Stay informed about recent decisions and plans by visiting www.udel.edu/return. Have a specific question? Check the FAQs, which are updated regularly as questions come in to coronavirus@udel.edu.

Student Body Town Hall today: The Student Government Association is hosting a virtual town hall for students, parents, faculty and other members of the campus community from 6-8 p.m., today, Nov. 11. President Dennis Assanis will give introductory remarks, and speakers will include Provost Robin Morgan, Vice President for Student Life José-Luis Riera, Tim Dowling, director of Student Health Services, and Mary Booker, director of Student Financial Services. Topics will include spring semester plans and response to COVID-19, and there will be an open question-and-answer period. To attend the town hall, visit this Zoom link and use the passcode StudentTH.

Student health tips for Thanksgiving break: On Nov. 5, Tim Dowling, director and physician, Student Health Services, emailed all UD students with tips for staying healthy before, during and after Thanksgiving break. Anyone planning to travel and interact with people they have not recently had close contact with is highly encouraged to develop a plan to help keep everyone safe. Read his letter here.

Academic Affairs Town Hall for faculty and staff: Faculty and staff are invited to register for the next Academic Affairs Town Hall, scheduled from 2-3 p.m., this Friday, Nov. 13. Deputy Provost Lynn Okagaki will be joined by Tim Dowling, director, Student Health Services; Charlie Riordan, vice president for research, scholarship and innovation; and Adam Cantley, dean of students. The panel will provide updates on academic operations for the spring 2021 semester. Please submit questions in advance via this form to allow panelists time to gather answers and respond during the webinar.

Research updates; prospective graduate student visitation to research labs; Nov. 30 town hall: The UD research community is reminded to please continue to be vigilant with health and safety protocols — wear a face mask, stay at least 6 feet apart from others, and wash your hands frequently.

Prospective graduate students may now visit UD campus research facilities indoors, following this approval process. The faculty member who will serve as host during the visit should complete a PI return to campus request form for each prospective graduate student. After approval and prior to visiting campus, each student guest must complete the UD COVID-19 specific training, pass the daily health screen before coming to campus (and be prepared to show the green check upon request), wear a cloth face covering, physically distance and use good handwashing hygiene.

As part of the University's cost-mitigation efforts, personnel in the Research Office, like many units, will sustain a 5% salary reduction, which equates to nine days of unpaid leave over the remainder of this fiscal year. To best manage these reductions, the Research Office will be formally closed on the following dates. Please plan accordingly for proposal submissions.

Research Office Closures

• Nov. 23-25, 2020
• Dec. 21-23, 2020
• Feb. 15, 2021
• April 2, 2021
• May 28, 2021

In light of recent staff reductions, Facilities, Real Estate and Auxiliary Services (FREAS) has instituted a prioritization process for Requests for Service, including the installation of new research equipment. Emergency projects — those that affect safety, impact building security or prevent property damage — will be addressed immediately. All other requests will be reviewed with the appropriate dean or vice president and prioritized by the provost and the vice president for research, scholarship and innovation. Please see these FAQs for more information.

The next research town hall, led by Charlie Riordan, vice president for research, scholarship and innovation, will be held from 2-3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30. Register online. The town halls are recorded and archived on this webpage. For more information, contact UDResearch@udel.edu.

Testing Saturday on STAR Campus: New Castle County government will host a drive-up COVID-19 testing event on the STAR Campus in Newark from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14. This testing is open to UD faculty, staff and students, as well as the general public. Register here for the Nov. 14 event.

UD surveillance testing: UD continues to conduct COVID-19 surveillance testing for students and essential faculty and staff on Mondays and Wednesdays in Clayton Hall on the Laird Campus and in the Perkins Student Center. Testing at these locations will conclude for the holiday on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and resume on Monday, Nov. 30. For more information, click here. This testing is for asymptomatic individuals. Students with COVID-19 symptoms can call Student Health for testing at 302-831-2226

For students living in campus residence halls: Have questions about student housing during the Thanksgiving break, Winter Session or the spring semester? An FAQ on the Residence Life and Housing website provides lots of answers, as well as phone and email contact information.

Upcoming dates to remember:

• Course registration for the spring 2021 semester began Nov. 9.
• Thanksgiving break begins after the last class on Friday, Nov. 20. Classes end at 10 p.m. that day, and residence halls close at 7 p.m. Last meal served in dining halls is lunch.
• Classes are suspended Monday through Friday, Nov. 23-27, for Thanksgiving break.
• Fall semester classes resume -- all online -- on Monday, Nov. 30.
• Last day of classes for the fall semester is Thursday, Dec. 10; classes end at 10 p.m.
• Final examinations are scheduled from Saturday, Dec. 12, through Friday, Dec. 18.

Counseling and support are available: Students in need of counseling and support may call UD’s Center for Counseling and Student Development at 302-831-2141 or the UD Helpline, which is available at any time, day or night, for students feeling anxious, overwhelmed, depressed or otherwise in need of counseling. Students can call 302-831-1001 to get live counseling assistance 24/7. Additional information may be found at the center’s website. All UD employees, their spouses, dependents, parents and in-laws may access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 800-343-2186 or visiting the program’s website. If using the website, UD employees should enter "State of Delaware" as the password.

Questions about Fall 2020? Send an email to coronavirus@udel.edu.