The Difference Between Social Distancing, Isolation and Quarantine

by Christina KulpaPosted on April 8, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that limiting face-to-face contact is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The terms social distancing, isolation/self-isolating, and quarantine have been heard a lot over the past few weeks in reference to COVID-19, so it’s important to know what each of those means.

Social Distancing

Social distancing is also known as physical distancing. It means physically staying farther away from people than you might normally.

• Stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) from other people
• Do not gather in groups
• Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings

Isolation

Isolation is for individuals who have already been diagnosed or are showing symptoms of COVID-19. If you have had known exposure to someone with COVID-19 or have returned from traveling outside the country, you are expected to self-isolate for 14 days while you monitor your symptoms.

• You should not leave your home for any reason. If you go outside to exercise, maintain physical distance.
• If you need groceries or medicine, order them online or ask someone to drop them off to you with no contact.
• Do not have any visitors, even friends or extended family, in your home.

Quarantine

Quarantine is put on groups of people and communities to separate or restrict the movement of individuals who may have been exposed. Because COVID-19 travels easily between people without necessarily showing symptoms, the state of Florida has issued a Stay-at-Home order to limit all non-essential movement/travel.

• Non-essential workers must stay home.
• Leave home only for essential services such as food, medicine or outdoor exercise.

What to do if you or someone else is sick or fears exposure:

Any member of the Stetson community who has been to campus in the last 14 days and feels they may have come into direct contact with the virus causing COVID-19 or is experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever over 100.3, cough, shortness of breath, possible nausea/diarrhea, possible loss of taste/smell) should alert Stetson immediately. Fill out this online form: Stetson University: COVID-19 Report a Concern Form. During business hours, call Health Service (386-822-8150). After business hours, call Public Safety (386-822-7300). If you are concerned about someone else’s exposure, also let us know — don’t just tell them to do so. This applies to our College of Law students, faculty and staff.

Brief Survey on Stetson’s Quality Enhancement Plan

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 8, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Dear students, staff and faculty on the DeLand campus:

We write to ask you to help us decide on the topic for the quality enhancement plan that will start in 2022. A Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a ten-year plan dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or student success. The QEP is an integral component of the SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation process, and it reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall quality and effectiveness by targeting a specific issue with substantial resources in order to improve student learning outcomes and/or student success.

The QEP Taskforce—made up of students, faculty, and staff–has been collecting and analyzing data and conducting community forums for the past several months. A number of potential QEP topics have been identified from the research and community feedback. This is where we need your help.

To gather preference data from everyone in the Stetson Community (students, staff, faculty), please share your insight on the QEP topics to allow us to develop a QEP topic that improves student learning and/or student success at Stetson. You’ll be asked to identify whether you are student, staff, faculty, or administration, and you’ll have the chance to explain or support your preferences after stating them.

https://stetson.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSkaRC5v1qF8KTb

Thank you very much for completing our brief survey. For more information on the Stetson’s reaffirmation process and the QEP, click here.

QEP Task Force
Stacy Collins
Lisa Coulter
Joseph C Francis
Angela Henderson
Daniel J Hendrick
Colin MacFarlane
Stuart Michelson (co-chair)
Megan O’Neill  (co-chair)
Harry Price
Tom Vogel

Academic Success: Peer Success Coaching Update!

by Jennifer WaynePosted on April 8, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

COVID-19 Webinar Recording now Available

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 8, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

The Office of Faculty Engagement at Stetson University hosted the first in a series of webinars on COVID-19 on April 3, entitled “COVID-19 in the United States: How did we get here?­”

A recording of the webinar is now available at: https://us-lti.bbcollab.com/recording/74eafd21616f4793a635b44b468695f5

Virtual religious services and pastoral care

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 7, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Stetson University’s chaplains and other spiritual resources are still available to all students, regardless of faith tradition. It may not be quite as easy as stopping by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life to say hello, but chaplains and others are available for virtual religious services and online conversations.

Even outside of the current global circumstances, college life can be stressful. Chaplains are available to listen or offer guidance as requested. For an informal conversation, students are invited to Chat with a Chaplain every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The conversations are held on Blackboard Collaborate: just go to https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/d1d65fac6bc14504980b0a60debd80fb.

Students can also make an appointment to meet with a chaplain online, one-on-one. Stetson’s chaplains are confidential resources, meaning that what students say to a chaplain can’t be shared without your permission.

We still have spiritual observances available, too.

Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan hosts Buddhist services every Tuesday at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Services are open to all members of the Stetson community—you do not have to identify as Buddhist to attend. Services last about an hour and consist of a brief period of chanting, plus meditation and discussion. Questions are encouraged.

To attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/446047958

Stetson Hillel is hosting two virtual events each week, Torah on Tap and Shabbat Blessings on IG. Torah on Tap, a discussion of Jewish values and living in the age of the coronavirus, is on Zoom, Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. https://hillel.zoom.us/j/207694388.

Fridays at 6 p.m., join Hillel for Shabbat Blessings on IG. To attend, follow stetsonuniversityhillel on Instagram.

Take the survey on Stetson’s Quality Enhancement Plan

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 7, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Dear students, staff and faculty on the DeLand campus:

We write to ask you to help us decide on the topic for the quality enhancement plan that will start in 2022. A Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a ten-year plan dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or student success. The QEP is an integral component of the SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation process, and it reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall quality and effectiveness by targeting a specific issue with substantial resources in order to improve student learning outcomes and/or student success.

The QEP Taskforce—made up of students, faculty, and staff–has been collecting and analyzing data and conducting community forums for the past several months. A number of potential QEP topics have been identified from the research and community feedback. This is where we need your help.

To gather preference data from everyone in the Stetson Community (students, staff, faculty), please share your insight on the QEP topics to allow us to develop a QEP topic that improves student learning and/or student success at Stetson. You’ll be asked to identify whether you are student, staff, faculty, or administration, and you’ll have the chance to explain or support your preferences after stating them.

https://stetson.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSkaRC5v1qF8KTb

Thank you very much for completing our brief survey. For more information on the Stetson’s reaffirmation process and the QEP, click here.

QEP Task Force
Stacy Collins
Lisa Coulter
Joseph C Francis
Angela Henderson
Daniel J Hendrick
Colin MacFarlane
Stuart Michelson (co-chair)
Megan O’Neill  (co-chair)
Harry Price
Tom Vogel

Take a brief survey on Stetson’s Quality Enhancement Plan

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 6, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Dear students, staff and faculty on the DeLand campus:

We write to ask you to help us decide on the topic for the quality enhancement plan that will start in 2022. A Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a ten-year plan dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or student success. The QEP is an integral component of the SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation process, and it reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall quality and effectiveness by targeting a specific issue with substantial resources in order to improve student learning outcomes and/or student success.

The QEP Taskforce—made up of students, faculty, and staff–has been collecting and analyzing data and conducting community forums for the past several months. A number of potential QEP topics have been identified from the research and community feedback. This is where we need your help.

To gather preference data from everyone in the Stetson Community (students, staff, faculty), please share your insight on the QEP topics to allow us to develop a QEP topic that improves student learning and/or student success at Stetson. You’ll be asked to identify whether you are student, staff, faculty, or administration, and you’ll have the chance to explain or support your preferences after stating them.

https://stetson.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cSkaRC5v1qF8KTb

Thank you very much for completing our brief survey. We will send a reminder later in the week. For more information on the Stetson’s reaffirmation process and the QEP, click here.

QEP Task Force
Stacy Collins
Lisa Coulter
Joseph C Francis
Angela Henderson
Daniel J Hendrick
Colin MacFarlane
Stuart Michelson (co-chair)
Megan O’Neill  (co-chair)
Harry Price
Tom Vogel

Am I REALLY at Risk of Getting COVID-19? What Higher Risk Means

by Christina KulpaPosted on April 6, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

As information is continued to be shared across news and social media platforms, the term “higher risk” keeps popping up. In order to keep yourself and those around you safe and healthy, it’s important to know what that really means.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on the information currently available about COVID-19, those at high risk for severe illness include:

• People aged 65 years and older
• People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
• Other high-risk conditions could include:
  • People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
  • People who have heart disease with complications
  • People who are immunocompromised including cancer treatment
  • People of any age with severe obesity (body mass index [(BM]I)≥40) or certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease might also be at risk
• People who are pregnant should be monitored since they are known to be at risk with severe viral illness, however, to date, data on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk.

So, if you are not included on this list, does that mean you’re less likely to contract it? No.

• The CDC specifies that people are at higher risk for “severe illness,” which means that if someone who falls into a category on that list does become ill with COVID-19, it could be much more harmful to them than someone not included on that list.
• No information suggests that one type of person is less likely to get sick or show symptoms. In fact, data from the CDC’s March 16 report shows that 38% of 508 people hospitalized in the U.S. for COVID-19 were between the age of 20 and 54.
• Remember COVID-19 is easily spread as it can be carried by an individual and passed onto another person, even if that individual does not show any symptoms. So wash your hands often, clean frequently used surfaces as much as possible, and stay home whenever you can.

What to do if you or someone else is sick or fears exposure?

Any member of the Stetson community who has been to campus in the last 14 days and feels they may have come into direct contact with the virus causing COVID-19 or is experiencing flu-like symptoms (fever over 100.3, cough, shortness of breath, possible nausea/diarrhea, possible loss of taste/smell) should alert Stetson immediately. Fill out this online form: Stetson University: COVID-19 Report a Concern Form. During business hours, call Health Service (386-822-8150). After business hours, call Public Safety (386-822-7300). If you are concerned about someone else’s exposure, also let us know — don’t just tell them to do so. This applies to our College of Law students, faculty and staff.

Information Technology Help Desk Support Services

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 6, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

As we continue to work together through these challenging times, the IT department is shifting our face-to-face support to “by appointment only” scheduling for our Helpdesk area on the lower level of the Lynn Business Center.

Did you know that 90% of technical issues can be resolved remotely?

Please reach out to us for assistance by email to support@stetson.edu or by phone at 386.822.7217.  If it turns out that your technical issue cannot be resolved remotely, our Helpdesk staff will schedule an appointment with you for an on campus in-person visit.

Note that although face-to-face interaction will be limited, the Helpdesk will continue to maintain its extended virtual support hours on Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, in addition to our existing 24/7 after-hours support.

Important Information About 2020 U.S. Census!

by Neehal AminPosted on April 6, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Every ten years, the U.S. Constitution mandates a nationwide census to be administered to everyone in the country, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. By answering a few basic questions, you are directly assisting the government in getting an accurate picture of the nation. Below are a few commonly asked questions with links to more information if needed:

Why is the Census important?

• Data from the census provide the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to communities across the country to support vital programs—impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy. 
• They also are used to redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts and accurately determine the number of congressional seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Do I need to fill out the Census?

• Everyone living in the United States and its five territories is required by law to be counted in the 2020 Census.
• If someone, such as a college student, is just living with you temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they ordinarily would be living on April 1, 2020. 
• For more information go to: https://2020census.gov/en/who-to-count.html and https://www.deland.org/resources/census

How can I fill it out?

• Households will receive a notice in the mail to complete the 2020 Census. Once you receive it, you can use the code provided to respond online here:  https://my2020census.gov/ 
• You can also fill it out by phone: 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish).
• All homes will receive a paper questionnaire if they do not first respond online or by phone. When responding, use blue or black ink to fill in the questionnaire. Do not use a pencil. When finished, return the questionnaire in the envelope provided.  

How is Census 2020 affected by COVID-19?

• The Census Bureau will closely follow guidance from public health authorities when conducting this operation, as they do when conducting all field operations. 
• All households that have not responded online or by phone will receive a paper questionnaire by May 1.
• The public is strongly encouraged to respond online.
• The deadline to respond by mail, online, or by phone has been extended to Aug. 1.
• For more information on how the U.S. Census Bureau is responding to COVID-19, go to: https://2020census.gov/en/news-events/operational-adjustments-covid-19.html

Student Counseling Services changes its services during COVID-19

by Natasha RamnauthPosted on April 5, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

In order to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we are transitioning our individual counseling services to consultations via telephone/telehealth for the duration of the semester.

To schedule a telephone appointment, please call (386) 822-8900 during office hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed daily from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch).
If you are experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, call WellConnect at 833-848-1765 to speak with an on-call counselor.

The Hatter Pantry will remain accessible Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed daily from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch). The Counseling entry door to Griffith Hall is locked to students as of 3/24/20. Faculty and staff can swipe access during business hours.
Please call (386) 822-8900 or Public Safety at (386) 822-7300 to be sure that there is someone available to provide access.

If you wish to donate food and toiletries to the Hatter Pantry during this time, you can do so at Public Safety anytime.

You can also donate money online. Please select “Other” in the designation field and specify “Hatter Pantry” in the box below.

For additional assistance regarding the Hatter Pantry, contact Nicole at ncurrie@stetson.edu.

For more details regarding the changes to services offered during COVID-19, please visit the Student Counseling Services website.

Dean of Students: Virtual Office Hours on Tuesday 12-1 p.m.

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 5, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Dean of Students Lynn Schoenberg will continue her weekly Office Hours for students this Spring semester. This is a time to talk through anything about your Stetson experience. Her open Office Hours are always Tuesday from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Log in to a “Teams” group created just for this purpose, which is open to all students digitally. The following link will take you to the group: Dean of Students Office Hours Tuesday 12-1 in Teams. If you are unfamiliar with Microsoft Teams, it is a platform that facilitates team collaboration and is accessible online at email.stetson.edu or can be downloaded to a smartphone or computer. Within Teams, you can chat, perform video or audio calls, store files and collaborate in real-time. Here is the link to locate the correct installation files, based on your device.

Reminder: New Post Office, Bookstore hours

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 5, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Effective Monday, April 6, Stetson Post Office will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for mail and package pick-up.

The Campus Bookstore also will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For other coronavirus updates, visit the Stetson Coronavirus Communication website. And keep up with the latest campus news at Stetson Today.

QEP Taskforce Survey Arriving Monday!

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 2, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

A Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a ten-year plan dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or student success. The QEP is an integral component of the SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success.

The QEP Taskforce has been collecting and analyzing data and conducting community forums for the past several months. A number of potential QEP topics have been identified from the research and community feedback. This is where we need your help. To gather preference data from everyone in the Stetson Community (students, staff, faculty) the QEP Taskforce will be sending a survey to the Stetson Community on Monday morning to be completed next week. Please share your insight on the QEP topics to allow us to develop a QEP topic that improves student learning and/or student success at Stetson.

Thank you very much for completing our brief survey next week. For more information on the Stetson’s reaffirmation process and the QEP, click here.

QEP Task Force
Stacy Collins
Lisa Coulter
Joseph C. Francis
Angela Henderson
Daniel J. Hendrick
Colin MacFarlane
Stuart Michelson (co-chair)
Megan O’Neill  (co-chair)
Harry Price
Tom Vogel

Webinar on ‘COVID-19 in the United States: How did we get here?­’

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 2, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Students, Faculty and Staff,

Join the Office of Faculty Engagement at Stetson University for a webinar series on COVID-19. This week’s seminar draws attention to the evolving and dynamic nature of the novel coronavirus, based on evidence that is known today and that may change.

Questions about the webinar series? Contact associate.provost@stetson.edu.

COVID-19 in the United States: How did we get here?­
April 3, 1:30-3 p.m. EST
https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/90c1db7bf6f647c6bdd2e9f6e3cc6d40

So much is happening at such a fast pace since the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a global pandemic. How did we get here? Join our panel of experts from Stetson University, Yale School of Medicine, and Rollins College for an informed update on the COVID-19 epidemic in the United States. Presenters will offer a cohesive picture of the nature of the novel coronavirus, medical interventions, the public health response, and how we can support each other. Lots of time will be available for Q&A. Open to Stetson students, staff and faculty.

MODERATOR
Sarah Cramer, PhD, MPH, is the Brown Visiting Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Sustainable Food Systems. She holds a PhD in agricultural education from the University of Missouri, where her research focused on examining school gardens as agents of food system transformation. Dr. Cramer teaches courses about food and agriculture at Stetson University. She has continued her school garden work at Stetson in collaboration with Volusia County Schools, and been involved in other local food systems initiatives in the region.

PANELISTS:
Sean Beckman, PhD, is assistant professor of Biology at Stetson University. He teaches physiology, mammalogy, and biostatistics. His research focuses on identifying the prevalence of vector-borne zoonotic disease in animal reservoirs.

Allen Johnson, PhD, MPH, is assistant professor of Public Health and director of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Rollins College where he teaches a variety of graduate-level public health courses. He has also taught several public health courses at Stetson University. Before joining the faculty at Rollins, Dr. Johnson worked for the Hawaii State Department of Health on efforts to reduce infectious diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis C.

Asal Johnson, PhD, MPH, is assistant professor of Public Health at Stetson University where she teaches epidemiology and global health. She investigates variations in disease outcomes in relation to the distribution of spatial and geographical advantages and disadvantages.

 James Perlotto, MD, is a family physician and associate clinical professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. In addition to his appointment at Yale, he has taught public health courses and advised pre-medical students at Stetson University. Dr. Perlotto started treating AIDS patients during the early years of the HIV epidemic before much was known about the virus and has worked on HIV reduction efforts and treated AIDS patients for over three decades.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a dynamic situation. This panel is not offering medical advice. If you have concerns about your personal health make sure to speak directly to your health care provider. This is a novel virus and the information we are learning is rapidly changing. These comments are based on individual research and expertise and do not represent the views or opinions of Stetson University.

Campus Bookstore Update

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 2, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Starting Monday, April 6, the Campus Bookstore‘s new hours will be 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Post Office Update

by Cory LancasterPosted on April 2, 2020 Posted in Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff, Undergraduate Students

Effective Monday, April 6, Stetson Post Office‘s hours of operation for mail and package pick-up will be Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.