Dear Students and Families,
I hope my weekly messages are finding you well and settling into a balance routine for the summer.
Creating balance can seem like a daunting task when there is so much uncertainty swirling around. However, there are virtual resources available to help you set a plan for success this summer. The staff in GatorWell Health Promotions Services offers certified wellness coaching to assist you in setting priorities and identifying specific changes you want to make to improve your academic performance including how to manage stress.
During Summer C, the UF Counseling & Wellness Center is facilitating a virtual support and processing group specific to students dealing with the psychological, social, and emotional impact of the pandemic. Discussion topics will range from processing uncertainty to dealing with rapid unplanned changes and transitions. The group will help members make sense of the experiences and identify ways of building resiliency skills. If you are interested and feel like you would benefit from such support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
As I mentioned in my previous email, UF is hard at work developing plans for how we move forward. This week, President Kent Fuchs and Senior Vice President and COO Charlie Lane joined Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe, Gainesville City Manager Lee Feldman and Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie for a Gainesville Town Hall conversation to discuss the action UF is taking. The May 13 meeting can be viewed online. Our goal is to promote student safety and well-being, knowing that COVID-19 will be a continued issue for cities and states around the country.
Lastly, I’m pleased to share Student Government and the Division of Student Affairs through Off Campus Life have partnered to provide additional support to students facing financial hardships. Student Body President Trevor Pope’s message on the initiative can be viewed online. Members of our university community, including representatives from Off Campus Life, Student Legal Services, and Student Government, are currently connecting with rental property owners as we work to provide support for students in need. We are grateful for the landlords/property managers who have already identified ways they can help students.
Be safe, be well, and as always – Go Gators!
Dr. D’Andra Mull
Vice President for Student Affairs
UPDATES:
Emergency Financial Support for Students
The University of Florida has been allocated funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid grants. These critical funds will help eligible UF students cover expenses related to unanticipated travel, additional technology requirements, or other needs related to an emergency situation. Graduate assistants (this includes medical and veterinary residents), post-doctoral fellows and associates must apply as employees via the Faculty and Staff Aid-a-Gator program. UF Online, International, and DACA students are not eligible to receive CARES Act funding, but emergency funding for these students may be available through the UF Aid-a-Gator program.
Unstoppable Minds podcast examines life in academia and research
A new podcast hosted by Dr. Kyla McMullen and Dr. Jeremy Waisome from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering looks at the challenges and triumphs that come with a life in academia and research.
The first episode features Dr. Laura Guyer of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Hear how she leads the only undergraduate academic program in the country designed to teach students across disciplines how to address barriers and take on unseen bias in healthcare.
Listen in and learn more at http://ufl.edu/unstoppableminds/.
Student Legal Services
If you have COVID-19 leases and landlord-tenant questions, please visit the Student Legal Services’ new Off-Campus Housing Covid-19 resources page: https://studentlegalservices.ufl.edu/off-campus-housing-covid-19-resources/
Virtual Student Union
Keeping you connected to the Gator Student Experience is important. The Virtual Student Union was designed as a resource for students and will be updated on a regular basis. This new digital hub is here to make life a bit easier by collecting all your need-to-know programs, services, and even student events in one place!
Amid quarantine, you can engage with campus by:
· Participating in a virtual fitness class with RecSports
· Attending the virtual wellness coaching program with GatorWell
· Getting your resume edited virtually with the Career Connections Center
· Finding community through student organizations, leadership development and student events