Campus Operations Updates, Social Distancing in the Classroom, University Testing Services, and more!
Spring 2021 News for Students
In this issue:
Unsung Heroes When she started her stint as head teaching assistant for the University of Georgia's Physics and Astronomy Department in August 2019, Lauren Sgro's life was pretty well mapped out. The Ph.D. candidate had time to work on her dissertation on red dwarfs–stardust and planet formation–while keeping up with head TA duties, such as teaching the new TAs how to do their once-a-week labs and helping anyone with questions. Then the pandemic hit. Read more about how this student Unsung Hero used her own scientific methods to come up with a solution for delivering online lab experiences for her students.
Health & Wellness Vax Up, Bulldogs! COVID-19 Vaccine Update As of Tuesday, April 13, the University Health Center (UHC) reached a milestone in its vaccine delivery efforts: extending invitations to all of our faculty, staff and students to be vaccinated. That’s nearly 55,000 invitations! Going forward, the UHC will no longer issue invitations by email but will instead rely on individuals to schedule their vaccine appointments through the user-friendly UHC Vaccine Portal.
UGA Holds COVID-19 Vaccine Panel Discussion Four University of Georgia experts answered some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines in a recent virtual panel discussion held on campus. Moderated by Dr. Shelley Nuss, dean of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, the panelists discussed a variety of topics related to vaccine safety and efficacy. And they shared their thoughts on why it is so important for everyone who is eligible and medically able to get vaccinated as part of the worldwide effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Watch the complete session to learn more about how the available COVID-19 vaccines can help keep you and your family safe. UGA cases of COVID-19 return to previous lows Cases of COVID-19 at the University of Georgia returned to the low levels sustained throughout March after an uptick at the beginning of April. For the week of April 5 – 11, 33 cases were reported—a drop of 38 percent from the preceding week.
Of those who reported positive tests through the DawgCheck system, 25 were students and eight were staff members. No faculty members tested positive.
Surveillance tests were administered to 638 individuals at the Legion Field surveillance site and in a satellite location—the lowest number of participants since UGA initiated its testing program last August. Of those tested, nine yielded positive results for a positivity rate of 1.41 percent. Get a Georgia Strong/Dawg Strong T-shirt! Members of the UGA community who get vaccinated at the UHC or get tested at the Legion Field surveillance testing site this week will receive a Georgia Strong/Dawg Strong t-shirt, while supplies last, courtesy of the President’s Venture Fund. Surveillance Testing Continues at Legion Field Testing continues to play an important role in preventing further spread Free asymptomatic-only testing is available for all UGA community members at Legion Field. You may schedule an appointment or walk in Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The Legion Field site testing schedule will follow the University of Georgia calendar for closure. Remember to bring your UGA ID. Remember to Check your Symptoms Before Coming to Campus Resources for Student Wellbeing We know this has been a tough year, but springtime is upon us, and we’re close to wrapping up another academic year. UGA has many resources to support students as we enter these last few weeks of the semester. In addition to accessing the resources below, we encourage you to try the following tips as you take care of your own wellbeing and those around you:
If you need emotional or academic support, please contact Student Care and Outreach, Counseling & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) or other support available on campus.
UGA offers a couple of virtual mental health resources through Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) and a partnership with Christie Campus Health.
You can reach CAPS by phone at 706-542-2273. If you would prefer to talk to a non-UGA counselor, Christie Campus Health offers a 24/7 support line at 833-910-3371.
For a more comprehensive listing of resources, please visit UGA’s Student Resources for Wellbeing or the UGA Mental Health Initiative.
Learning on Campus Free Online Personal Finance Course Available Through April 30 Register for a free online personal finance course offered through the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel in celebration of National Financial Literacy Month. The deadline to register is April 30 at 7 p.m. Participants have 90 days to complete the 24-hour course. Library Hours Extending Three major study spaces on campus remain open later into the evening.
The Miller Learning Center has extended its hours of operation until 2 a.m. In addition, the Main and Science Libraries have transitioned to a closing time of 1 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays through April 25, and hours will extend to a 2 a.m. closing time April 26-May 10.
Please continue to maintain social distance and use sanitation stations. Mask use is enforced.
For more information on study spaces and hours, go to libs.uga.edu.
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