Update regarding COVID-19 from President Houston Davis to students, faculty, and staff
Congratulations on making it to the fall 2020 finish line! While this semester has certainly presented many challenges for our campus community, we were able to work together to complete fall 2020 as planned. I will forever be thankful for your diligence and the many steps you took to make this happen. As we wrap up finals today and prepare for commencement ceremonies this evening and tomorrow, I would like to share a few reminders that will remain important as we depart for Winter Break and prepare for spring 2021.
COVID-19 HEALTH AND TESTING REMINDERS
During Winter Break, please continue to do everything in your power to stay healthy. Our entire campus community — from faculty and staff to students — must remain diligent in the coming weeks in order to slow the spread of the virus and have a safe return to campus in the spring. No matter where you are in the next few weeks, continue to wear your masks, maintain six feet of distance whenever possible, and wash your hands often. While many of us will be off campus in the coming weeks, we still have a great responsibility to help keep ourselves, our neighbors, and our friends and families safe.
If you stay in the area during Winter Break and experience symptoms of COVID-19, there are several testing options available to you. The UCA Student Health Clinic (SHC) has a PCR-based Abbott ID NOW machine that provides COVID-19 test results in around 15 minutes for individuals who are symptomatic. The SHC also offers a PCR-based test for individuals who are not symptomatic but would like to get tested. Specimens are sent to a local lab, and results are typically returned in around 24 hours. Testing with both methods is fast, easy, and confidential. Visit the SHC website here or call (501) 450-3136 for more information. If you have medical questions, you can also email the SHC at covid19@uca.edu.
While the Student Health Clinic will be closed Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 for Winter Break, normal hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 4. If you need medical assistance while the SHC is closed, you should contact our medical partner, Conway Regional Health System, at (501) 506-CRHS (2747). Conway Regional provides drive-thru testing as well as an after-hours clinic.
Upon our return to campus, UCA is planning to work with the Arkansas Department of Health to host a free COVID-19 testing event on Jan. 20, 2021 for students, faculty, and staff. We will provide additional details as we near the start of the spring semester.
CAMPUS SERVICES AND HOUSING
While the fall semester officially concludes today, dining facilities, HPER, library and all university offices will remain open through Tuesday, Dec. 22. You can click on the hyperlinks above to see the most up-to-date hours and information for those services.
Residence halls will close tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 12, at noon and will not open again until 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17. You can find more information here. If you have any housing-related questions, contact your RA or email Housing and Residence Life here.
PREPARING FOR THE SPRING 2021 SEMESTER
The spring 2021 semester will begin as scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, which is the Tuesday after the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Just as in the fall semester, we will have a variety of options for instructional delivery in the spring, including in-person, hybrid, and online. The most updated academic calendar is always available here.
We will communicate regularly in the coming weeks to provide the details and information you need to safely return to campus and remain healthy throughout the spring semester. Remember to keep an eye on your CUB email account for those messages. We plan to send our next communication to students after the new year begins, around Jan. 6.
In closing, I would like to congratulate all of our fall 2020 graduates. Earning a college degree or certificate is a momentous occasion, and we are pleased to be able to honor your accomplishments and see you walk across the stage at the Farris Center this weekend. While the commencement ceremonies are ticketed events with attendance limited to graduates’ closest friends and family, anyone can watch the livestream of the ceremonies here. We know that our graduates are all prepared to do great things, and we cannot wait to see the difference this year’s class makes in the world!