-19 and remote advising on Friday. Here is the link to access the webinar. The PowerPoint slides that accompanied it are attached. https://hobsons.force.com/compass/s/feed/0D50H00007msdgOSAQ


Updated Working Remotely Information

  • Julia has updated the working remotely handout and it's attached.


From Franklin OIT

Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, Franklin OIT will be shifting fully to a remote support model until further notice.

The Franklin OIT help desk is and will continue to be operational.

We encourage faculty and staff to submit a ticket or email our help desk rather than call. For users unable to submit a ticket, voicemail will be enabled for our help desk phone line after close of business today.

Voicemail will be monitored hourly during our regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 – 5:00 p.m.).


Advising in Times of Disruption

Information for Advisors to Share with Students

Testing Services and the History and Constitution Exams for Students Graduating in May

  • Update on testing from Trish Barfield (AD of UTS): "I’ve worked with our contacts for the history and constitution exams, and we have made a plan to move the tests online for students who need them for graduation in May. We are working on procedures to implement remote proctoring, and this morning we are beginning to convert the exams using the ELC quizzes feature."
  • Julia is working with Naomi and Fiona to figure out the best way to notify students, but says to please feel free to reassure any student who is panicking that this is on the way.
  • The Registrar's Office will send out a report of any student who might need a test (i.e., is missing one or more of the requirements and is scheduled to graduate) to both the GCO and the AACC member for each college.


For International Students from Justin Jeffrey in International Student LIfe

  • ISL staff will work to engage international students online during the instruction suspension and when classes resume. Currently, all ISL staff members are working remotely and are not physically present in Memorial Hall due to UGA's COVID-19 guidance. However, ISL staff are available via email or social media to assist students.
  • We have created a service continuity resource page with additional ISL information for different student populations and campus stakeholders. Please visit this page for more information.
  • https://isl.uga.edu/content_page/isl-service-continuity-resource-content-page
  • This document was emailed to all International students and contains answers to FAQs.


Experiential Learning Requirement for Students

  • Please see the important attached information sheet for students with spring 2020 EL registration and students hoping to graduate in May who are currently engaging in approved EL activities.
  • Direct any questions to the EL Office at 706-542-2177, or to ugael@uga.edu
  • Kay Stanton (okay@uga.edu) is an excellent resource as well.


Another good resource page for students, thanks to Kate Daley-Bailey


DAE wireless hotspots for students in need of internet access

The Division of Academic Enhancement has received some AT&T wireless hotspots that they are distributing to students with limited funding, access, or alternative options. Chase Hagood has asked that you refer students who request assistance directly to DAE for consideration. Students can visit https://dae.uga.edu/dae_at_a_distance/ and fill out the form linked next to “Still need help?” at the very bottom.

Alternative options:


Below are updates outlined in the President's Email of 3/17/20

Housing/Students who wish to return to campus:

  • A comprehensive plan has been developed to allow residence hall students to return to campus and move out in an orderly fashion. This staggered schedule supports social distancing. The plan is being communicated to students this evening, and a strict schedule of appointments will be maintained. Students can see complete information here.

Student Dining

  • Dining services are being consolidated into a single venue, Bolton Hall, which is offering take-out service for students who remain in the residence halls. A plan for delivery service also is in place, if needed.

Student Fees

  • University leadership is working diligently with the University System to review and develop a plan for pro-rated refunds of fees for on-campus housing as well as for those who have purchased meal plans. This review also includes other fees. Students will be notified once these plans have been finalized.

Student Advising

  • It is very important that advising appointments continue as scheduled in order for students to be able to register for Fall classes. Advising for summer sessions, including Maymester, has already been completed. However, students can continue to register (or change their schedules) for summer sessions in Athena. All advising appointments are being handled remotely.

  • Students—if you already have an appointment scheduled during the next two weeks, keep it, and check your UGA email for instructions from your advisor on how you will be advised remotely. If you do not yet have an appointment, use SAGE to schedule one as soon as possible. If you have any questions or issues, do not hesitate to email your advisor directly—although response times may be delayed, UGA academic advisors are committed to supporting you during this time and will regularly provide information on Advising at a Distance during this period.

Study Abroad

  • All Maymester Study Abroad programs have been canceled, and participating students and faculty have been notified. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and provide an update on programs to be conducted in the United States, as well as the status of Summer programs, when warranted.