Dear Faculty and Staff, 

Chicago State University continues to monitor the COVID-19 virus closely and examine ways to minimize the impact on our campus.  There are currently no confirmed or suspected cases on campus. We appreciate your efforts to follow prevention measures set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Health  (IDPH).   To ensure that we maintain the health and well-being of our campus community, upon recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education, CSU has developed a contingency plan for continual operations if we need to take significant steps to reduce crowd spread. 

The CSU Preparedness Task Force is considering the following contingency plan outlined below. This plan will be put into effect ONLY at the discretion of the Task Force, led by the President, which will be evaluating scenarios and taking necessary actions based on the most current information and recommendations available from the CDC and IDPH.  

This contingency plan is being shared on an informational basis only. At this time, CSU remains open and fully operational 

• If necessary, all face to face classes will be cancelled and all classes will use the online learning platform Moodle to continue instruction. The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidelines for institutions with students enrolled in ground-based programs at campuses that must temporarily close to participate in distance education for a period of time and then resume ground-based attendance when the campus reopens. In preparation for this step, at this time, all faculty need to ensure now that they have access to their Moodle course shell. Training on the use of Moodle is available via webinar and face to face sessions are conducted by the Center for Teaching and Research Excellence (CTRE) and Office of Distance Education. To schedule face to face training contact Dr. Patrice Boyles at (773)995-2501, pboyles@csu.edu. For Moodle support, elearning@csu.edu.
• Faculty will also be asked to develop learning packets to address students with limited access to online systems. The objective is to ensure all students have access to the resources needed to complete the coursework. If materials cannot be completed online, faculty will be asked to prepare take home exams or assignments.
• If online instruction takes place, students will be expected to attend classes online at their regularly scheduled time, though we will continue to encourage instructors to be flexible with attendance and exam policies for any students who are ill.
• Though classes will not be meeting in person, the University may remain open for business and all University operations would be scheduled to continue. Our existing guidance to employees remains in place. In situations where work can temporarily be performed from home or an alternate location, we encourage employees and managers to work together to identify possible telecommuting opportunities.
• Human Resources and Information Technology are determining those staff and administrators who would need access to Banner and other systems not currently available through the web or cloud. Access to the systems will be determined to ensure that the university can continue to address operations.
• Should the campus buildings need to be closed, access will only be granted for essential personnel to ensure the safety and health of the campus, as well as to maintain basic infrastructure. The University will identify those individuals and only limited access will be granted. All faculty and staff are encouraged to back up their computers on external hard drives or utilize Google storage. If you are unfamiliar with this process, please contact the Help desk at helpdesk@csu.edu and IT will provide support.
• If the residence hall is closed, students living in the residence hall will be asked to return home or will be provided with alternative housing. Alternative housing will be secured for out of state and international students. 

Again, this contingency plan is being shared on an informational basis only. At this time, CSU remains open and fully operational. Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 flu-like symptoms are encouraged to stay home and to contact your healthcare provider or use the Chicago Department of Public Health hot line 800.889.3931 to seek assistance. 

In addition to providing the faculty with regular updates via direct communication, we will notify students of any new information directly, as well as continue to update the Wellness Center section of the CSU website.

Thank all of you for your continued patience as we continue to address this evolving and fluid situation.  Working together, we will be able to navigate whatever lies ahead and support one another through this uncertain time.

Sincerely,

 

Z Scott, Esq.

President