Fall Semester Begins

Update to incoming and returning students from President Houston Davis

Welcome back to campus, and happy first day of classes. I am so happy that each and every one of you has chosen to be a part of our Bear family, and I cannot express how excited I am, as are many others on campus, to begin our fall semester. Our Student Orientation Staff (SOS) helped to lead a jam-packed Welcome Week filled with several fun experiences. We appreciate them and all other Recognized Student Organizations (RSO) and individuals who helped to usher us into this semester.

We wanted to provide you with some information to help you be successful through our New Student Guide for 2021-22. This booklet includes success tips, a list of student resources, frequent questions, important telephone numbers, a campus map and much more. Classroom study, research projects, athletic events, Greek life, movie nights, concerts, outdoor adventures, Homecoming Week, working out in the HPER or just having a picnic in the Student Center Courtyard are all activities that invigorate our campus and provide a well-rounded student experience.

With so much possibility ahead of us, we want to continue to stress the importance of working to maintain the campus norms we all crave this fall. We know that the most effective way to achieve this goal is through masking and vaccinations. As previously announced, we created a color-coded system that alerts campus on a weekly basis of when masks would be required on campus in indoor spaces. This alert system is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Level of Community Transmission. Masks are available in classrooms, administration buildings, residential halls and other spaces on campus. Vaccines continue to be free and easily accessible at our Student Health Clinic. Those wanting a vaccine can either walk in or schedule an appointment by calling 501-450-3136. Questions about the vaccine or the COVID-19 virus can be sent to covid19@uca.edu

Continue visiting our COVID-19 website and your university email for regular updates and current information. Throughout the semester, you should expect regular communication from me as we all navigate this pandemic. We are all in this together, and I look forward to interacting with you on campus as the semester progresses.