COVID-19 Resources

Sister Joan Lescinski introduced today the Bee Safe, Bee Responsible Promise.

Fall 2020 Semester Overview

Franklin, Hagen, North, Rohlman, and Tiedemann Residents - Move-in is Saturday, August 15.

Davis, Houses, McCarthy, and Townhouse Residents - Move-in is Sunday, August 16. Residents will receive an email July 9 with further details.

On April 13, 2020, St. Ambrose University (University) signed and submitted to the United States Department of Education the Recipient's Funding Certification and Agreement, Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

As required by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, 50% of the funds received by the University must be used for the sole and exclusive purpose of providing emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. Examples of these expenses would include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child-care expenses. The University has used, and intends to use in the future, no less than 50% of these funds for this purpose. The amount received by the University for this purpose equals $1,027,466.

As of June 26, 2020, the University has distributed $1,027,466 of emergency financial aid grants to 967 students.

Students eligible for these emergency financial aid grants must also be eligible to participate in programs under section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. As of June 26, 2020, the number of students eligible to participate under these programs at the University equals 2,182.

The method used by the University to allocate these funds included the following criteria:

• Initial awards went to Pell Grant recipients as our highest need students being impacted by COVID-19.
• The Pell range was divided in half, with an EFC of zero to 2,787 EFC receiving $1,200 and an EFC of 2,788-5,576 receiving $600.
• The remainder of the funds will be awarded based on student requests.
• Independent students with expenses related to COVID-19 will be awarded a maximum grant of $2,500.
• Undergraduate students with expenses related to COVID-19 will be awarded a maximum grant of $1,200.
• If funds remain after all requests are reviewed, students can request an additional reimbursement.

A COVID-19 webpage was created and updated with developments happening on campus. The link to the request form noted above was located on this page. The availability of these funds was communicated to students via email. A copy of the message sent to students is as follows:

Dear Student,

This past week, St. Ambrose University received an allocation of $2.05 million from the U.S. Department of Education as a result of Congressional action. By law, one half of this money must be used to help students deal with emergent financial needs and expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care). The other half may be used for various qualified purposes at the discretion of the University.

If you are experiencing a hardship related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, AND, you are eligible for Title IV Federal Aid (determined by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA), we would like to direct you to the CARES Act Relief Fund Request Form. You can also visit the COVID information page for more information. A link to the form is also located there.

IMPORTANT: You must be eligible for Title IV Federal student aid to qualify for assistance. If you have not filed a FAFSA for the 19-20 academic year, you can do that now at the FAFSA website. The application is open until June 30th for the 19-20 academic year. You are not required to accept federal aid, but this will be used to determine your eligibility for relief grant funding.

Funds will vary by student as the University seeks to address each student's individual situation. Therefore, students will receive notification of their eligibility as soon as possible, but please allow at least five business days for a response. Funding is not guaranteed.

If you do not have direct deposit established with the University there is still time to set it up. Doing so assures that you will receive this funding at the earliest possible date. If direct deposit is not set up prior to your request being approved, we may not be able to issue your funding via direct deposit and a check will be printed and mailed to you.
Instructions on how to set up direct deposit can be found on the Student Account Services webpage directly below the posted office hours section.

Student Account Services
MySAU Portal Login

Due to the volume of requests anticipated, please do not respond to this email. Please direct questions to Bee Central at 563-333-5775 or to BeeCentral@sau.edu.

We hope you are staying safe and were able to successfully complete the spring semester through distance learning. We value you as an Ambrosian and will do all we can to make your time at St. Ambrose a life-enriching experience as soon as we safely can reopen the campus. Please stay safe and well. We look forward to seeing you soon.

St. Ambrose University Financial Aid Office

June 1, 2020

The Wellness and Recreation Center is open beginning June 1 to students, faculty, and staff with the following rules:

• Open areas: weight room, cardio room, and fieldhouse. Lee Lohman remains closed.
• Open Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (June 4 and 5: open time is 8 a.m.)
• Access by BeeCard only
• 33% capacity in each area. Student employees will be directed to keep people spaced appropriately and to keep capacity under 33%; please be cooperative with their directives.
• Limit your workouts to one hour, so that everyone who wants to take advantage of the facilities may do so.
• If you are working out and see people outside of the facility waiting to use it, please be courteous to others and complete your workout in a timely manner.

June 3, 2020 Update –All CARES Act Relief Funds the University received have been depeleted.

For more information on the CARES Act, please visit the federal student aid page.

On April 13, 2020, St. Ambrose University (University) signed and submitted to the United States Department of Education the Recipient's Funding Certification and Agreement, Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

As required by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, 50% of the funds received by the University must be used for the sole and exclusive purpose of providing emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

Examples of these expenses would include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses. The University has used, and intends to use in the future, no less than 50% of these funds for this purpose. The amount received by the University for this purpose equals $1,027,466.

As of May 13, 2020, the University has distributed $575,764 of emergency financial aid grants to 538 students.

Students eligible for these emergency financial aid grants must also be eligible to participate in programs under section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. As of May 13, 2020, the number of students eligible to participate under these programs at the University equals 2,182.

The method used by the University to allocate these funds included the following criteria:

• Initial awards went to Pell Grant recipients as our highest need students being impacted by COVID-19.
• The Pell range was divided in half, with an EFC of zero to 2,787 EFC receiving $1,200 and an EFC of 2,788-5,576 receiving $600.
• The remainder of the funds will be awarded based on student requests.
• Independent students with expenses related to COVID-19 will be awarded a maximum grant of $2,500.
• Undergraduate students with expenses related to COVID-19 will be awarded a maximum grant of $1,200.
• If funds remain after all requests are reviewed, students can request an additional reimbursement.

A COVID-19 webpage was created and updated with developments happening on campus. The link to the request form noted above was located on this page. The availability of these funds was communicated to students via email. A copy of the message sent to students is as follows:

Dear Student,

This past week, St. Ambrose University received an allocation of $2.05 million from the U.S. Department of Education as a result of Congressional action. By law, one half of this money must be used to help students deal with emergent financial needs and expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care). The other half may be used for various qualified purposes at the discretion of the University.

If you are experiencing a hardship related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, AND, you are eligible for Title IV Federal Aid (determined by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA), we would like to direct you to the CARES Act Relief Fund Request Form .
You can also log on to the COVID information page at: https://www.sau.edu/covid19 for more information. A link to the form is also located there.

IMPORTANT: You must be eligible for Title IV Federal student aid to qualify for assistance. If you have not filed a FAFSA for the 19-20 academic year, you can do that now at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa The application is open until June 30th for the 19-20 academic year. You are not required to accept federal aid, but this will be used to determine your eligibility for relief grant funding.

Funds will vary by student as the University seeks to address each student's individual situation. Therefore, students will receive notification of their eligibility as soon as possible, but please allow at least five business days for a response. Funding is not guaranteed.

If you do not have direct deposit established with the University there is still time to set it up. Doing so assures that you will receive this funding at the earliest possible date. If direct deposit is not set up prior to your request being approved, we may not be able to issue your funding via direct deposit and a check will be printed and mailed to you.

Instructions on how to set up direct deposit can be found on the Student Account Services webpage directly below the posted office hours section.

Student Account Services http://www.sau.edu/student-accounts
Portal Login: https://mysau.sau.edu

Due to the volume of requests anticipated, please do not respond to this email. Please direct questions to Bee Central at 563-333-5775 or to BeeCentral@sau.edu.

We hope you are staying safe and were able to successfully complete the spring semester through distance learning. We value you as an Ambrosian and will do all we can to make your time at St. Ambrose a life-enriching experience as soon as we safely can reopen the campus. Please stay safe and well. We look forward to seeing you soon.

St. Ambrose University Financial Aid Office

April 17, 2020

Regarding Summer 2020 from the Office of the President:

• Classes will be offered distance-only as we have been doing for Spring 2020 since March 16. This has been shared with faculty and staff so that they have ample time to prepare. Clinical and experiential activities will be addressed on a program-by-program basis, and your program will be in contact with you regarding these activities.
• Summer housing will be limited to international students, students with academic commitments in the Quad Cities area (e.g. internships, practicums), and/or students who have unique circumstances that would prevent off-campus housing. Residence Life will send information soon about how to apply for summer housing.
• Because of an anticipated need to maintain social distancing, on-campus student employment opportunities over the summer will remain unavailable until further notice.

April 16, 2020

On April 9, St. Ambrose University was notified it will receive funds from the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, Economic Security (CARES) Act to distribute directly to students who have been affected by the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like all recipient institutions, the university has been given discretion on how to distribute this emergency assistance. We want to ensure you the University is working diligently on a distribution plan that will be equitable but also will help students most in need as a result of this unprecedented event.

If you are to receive funds, you will be notified by mail. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.

April 9, 2020

A message from Sister Joan:

April 2, 2020

TEMPORARY Policies on Pass/No Pass and Course Withdrawal

(Effective April 2, 2020)

Dear Students,

We are deeply aware of the challenges that moving courses that were originally planned to be delivered face-to-face to distance delivery has caused you and your faculty. As we work to confront the many challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing us all, we want to add some degree of control back into your lives.

Many institutions of higher education across the nation have modified their Pass/No Pass and Course Withdrawal Policies in response to the challenges of moving courses to distance delivery that were planned for face-to-face delivery. We have modified our policies and timelines as outlined below to better serve you.

Please note, we are currently developing the specific processes for choosing the temporary alternatives outlined on the Registrar's Policies page, and we will communicate these processes as soon as they are finalized.

Paul Koch, PhD
Provost

March 31, 2020

Due to the current emergency with COVID-19, St. Ambrose University Residence Life would like to alleviate some of the possible economic stress our future students may be facing.

Effective immediately, we are implementing a change in our housing deposit (which normally requires a full $250 deposit with the initial contract). You will pay $100 when submitting your housing contract and Student Accounts will bill the additional $150 portion to your student account. If the contract is canceled by the student/purchaser by June 1, 2020, $75 of it will be refunded (minus a $25 processing fee).

We hope that you and your family are well, and we look forward to having you join our community in the Fall of 2020!

March 30, 2020

The U.S. House of Representatives passed and the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, emergency legislation intended to meet urgent public health and economic needs during the pandemic.

The CARES Act includes several provisions that apply to certain loans owed by some federal student loan borrowers. Most provisions apply only to Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL loans) currently owned by the U.S. Department of Education.

For more information and Q&A, please visit the federal student aid page.

March 27, 2020

Due to ongoing concerns posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Ambrose University's Spring 2020 Commencement ceremonies will not be held in-person on May 9, 2020.

Read the announcement sent to students and families by President Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD.

Read the Commencement FAQ

Mar. 25, 2020

From the Iowa Dept. of Public Health: COVID-19 is circulating in lowa communities, and many more lowans are likely to become ill in the coming weeks. This guidance describes isolation recommendations for well lowans with potential COVID-19 exposure and lowans who have a fever or respiratory symptoms (such as cough or difficulty breathing).

Please scroll up to "Who should self-isolate?" to read this important guidance.

Mar. 20, 2020

Order for Illinois Residents to Shelter in Place:
What you can and can't do during Shelter in Place

Portion of 3/20/20 Email Sent to SAU Residents:
As you have heard, St. Ambrose University will be moving to distance learning for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.

Our goal is to facilitate an orderly checkout process that adheres to social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people on campus.

Please read the FAQ page for Moving Out instructions and before calling or emailing.

Mar. 19, 2020

Due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, St. Ambrose University announced courses will continue in a distance-delivery format through the end of spring semester, May 8, 2020. Classes are NOT canceled.

An announcement from the University about Spring Commencement ceremonies is pending.

We will be confirming details with students and families very soon regarding the timeline and process for returning to campus to pick-up personal belongings (in addition to other details and logistics connected with this new direction).

The University began the distance-delivery-only format on Monday, March 16, at the conclusion of its mid-semester spring break. Face-to-face classes tentatively were scheduled to resume on March 30, but the continued escalation of the Coronavirus pandemic led to Thursday's decision.

"We know this is truly disappointing for our students, as it is for the entire St. Ambrose community," said Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, president of St. Ambrose. "These are decisions virtually no one in the U.S. higher education community previously has been forced to make. Like many other institutions, we will follow directives from health professionals and governmental agencies to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff."

Campus offices will remain open to staff and faculty, and students who do not have alternative housing or have a demonstrated academic need will be allowed to continue living in their residence hall.

All University events are canceled through May 8.

March 17, 2020

St. Ambrose University President Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD recorded a video message for students, parents, and the campus community.

WATCH IT HERE

Mar. 16, 2020

Today, Monday, March 16, we begin the practice of distance delivery of St. Ambrose University courses for a period of two weeks. Instructors are reaching out with instructions for how students can access their coursework and complete their assignments.

We ask that you practice patience and be understanding as, like you, our faculty members adjust to this unanticipated and unprecedented change. We are mindful of your questions and concerns that events may force us to extend this practice beyond our scheduled re-opening of face-to-face classes on March 30.

University leaders are meeting at least daily to re-assess and give careful consideration to the current timeline. The President and the Cabinet anticipate making a decision on a potential extension of the current policy by Monday, March 23. The timeline for this decision could be advanced, pending events and government recommendations and mandates.

All decisions will be made in the best interests of our students, their families and the St. Ambrose University community.

Mar. 13, 2020

Due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across our country and now with confirmed cases in Iowa, SAU classes will be offered online beginning Monday, March 16.

Residence Halls and University Owned Houses and Townhouses will be closed at 4:30 p.m., Monday, March 16. Only students who have no alternative housing or have a demonstrated academic need to remain - student teaching, clinicals, or internship - will be allowed to return to their campus residence.

Mar. 12, 2020 St. Ambrose Moves to Distance Education Only

Given the growing crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Ambrose University has determined that it is in the best interest of our students, university employees, and all concerned, to suspend face-to-face classes immediately and move to distance delivery through at least March 29.

Changes to this schedule will be announced as quickly as possible should evidence support an extension.

Residence Halls will be closed after 4:30 p.m., Monday, March 16, with exceptions for students who have no alternative housing or have a demonstrated academic need to remain. Arrangements for modified food service and other essential services for students remaining on campus will be announced. Students will be asked to file a form requesting on-campus housing for this period. A form will be posted here later today.

All University events scheduled for March 14-29 will be postponed. This includes athletic events, home and away.

Campus operations are not suspended and offices will remain open.

Mar. 11, 2020

Should the need arise to move classes online and/or close campus, St. Ambrose has contingency plans in place to provide distance education where feasible for our students.

University officials are monitoring this fast-changing situation closely and will continue to be in communication with students, parents, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

We are prepared to take action as necessary to keep our students and everyone within the SAU community as safe as we possibly can.

Mar. 10, 2020

On Mar. 10, the SAU Campus Community and parents received the following message from SAU Director of Health Services, Nancy Hines, RNMembers of our community will soon return to campus from various locations as a result of our spring break. Since the health and safety of our campus community remains a priority, I am writing to provide you with an update on the novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19) first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and our local health department are closely monitoring the situation and report the overall risk to Iowans remains low right now.

Current data for COVID-19 suggests that 80% of infections are mild or asymptomatic (without symptoms) and most people who become ill completely recover within 2 weeks. People of all ages can be infected by COVID-19, but older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

Please take the time to prepare for COVID-19 in the same way you would prepare for other events that could disrupt your normal routine.

· Make a plan and discuss it with your family. What would you do if you could not go to work or school because of illness? Or your daycare provider became ill? How would you get groceries if you were ill? 
· Prevention of COVID-19 is the same as that for other respiratory illnesses (such as influenza). Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow, clean your hands frequently with soap and water, and contain germs by staying home when ill. 
· Keep over-the-counter medications in your residence to provide relief from your symptoms.
 · Have hand sanitizer available in your backpack to clean hands and disinfectant wipes in your residence to wipe down surfaces. 
· Non-perishable food and beverages can be stored in your residence in the event you become ill and unable to leave.

Mar. 6, 2020
Here is the latest information from our public health professionals on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This page will be updated weekly.

Cases continue to be identified internationally and in the U.S. with numbers changing daily as the disease continues to spread. The Iowa and Illinois Departments of Public Health (IDPH) are working with federal, state and local public health and clinical partners to share information. There continues to be no confirmed cases in Iowa and Illinois had 2 confirmed cases but these individuals fully recovered. There is person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in the U.S but the immediate health risk remains low. This could change dependent upon the spread of this virus. Remember that we are in flu season and flu activity in the United States remains widespread and high at this time. The prevention measures of Influenza and COVID-19 are the same. This is also Spring Break season and individuals will be traveling, so be mindful of how quickly illness can spread and take precautions to protect yourself.

These strategies reduce your risk for exposure:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick. Do not attend classes, go to work or participate in extracurricular activities if you have a fever. Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your upper arm or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Clean your room regularly. Disinfect surfaces such as keyboards, counters, door handles to reduce your exposure to germs.
• Don't share food and drinks.
• Don't smoke or vape.
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.

You can connect to updated information from the IDPH and the CDC by visiting Scott County Health Department (SCHD) Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage and SCHD Facebook page. This is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 website. If you are traveling outside the country, visit the websites of the CDC, the US State Department, and/or WHO for travel warnings and alerts. Please inform the health service and Education Abroad Coordinator if you're traveling to those areas that contain warnings and alerts.