Dear UMA Community,
We are looking forward to our students returning from the extended Spring Break on, Wednesday, March 25th! Thank you to everyone for your efforts to move all instruction and student support services online. This was a tremendous task in a short amount of time. I am so proud of the ingenuity and agility of our UMA faculty and staff. While I expect some issues may arise during the transition, I ask students, faculty, and staff to have patience with us as we work to put services in place to support our students.
Here is what’s new since we last communicated on March 19th.
1. Information
Information for students, faculty, and staff on how to access classes and services you need is being continuously updated a uma.edu/remote.
2. Campus Access
In deference to CDC guidelines to practice social distancing we are limiting the spaces open to students on our campuses. When visiting a campus or center, we ask everyone to follow the CDC guidelines by practicing social distancing as well as proper hygiene. The following spaces are open to UMA students from 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday:
Augusta Campus
- Temporary Computer Lab located in the solarium between the Katz Library and the Klahr Center.
- Veterans Academic Center – open to veteran students only.
Bangor Campus
- Temporary Computer Labs located in Lewiston Hall rooms 118, 119, & 125.
UMA Centers
- Centers vary in access due to local conditions. Please check your center’s website for more information.
3. Student Services
Visit uma.edu/remote and look for the green “Quick Resources & Contact List” button to find phone numbers and email addresses for student support services. Students are encouraged to practice “POETZ” and connect with us via phone, online, email, text or zoom. Our UMA staff is committed to serving our students, and students are strongly encouraged to reach out to us if they need assistance.
4. Campus Open Forum
A virtual open forum will be held on Friday, March 27th from noon to 1 pm for students, faculty, and staff. Join the webinar via Zoom at https://maine.zoom.us/j/821833320. Please join me and other UMA leaders to hear updates and provide feedback on the transition to online instruction and student support services.
Again, I 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.
I also ask that you practice “social distancing” by limiting your contact with others while in public and avoiding large groups.
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 remember that you can update your contact information or your alert preferences here.
Our top priorities are to keep each of you safe while supporting our students in continuing their education. I offer my heartfelt thanks to our faculty and staff for their support of our students during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Rebecca M. Wyke, Ed.D.
President