May 8, 2020

Dear Students and Families,

The summer season has arrived! I want to share updates as I know that there are questions regarding next steps as we shift our gaze to the fall semester.

Collectively, the university remains hard at work developing plans for how we move forward, and we are not backing down from the challenge. We are all focused intently on how we will operate and support Gators this fall as we transition to our ‘new normal’. The health and safety of our campus community continues to guide our efforts and will remain our top priority.

Recently, the Board of Trustees approved moving the first day of instruction for the fall semester from August 24 to August 31. This shift will allow us more time to prepare for the return of students to campus yet will not impact the length of the semester.

We expect to announce plans for the fall semester by mid-July. Planning efforts are guided by our recovery planning strategy, a multi-faceted model for aligning UF’s response to COVID-19-related challenges with its short- and long-term recovery needs. A task force of campus leaders charged with developing this framework is meeting regularly. My responsibilities will concentrate on developing support for student safety, well-being, and other essential elements that frame the student experience in our new environment.

I look forward to sharing more as we progress.

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.

UF Counseling & Wellness to Launch a COVID- 19 Support Group
During Summer C, the UF Counseling & Wellness Center will facilitate a virtual support and processing group to serve as a space for students to share 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. The group will take place from 2 – 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, and will start as an open group, allowing for new members to join throughout the semester. The students need not be enrolled for the entirety of Summer C to be eligible for the group. They can be enrolled for only a part of the summer (A or B) to join the group and can exit the group if/when their needs are met.

Learn more at about the Making Sense of COVID-19 group sessions at called https://counseling.ufl.edu/services/groups/.

Student Legal Services
Staffed by four experienced attorneys, Student Legal Services (SLS) provides a wide range of legal services to UF students and student organizations. Funded by Student Government, the staff are here to help you with lease reviews, landlord issues, property damage, and more. Visit https://studentlegalservices.ufl.edu/ to connect with the team.

COVID-19 Updates
In response to the continuously changing circumstances involving the spread of COVID-19, the University of Florida has created a web page to keep you updated. This page even includes a page dedicated to frequently asked questions. These updates also include pertinent information related to academics.
Please note the academic date changes below:
· Summer A/C classes begin May 11
· Summer A classes end June 19
· Summer C classes will take a two-week break June 22 – July 3
· Summer B classes start July 6 (not June 29)
· Summer B/C classes end August 14 (not August 7)
· Fall classed will begin August 31 (not August 24)

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

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