Marin Campus Coronavirus Update

Yes we are open for students in Spring! We will continue with remote teaching and learning, as well as our classic residential experience. Students who are planning to move into housing on the Marin Campus may certainly do so.

• Student Housing: While monitoring federal and state guidance on residential campuses, we are currently housing students in separate units. Some double units will be single occupancy to limit the number of people sharing one bathroom. For specific housing questions and needs, please contact Chandra Ramirez.
  
  

We continue to require vaccines for in-person learning. Requiring vaccines is an important aspect of our return to campus and is critical to reducing the spread of the virus.  Vaccinations offer an added measure of safety, especially in office spaces, residential communities, and classroom settings where members of our community congregate.

This policy applies to all full and part-time students in the following schools:

• College of Arts & Sciences – Graduate Students
• School of Business
• School of Education
• Graduate School of Theology
• School of Continuing Studies

It does not apply to those students exclusively enrolled in online classes/programs who have no plans to visit any U of R campus during their tenure as a student.  However, any student who plans to take in-person courses as part of their program plan, or attend on-campus activities, must comply with the policy.

Effective July 1, 2021, a SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) vaccination will be required to attend in-person classes and use campus facilities.  Those who have contracted COVID-19 are not exempt from this vaccination requirement, as illness does not assure immunity.

Please upload your vaccination record per the instructions in the policy (download pdf, page 4). Graduate School of Theology students upload here.

Please note: Your browser may affect your ability to upload documents. Please make sure you see the "Attachments" and "Submit" buttons in the footer of your browser:

Vaccination Documentation

Acceptable documentation must show the vaccination brand (if it was included by the provider), date of vaccination(s), and your name, and must include the following options:

• CDC or similar non-US entity immunization card
• Healthcare provider immunization record

 Not Acceptable at this time are digital vaccine passports due to lack of a secure international standard.

Students requesting exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for medical or other reasons must obtain an approved exemption by submitting an Student Exemption Request Form.

The vaccination policy is posted online for convenient access.

For information about the University’s vaccination clinic, please visit: https://www.redlands.edu/urready/vaccination-clinic/

For information about other vaccination locations, please visit: https://www.redlands.edu/urready/getting-tested/

Vaccine Booster Requirement

As previously announced, the University will require booster shots for all vaccinated individuals. An updated vaccination policy will be released by Jan. 10 . 

In the meantime, we strongly recommend you follow CDC recommendations (and your doctor’s advice) and receive a COVID vaccination booster as soon as possible. Based on CDC guidance, individuals are eligible for a booster as follows:

• At least six months (or 26 weeks) after completing a primary Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccination series.
• At least two months (or 10 weeks) after receiving a J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Thank you for your continued efforts to help us mitigate conditions that promote COVID-19 infection and safeguard the health and well-being of our community.

Given SFTS' small population, large (outdoor and indoor) spaces and the nature of its student housing (separate units as opposed to dormitory style residence halls) we are a bit more nimble than some other Institutions when It comes to adjusting back to residential programs in a safe manner. Meanwhile, no matter the modality in which they are teaching—online, in-person, or hybrid—SFTS professors are working hard to offer an engaging and personalized education. Faculty members remain committed to developing meaningful connections within and outside of classes.

Since March 2020, faculty have researched and participated in numerous workshops on the best practices for online teaching and learning. We have steadily built up skills and resources to strengthen the online teaching and learning experience. Also, the University has had the opportunity to invest in enhanced technology to help ensure students have a high-quality experience. This includes upgrading on-campus classrooms such as Scott 101 and Geneva 100 that faculty can use to provide instruction using fast, stable internet connections, as well as ensuring technology assistants are available to help if connection or software difficulties arise.  

If you are a student who has unmet needs related to the technology required to support virtual learning, please reach out to resnet@redlands.edu. Options include short-term loans of laptops and portable “hot-spot” wi-fi devices.

Librarian Assistance

• Ask-a-librarian: available from the library webpages and GTU Moodle, the reference librarians are online from 10a-4p on weekdays. These hours might change due to patterns in chat volume. 
• Email: Send all questions (about anything) to library@gtu.edu
• Zoom one-on-one help: by appointment, email us and we can set up a time to meet.
• Getting Started with Library Research Guide: Getting Started with Library Research guide

Materials & Access

Course Reserves: All course reserves will be online in Moodle, and we can scan materials that are in the library. Click here:  https://www.gtu.edu/library/get-help/course-reserves 

Curbside Pickup: Available in Berkeley or San Anselmo. Click here: https://www.gtu.edu/library/remote-materials-pick 

Scanning Requests: We can scan items that are in the library, such as periodicals, reference items, language exams, archival materials, or book chapters. Click here: https://www.gtu.edu/library/get-help/library-scanning-services 

Suggest a Purchase: https://forms.gle/qVfc5pyjSnHCH2vCA 

Extended due dates: We have extended all due dates, but the book drops at both libraries are open if you would like to return materials. Please login to your library account to see these changes in due dates. 

Full access for special students: Some categories of people (like auditors) only had in-library access to materials like ebooks. We have now extended access to anyone sitting in on classes. If you have students in these categories, and they don’t know how to login, please have them email library@gtu.edu

New Resources! Including: ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global Database, Project Muse Premier Collection, Sage Premier All Access eJournals, Oxford Reference Collections, Oxford Bibliography of Biblical Studies, LGBTQ+ Source, Digitalia Hispanica, ArtStor, and more. Explore the online resources available to you: https://www.gtu.edu/library/resources

• Information Technology Services is available to assist students, faculty, and staff in need of technology support. 
  
  
• The Office of Academic Success and Disability Services will continue to work remotely.
  
  
• The Office of Career and Professional Development remains open and has transitioned all of its offerings to an online format. 
  
  
• The Office for Campus Diversity and Inclusion and Native Student Programs is active in planning programming and events. 
  
  
• The Counseling Center services are available via video platform and phone to all registered U of R students. Students with counseling emergencies should call the 24/7 crisis line at 909-748-8960.  The Counseling Center also encourages students to reach out to care providers they have worked with in the past or who are near their home, as they may be offering virtual therapy and can help prevent gaps in care. If you are a student having difficulty finding a community mental health provider, please reach out via email to Counseling Center Director Matt Gragg, at matt_gragg@redlands.edu. If you know a student who needs help, please also encourage the student to connect with the Counseling Center.
  
  
• Pastoral Care Associate Lucas Walker is available for spiritual care to all U of R students. More information from Chaplain’s office can be found here: Spiritual and Pastoral Care. These services include pastoral care and referrals for mental health services including vouchers for care at the Interfaith Counseling Center, which is offering its services remotely at this time.
  
  
• The Registrar’s Office will continue to provide services remotely to students and faculty.

The Marin campus is reopening on August 2. Montgomery Hall, Scott Hall, and Geneva Hall will be open during regularly scheduled business hours. On campus, masks must be worn by individuals who are unvaccinated for COVID-19. Vaccinated students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to wear face masks indoors, per current CDC and Marin County guidelines. 

Mailroom, UPS, FedEx, and DHL Packages 

Mail on the Marin campus is collected twice per week by Chandra Ramirez and distributed to Marin mailboxes, or, if intended for Redlands, forwarded  to the Redlands campus. Please schedule any UPS, FedEx, Amazon, DHL or other package deliveries to come to your home address. No one will be available on a regular basis to receive or distribute packages sent to the Marin campus. 

The University’s administration teams are covering all essential business services with staffing plans utilizing social distancing protocols. 

Human Resources

The Human Resources Department remains open and fully functional, although with a significantly reduced physical staff presence in the office at any one time. All HR staff are actively reviewing their email and voicemails and returning messages. If you would like to meet with a member of the HR team, please reach out directly to determine how best to meet. The entire department is set up to conduct transactions remotely relying heavily on Webex. The HR team is working with the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to identify additional resources available to our employees, free of charge, during these uncertain times.

Building Maintenance and Custodial Services

Custodial Service will service only those areas on campus that are occupied. For Building Maintenance, please submit work requests as normal as staff will be monitoring the work order system. For any facilities emergencies, please contact Public Safety at 909-748-8888. Facilities Management staff will remain on call for emergency situations.

For academic and general questions, please contact the Dean’s Office at 415-451-2859 or email Christopher_Ocker@redlands.edu

For questions about residential housing, please contact Chandra Ramirez at  chandra_ramirez@redlands.edu or 415-451-2812, or Dean Hansen, at 415-686-2388 or Dean_Hansen@redlands.edu

• University of Redlands Coronavirus Resources page
• Vaccine sites in Marin:  https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/vaccine.
• Marin County Health and Human Services
• GTU Interim President Uriah Kim’s helpful information on the GTU Website
• Information from the State of California
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for recommendations on how to protect yourself and others