Dear UMA Community,
As we prepare to take UMA instruction online effective March 23rd, we are also taking further precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community:
1. Effective immediately all events scheduled on a UMA campus or a center are canceled through March 31st. Events and meetings that can be moved online may continue. Events following March 31st will be evaluated as we get closer to that date.
2. Effective Monday, March 16th, the campuses and centers are closed to the general public. While the campuses and centers remain open for UMA students, faculty, and staff, we strongly encourage students to access services online or via the phone if possible and avoid visits to campus.
We ask that each member of our community observe proper hygiene protocols on campus and off, which include:
- Staying at home if you are sick.
- Washing your hands frequently.
- Not touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth).
- Sneezing/coughing into a tissue and throwing it away.
We also ask that you practice “social distancing” by limiting your contact with others while in public and avoiding large groups, including when you are on campus.
You can find additional information about what the University of Maine System is doing to prepare our universities at maine.edu/health-advisory/. You can also find information specific to UMA’s efforts to support students, faculty, and staff at uma.edu/remote. Staying connected is important, so you may need to update your contact information or update your alert preferences.
A one-hour Q&A live stream for faculty and staff will be held on Tuesday, March 17 from the Fireplace Lounge at Noon. Various University departments will be represented and available to answer questions about our move to online courses and related matters. In keeping with the practice of social distancing, you are strongly encouraged to join this Q&A session through the live stream.
A similar one-hour Q&A live stream was held on Friday, March 13 for students. A summary of the questions and answers from that session will soon be posted on uma.edu/remote.
I want to thank each of you for your patience and understanding as we work to address your questions and concerns. Our students, faculty, and staff are demonstrating amazing resilience in this challenging time and I am immensely honored to serve you. Please know our top priorities are to keep each of you safe, while supporting our students in continuing their education.
Sincerely,
Rebecca M. Wyke, Ed.D.
President