Student Information

Good morning Dragons!

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Campus update – COVID-19 pandemic

Greeting Dragons,

Welcome to the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. We are excited for the opportunities that a new year brings. This campus update highlights our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With the new guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control, an overview of our campus response and protocols for the spring 2022 semester are outlined below:

• Masks will continue to be strictly required while indoors. It is recommended that the campus community wear a multi-layer mask, N95 style mask or other high-quality face covering.
• The definitions of fully vaccinated as well as guidance for quarantine and isolation have been updated to reflect the CDC and Ohio Department of Health’s guidelines.
  • Fully Vaccinated:
    • If you received a booster dose of ANY COVID-19 vaccine.
    • If you completed the primary series of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines less than six months ago.
    • If you completed the primary series of Johnson & Johnson vaccine less than two months ago.
  • COVID-19 Exposure:
    • If you are fully vaccinated (new definition):
      • You will wear a mask around others for 10 days after your exposure.
      • Test for COVID-19 day five from your exposure.
      • If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.
    • If you are not vaccinated or not up to date:
      • Quarantine for FIVE days after your last exposure.
      • Wear a mask around others for five more days.
      • Test for COVID-19 at day five.
  • If you test Positive for COVID-19
    • Any person testing positive regardless of symptoms or vaccination status:
      • Stay home five days
      • Stay away from others as much as possible (isolate)
      • If you cannot stay away from others wear a three-layer mask or better
      • If you continue to have a fever or significant symptoms after day five, continue to stay home
      • Wear a mask for the next five days

If you have any questions, you can also refer to the COVID-19 section of our website. We will continue to communicate updates and/or additional protocols as necessary.  Let’s do our best to have a wonderful semester and together, we will continue to navigate through this pandemic and successfully get through it!

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Updated COVID guest policy

Greetings Dragons!

I hope this message comes to you after a wonderful midterm break during which you prepared for the rest of this semester to finish strong. As I shared a couple of weeks ago, your diligence and persistence with regard to the health and safety of our campus continue to positively impact our community. And, for the last few weeks, we have seen lower numbers of new COVID-19 cases within our community. As always, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to check our COVID-19 Dashboard on the TU website any time to see the current number of active cases. Please remember that this page is updated once a week and reflects the currently active cases, closed cases and total cases for the fall 2021 semester.

As a result, the COVID-19 Task Force has made the recommendation that the University relaxes the current guest restriction policy. I fully support this decision and effective immediately on-campus students are able to have guests per the originally posted guest and maximum occupancy policies. Additionally, we will be increasing the dining hall seating to 75% capacity.

This, in part, is a result of your hard work in keeping campus safe. Please continue to observe the current health recommendations and campus policies. Face coverings continue to be required for all campus community members. If you are not vaccinated yet, we highly encourage you to do so. If you have questions about getting vaccinated, please reach out to the Health Center at healthcenter@pga-guide.com.

Finally, I want to inform the campus that two students were invited and have accepted to join the COVID-19 Task Force. These students are Jo Ochenduski and Madison Wagner. Moving forward, these students will be included in the Task Force meetings and are a great resource, along with the rest of the task force members, for students to connect with if they have suggestions regarding TU’s response to COVID-19. Please reach out to them as you have questions or comments as these two are your representatives on the task force; they are representing the students’ perspectives.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you and stay TU Dragon strong,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Mid-semester check-in

Greetings Dragons,

As we approach mid-semester, now is a great time to take a moment to reflect on how your semester is going so far, how you are growing as a student and how you want the rest of the semester to be so that you end it strong. Midterms are here. Now is the time to do your best to stay focused, yet take the time to take care of yourself. Please know that your faculty, staff and administrators are here for you if you need anything.

As I reflect on our fall semester so far, I wanted to express my gratitude to you, the students, for your diligence and persistence in keeping each other and the campus safe. I, and others on campus, have noticed and appreciate your dedication to wearing masks and doing your best with social distancing to keep our Dragon community healthy. As the weeks go on, please know that your efforts do not go unnoticed and truly have me beaming with pride for our Dragon community.

The COVID-19 task force, my leadership cabinet and I will continue to reassess the campus’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I also continue to be very aware of the way the guest restriction policy impacts your experience on campus. The number of on-campus cases and in our community will continue to be monitored. Adjustments may be made to our response as things improve. As always, your health, safety and well-being are my first priority and your diligence in the precautions mentioned above will help us get through these times together.

Please continue to check pga-guide.com for updates. There, you can find the COVID dashboard, with a complete count of COVID-19 cases on campus. It is updated weekly at http://dh.pga-guide.com/COVID19_reporting.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Updated COVID-19 precautions

Dear students,

Our most important job is to keep you, and all of us, safe.
Last year we created a COVID-19 Task Force, composed of several leaders within the institution representing multiple areas on campus. This group works with the local health department to create campus precautions and implement safety measures. From the beginning of the pandemic, our decisions have been based on CDC’s guidelines, recommendations and information.

After some input from students, we have decided to make sure that the COVID-19 response task force includes student voices. There will now be two student positions on the Task Force. The selected students will be asked to represent their peers in sharing their feelings, concerns and recommendations on the pandemic and TU’s safety precautions. More information on those positions and how to apply will be coming soon. Please think about serving on the task force and/or encourage your friends to do so.

As we move through the academic year, knowing that we are still not out of the woods, the task force, the presidential cabinet and I will continue to make decisions to keep our students, faculty and staff as safe as possible from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please remember, that we are doing our best navigating throughout this process, and it has been brought to our attention that we need to take a hard look at our communication strategies as we are making these safety decisions. As such, I wanted to address the recent recommendation to close the dining hall. The CDC continues to recommend that everyone, regardless of vaccine status, wear a face covering as a means to limit the spread of COVID-19. The dining hall, by nature of being a place to eat, was a location the task force identified as being a potential for high spread (i.e. many students, together, not wearing masks while eating). We originally thought that making the dining hall to-go only would decrease students congregating in groups without masks. However, we have found that students are still congregating, just in different locations. As a result, we are happy to announce that we have asked AVI, our Food Service partner, to open the dining hall again – at half capacity and still offer to-go options for students. Hopefully, by opening at half capacity, it will decrease the number of areas for congestion while still allowing students to enjoy the dining hall. We will continue to monitor this and if our active cases of COVID-19 go down, we will revaluate this again.

With regard to the guest restriction enacted last week, I wanted to address the thought process behind that decision. Through our contact tracing efforts, we are finding that the most common cause for exposure continues to be students in close proximity to each other in social settings. It is incredibly important that students take the expectation to limit their exposure to other students outside of their “bubble” seriously. As such, this policy will remain in effect until we see numbers going in a better direction than they currently are. You can all help with this by wearing your mask and consider getting vaccinated.

I know these are difficult times and we may feel isolated or alone as each of us deals with challenging times differently. Please know we are here for you and we have health and wellness services, including counseling, in place for all of our students.

As a reminder, getting vaccinated is a safe and effective way to prevent contracting COVID-19, as well as significant illness in the event of infection. If you are interested in getting more information about the vaccine, please reach out to the Health Center at healthcenter@pga-guide.com. Additionally, more information and frequently asked questions will be posted on the Tiffin University coronavirus page in the coming days. As you have questions, please reference this page.

Remember, the pandemic is an ongoing, ever-changing situation, which means each and every decision will be made with the best interest of our students, faculty and staff in mind. Just as we have through this entire experience, decisions will be made and reevaluated as things continue to evolve. We are making decisions that not everyone will like all of the time; this is a reality of today’s environment. But we will always do our best to act in the interest of safety first. We ask for your understanding and trust, as we work hard to keep campus safe.

Lastly, I encourage all of you to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather as this is a much safer place to congregate and spend time with your friends.

Remember we will get through this pandemic together and be stronger on the other side of it.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: COVID-19 precautions

Good afternoon Dragon Nation,

The health and safety of our campus is our top priority this semester, as we navigate through the pandemic. In light of the recent COVID-19 spikes on campus, we have decided to implement a few additional precautions. Below, you will find the policies, as well as the possible sanctions that will be determined upon a policy violation.

Mask Wearing:
All students must wear a mask indoors.

Cole Dining Hall:
Starting Friday, September 10, 2021, AVI will only serve to-go meals. No students will be permitted to eat in the dining hall.

Guest Policy:
Until further notice, no guests are permitted in on-campus housing. This includes guests from outside the university as well as anyone entering a residential building to which they are not assigned, barring emergency circumstances. It is essential to the success of containing and preventing illness spread that we do our best to keep the spread at a minimum. Violations of this expectation can result in a guest policy violation and/or failure to comply with policy violation.

Non-residential guests are limited to those that are essential for the ongoing care of the resident (i.e. healthcare aide or parent serving in that capacity). All other non-residential guests should arrange to meet their residential host outside, maintaining appropriate social distancing. Residents must register their essential guests with Residence Life and Housing through the Disability Services Office. This will include contact information as well as dates, times and durations of planned visits.

Health and Safety Hazard:
Students are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy living environment in both their specific residence facility (in residence halls, houses, and apartments) as well as in the common areas, bathrooms, and hallways of their housing units and the Tiffin University campus in general. Should students create an environment either intentionally, maliciously, or unintentionally that creates an unhealthy, unsanitary, or hazardous environment for others, they will be subject to action through the Student Conduct Process. This includes but is not limited to propping all doors into residence halls, houses, and apartments.

Failure to Comply Outcomes:

• Students are advised that the University expects full cooperation, respect, and honesty with University officials, Tiffin University Security, Tiffin Police, Seneca County Sheriff’s Deputies, civil officers, or Residence Life at all times. The failure to act in such a manner results in formal disciplinary action. This includes, but is not limited to when a student:
• Is being contacted by a Student Conduct Hearing Officer in regard to a conduct meeting and does not report.
• Is assigned a sanction as a result of a conduct meeting and does not complete it within the given deadline.
• Is asked to identify themselves to Residence Life, Campus Security, and/or other University officials.
• Is uncooperative, disrespectful, or evasive toward University Officials (including RAs and Campus Student Security).

Conduct Outcomes:

• On-campus guests violations, mass gathering limitations violations, health and safety violations, or failure to comply violations:
  • Moving forward, any violations of these policies will result in a mandatory two week Interim Housing Removal, Interim Loss of Privilege or Interim Suspension. This is a temporary restriction of access to certain campus areas, properties, buildings, living units, public spaces, parking lots, activities, etc. Students will be restricted from university housing, public spaces, etc. during this time. This sanction will not be appealable.
  • Additional violations may result in dismissal from the university.
• Outside Guests Outcomes:
  • Students who bring unapproved guests to campus may result in permanent Loss of Housing Privilege or immediate dismissal from the university.
    • Housing Sanctions or Restrictions – The University reserves the right to remove anyone from housing immediately should circumstances warrant it. This action can be temporary or permanent. Once a person has been removed from housing or placed with restrictions, that person no longer has guest access to residential areas of campus. Housing Sanctions or Restrictions include:
      • Housing Removal – The immediate removal from Tiffin University Housing either permanently, or for a set period of time.
      • Loss of Privilege – The withdrawal of a privilege, use of a service, participation in a program, event, or activity for a set period of time. This sanction may prohibit a student or organization from participating in extracurricular or athletic activities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends the following best practices for people to protect themselves:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects
• Stay at home when you are sick
• Practice social distancing, leaving at least three feet between you and other people
• Wear a cloth mask in public when you cannot social distance

Thank you for your cooperation and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: COVID-19 update

Greetings Dragons,

As we get closer to the beginning of the semester, we are still living with the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff continues to be of paramount importance to Tiffin University. As such, Tiffin University strongly recommends, but does not require, students, faculty and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine. If you would like information about where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine, please email healthcenter@pga-guide.com. Please note, per CDC guidance, individuals who are fully vaccinated and are found through the contact tracing process to be a significant exposure to someone with COVID-19 will not have to quarantine unless they are showing symptoms.

Unfortunately, the Seneca County Health Commissioner has determined that the community transmission of COVID-19 in Seneca County has reached a significant level and determined that all individuals, regardless of their vaccination status, should wear masks indoors. As a result, Tiffin University will follow this recommendation as a means of keeping our campus safe.

Additionally, in order to best understand the current landscape of the possible risks of future COVID-19 outbreaks, we are asking our campus community to voluntarily submit their vaccine status. Individuals may do so by clicking the link below or going to the TU Mobile App and tapping “Report Vaccinations.” You will be asked to upload a picture of your vaccination record card. Please make sure that the photo, including your name, vaccine information and dates, are able to be read by the health center staff in order to accurately and quickly adjust your campus pass.

COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting Form

As a reminder, all members of the Tiffin University community are required to complete the daily symptom reporting form before coming to campus or leaving their residential space. Every day, at 7 a.m. you should receive a notification through the app to complete your daily health assessment. If you have disabled notifications and would like to have that reminder, tap your profile, settings, notifications and enable health and wellness notifications. If these settings are already enabled, you may have to go to the app settings on your phone to enable them there. If you would like to use the web version of the daily symptom tracking form, you can use this link: Daily Pre-Screening Form

Individuals are also required to utilize the contact tracing QR codes posting on campus. As you enter a building, classroom or office space with a QR code, please scan in so that in the event of a COVID-19 exposure, we can appropriately contact trace for those who are unvaccinated who may need to quarantine. If you need links to access the contact trace for use without a smartphone, please email healthcenter@pga-guide.com.

Please know that we understand that this isn’t the beginning of the semester that we all had hoped for. But hopefully, this is a temporary sacrifice as we continue to push through this unknown pandemic territory. We need to stay the course on keeping our community safe and together we will push through this until the pandemic is behind us for good! Students, please know we are here for you, to support you, and as a reminder, our counseling center can be reached by emailing counseling@pga-guide.com.

Even though we will be wearing masks for the beginning of the semester, we do hope that the transmission rate in our county will return to lower numbers and we can lift this mask requirement. Additionally, this currently has no effect on other requirements we had in place last year. There are no limitations on gathering sizes, student organizations events, or course delivery at this time. It is vitally important that we all continue to follow our Dragon Plan and keep our campus safe.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the health center at healthcenter@pga-guide.com.

Thank you,

President Schumacher

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Updated Dragon Plan

Greetings, students, faculty and staff,

It is with the utmost gratefulness that I reach out to you today with news for our upcoming fall 2021 return to campus. It is because of your respect and care for each other by complying with the pandemic protocols we had in place for the last 15 months, that we have made so much progress towards putting this pandemic behind us.

As a result, I would like to share with you our updated Dragon Plan (as of today) for the upcoming fall 2021 semester. This plan includes expectations aligned with our ICARE Values. I am confident that all Dragons will adhere to our expectations for the continued safety and well-being of others. You can find the Dragon Plan at pga-guide.com/dragon-plan-2021-22.

The Dragon Plan communicates regular updates on our plan for returning to campus each semester, COVID-19 news and developments, and any new requirements or guidance that the University receives from our state and local health departments. Within this plan, you will find that we will not require masks and that we highly encourage you to get vaccinated. Having said that, we respect your individual choice and, therefore, will not require that all be vaccinated at this time. 

If you choose not to be vaccinated, you are encouraged to wear your mask for your protection while on campus. We will rely on the honor and honesty code for this. The only exception is we will ask for vaccination records as this will help us most effectively contact trace as needed.

Tiffin University will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and regional and local health care partners to comply with directives and guidelines to safeguard our students, faculty, staff and visitors to reduce any new risks moving forward.

My very best wishes to each and every one of you this summer. Please stay safe and healthy over the summer months, and we’ll see you in August 2021!

Regards,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Fall Semester 2021

Dear Tiffin University Dragons,

Spring is upon us and, as a community, we continue to successfully navigate through these unprecedented times. Like so many others, we had to pivot due to COVID-19, and it has been a test of endurance since. Yet, I am so proud of the work we have done taking care of each other and following our Dragon Pledge. We have had very few cases of COVID through it all, and we are making it through positively; one day at a time; one week at a time; one month at a time; and we are doing it, together.

As a result, I am writing today to let you know that Tiffin University is looking forward to our fall semester with great hope for a sense of normalcy once again. As a result, we are cautiously planning for a traditional fall semester, starting on August 23, with a return to in-person classes, traditional classroom arrangements, as well as, normal housing policies and athletic schedules. The COVID-19 vaccines’ ongoing distribution and decreasing infection rates are reasons for hope, though we all know we must stay vigilant for a while longer. We continue to work with hope for the best, and we will be prepared for other fall semester scenarios, should it be necessary. We will have a back-up plan should limitations need to continue. TU will remain in close contact with our public health partners and continue to adhere to State guidance.

Please be assured that we will keep you informed every step of the way, and we ask that you check our website at pga-guide.com/coronavirus for regular updates.

Because of our shared hard work, innovation and creativity throughout the pandemic, TU’s campus has grown even closer, stronger and better than ever. We are TU Strong! We look forward to welcoming you back onto campus, ready to embrace a new and exciting academic year.

Sincerely,
Dr. Lillian B. Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Our commitment to the Dragon Pledge

Greetings Tiffin University community,

I hope each of you are enjoying the beautiful weather on this March day. It is so nice to see the sunshine in Tiffin, OH.

I am so proud of how we are following our Dragon Pledge.  It has been almost a year since TU and the entire country had to pivot due to Covid-19 and it has been a test of endurance since. We are getting through it; one day at a time; one week at a time; one month at a time. We are doing it successfully, together.

As we continue to get through it, let’s remember this is temporary and hopefully we are through the worst of it, especially if we all stick together and stay vigilant for just a little longer. Please stay the course; the more we do, the sooner the ramifications of Covid-19 will be behind us.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Campus Communication on Covid-19 Updates

Good afternoon TU Faculty, Staff and Students. I hope this email finds you well!

As we wind down the semester on campus, I ask each of you to please continue to stay strong and end our fall semester safe and sound. You have all done a phenomenal job taking extra care to be safe and compliant, following our Dragon Pledge to your best ability, and for that I thank you. Please continue to do this through the end of the semester, and together we will get through this!

A few updates and information as our students leave campus and come back in January 2021. You have my word that the safety of our students and employees is our priority, and we may adjust these plans depending on what happens with this pandemic. I ask that you do your best to understand this and support these decisions as best you can, knowing these are all temporary decisions to get us safely through this pandemic and our spring semester.

First, any student or employee who would like to take a COVID-19 test before leaving to go home for the break is welcome to do so. Please reach out to the Health Center to schedule a time to do this. You must schedule a time to ensure we are able to accommodate any requests. Tiffin University will pay for this rapid test. The contact information is below.

Second, students, upon your arrival back to campus for the spring semester, we ask that you get a COVID-19 test and bring verification of that back with you. If you arrive back to campus without verification of a test, we may test you before allowing you to get into your room. Minimally, you will need to complete the health assessment. We will also be conducting significant numbers of random weekly COVID-19 testing throughout much of the spring semester as our test supply allows. Students returning to campus from travel advisory states and all international students will be tested upon arrival to campus.

Third, the spring semester will start on Sunday, January 17, 2021, and we expect all residential students to be back on campus by this time. For the first two weeks of the spring semester, we will be conducting on-campus remote learning, using a variety of learning tools, as we ease back into the hybrid learning model for the spring semester. We may adjust this as the spring semester plays out.

We will continue to provide regular updates on the Covid-19 portion of our website. Please check this regularly.

A separate email will be coming at a later date specifically for employees with direction on how we will be working/operating once our students have left the week of Thanksgiving through the start of the spring semester.

Please direct any questions about our academic schedule to the office of the Provost at: officeoftheprovost@pga-guide.com.

Please direct any questions about on-campus housing to Dean Herdlick’s office at: housing@pga-guide.com

Please direct any testing issues to either Kali Smith at smithkali@pga-guide.com or contact the Health Center at healthcenter@pga-guide.com.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Good afternoon Tiffin University faculty, staff and students,

We hope you had a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend.

We will continue to regularly update our campus community on Covid-19 related issues and encourage you to regularly check our website for up to date information http://dh.pga-guide.com/offices/campus-safety-security/coronavirus

Currently, we have 32 positive cases. Of those, 15 are positive open cases and 17 have recovered. Of the positive 15 cases, 7 are on campus in isolation, and 8 are living off campus. This data is effective starting August 17, 2020. After this week, we will update this information weekly as best we can, and refer you to our website.

As a second reminder, last week, Dean Herdlick sent out policy reminders to all students. If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to take the time to read these and abide by them. These policies have been created to keep our campus healthy and safe, and we plan to enforce them.

Please, do your part and abide by our Dragon Pledge and our health protocols, and avoid behaviors that put yourselves and others at risk. Doing so will help us all get through this safer and faster.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher

President

From: Michael Herdlick
Subject: IMPORTANT COVID 19-COMMUNICATION

Good afternoon Dragon Nation,

The health and safety of our campus is our top priority this semester as we navigate through an unfamiliar pandemic. In order to keep the campus safe, we have come to the conclusion that there needs to be stricter enforcement when it comes to specific student conduct handbook policies. Below, you will see which policies we are referring to, as well as the possible sanction that will be determined upon a policy violation.

Policy Reminders:

Guest Policy

• Until further notice, no guests are permitted in on campus housing. This includes guests from outside the university as well as anyone entering a residential building to which they are not assigned, barring emergency circumstances. It is essential to the success of containing and preventing illness spread that we do our best to keep the spread at a minimum. Violations of this expectation can result in a guest policy violation and/or failure to comply policy violation.
• Non-residential guests are limited to those that are essential for the ongoing care of the resident (i.e. healthcare aide or parent serving in that capacity). All other non-residential guests should arrange to meet their residential host outside, maintaining appropriate social distancing. Residents should register their essential guests with Residence Life and Housing through the disability services office. This will include contact information as well as dates, times, and durations of planned visits.

Health and Safety Hazard

• Students are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy living environment in both their specific residence facility (in residence halls, houses, and apartments) as well as in the common areas, bathrooms, and hallways of their housing units and the Tiffin University campus in general. Should Students create an environment either intentionally, maliciously, or unintentionally that creates an unhealthy, unsanitary, or hazardous environment for others, they will be subject to action through the Student Conduct Process. This includes but is not limited to propping all doors into residence halls, houses, and apartments.

Failure to Comply

• Students are advised that the University expects full cooperation, respect, and honesty with University officials, Tiffin University Security, Tiffin Police, Seneca County Sheriff’s Deputies, civil officers, or Residence Life at all times. The failure to act in such a manner results in formal disciplinary action. This includes, but is not limited to when a student:
  • Is being contacted by a Student Conduct Hearing Officer in regard to a conduct meeting and does not report.
  • Is assigned a sanction as a result of a conduct meeting and does not complete it within the given deadline.
  • Is asked to identify themselves to Residence Life, Campus Security, and/or other University officials.
  • Is uncooperative, disrespectful, or evasive toward University Officials (including RAs and Campus Student Security).

Mass Gathering Limitations

• At the beginning of the semester, the group size will be limited to ten (10). A phased approach will be implemented as deemed safe and necessary by the university. As long as TU is safely able to do so, the group size limitations will be relaxed following this tentative schedule:
  • Phase 1: Now through September 14th- < 10 attendees
  • Phase 2: September 14th – October 5th- < 25 attendees
  • Phase 3: October 5th – October 26th- < 50 attendees
  • Phase 4: October 26 – End of Semester- < 100 attendees

Any email notifications from university officials will supersede these dates. Notification will be sent through email and other official university channels.

Conduct Outcomes

• On campus guests violations, mass gathering limitations violations, health and safety violations, or failure to comply violations:
  • Moving forward, any violations of these policies will result in a mandatory two week Interim Housing Removal, Interim Loss of Privilege or Interim Suspension. This is a temporary restriction of access to certain campus areas, properties, buildings, living units, public spaces, parking lots, activities, etc. Students will be restricted from university housing, public spaces, etc. during this time. This sanction will not be appealable.
  • Additional violations may result in dismissal from the university.
• Outside guests
  • Students who bring unapproved guests to campus may result in permanent Loss of Housing Privilege or immediate dismissal from the university.
    • Housing Sanctions or Restrictions – The University reserves the right to remove anyone from housing immediately should circumstances warrant it. This action can be temporary or permanent. Once a person has been removed from housing or placed with restrictions, that person no longer has guest access to residential areas of campus. Housing Sanctions or Restrictions include:
      • Housing Removal – The immediate removal from Tiffin University Housing either permanently, or for a set period of time.
      • Loss of Privilege – The withdrawal of a privilege, use of a service, participation in a program, event, or activity for a set period of time. This sanction may prohibit a student or organization from participating in extracurricular or athletic activities.

Thank you for your cooperation and if you do have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

GO DRAGONS!

Michael Herdlick
Dean of Students-Director of the Physical Plant

Good morning Tiffin University Faculty, Staff and Students,

We have prepared for the possibility that students would test positive for COVID-19 when we developed our Dragon Safety Plan. While this is not the position that we hoped to be in, there are students who have tested positive for COVID-19 since August 16. We are working continuously with the Seneca County Health Department and our contact tracing analysis indicates that almost all infections are coming from off campus gatherings where neither masks were worn nor physical distancing was observed and students infected are passing the virus on to others.

In order to keep our campus safe, we have asked these students to return home and to take care of themselves, and they may return when they are better. For those residential students who cannot return home, we will provide them with isolation housing. During the time that they are away, we will continue to trace who they have been in contact with, clean and sanitize rooms and gathering areas across campus, as well as assist any affected students with their remote classes. We will also make use of our isolation and quarantine housing for students waiting on test results or for those who have been in contact with affected students. This is not a surprising situation and is expected. We are prepared to mitigate it and move forward through the academic year.

In the meantime, please do your part and abide by our Dragon Pledge and our health protocols and avoid behaviors that put yourselves and others at risk. Doing so will help us all get through this safer and faster.

Students, please provide correct information and answer your phone or text when the Seneca County Health Department contacts you.

As more information becomes available and applicable, we will keep our faculty, staff and students informed.
Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Peter J. Holbrook
Subject: Short Video on Hybrid Classes | Handout on Classroom Procedures | Please Read

Dragon Students,

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus in less than 5 days! We know you are wondering what the classroom experience will be like this fall. To give you some insight into what you will be experiencing, we developed a short video introducing you to our new Hybrid courses (http://youtu.be/8t-XaT8QKcE) as well as the attached handout on

We hope that these resources will help you adapt to the new ways of attending class and your role in helping to keep our classrooms safe and healthy.

We designed our Hybrid Teaching Initiative with our students in mind. Early this summer, a number of students responded to a survey regarding their learning experience this past spring with remote learning. We used this insight to develop our Split-session Hybrid classes, which provides in-person learning with your professors supplemented with online learning activities.

You will be receiving an email to your official TU email account this Friday detailing which of your courses will be delivered as Split Hybrid Courses and the day you are assigned to attend class. You will not have the option of selecting the day you can attend class. In order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students and practice appropriate social distancing, we cannot make changes. I know this may be hard on you, but with close to 1,400 students attending classes on campus this fall, it is what we must do.

Our faculty and staff have worked diligently to make this academic year as normal and safe as possible, but we need your help in stopping the spread of Covid-19 on our campus and in our community. As part of the Dragon Nation, we ask you to live up to the Dragon Pledge as well as our ICARE value of respect. You are an important part of a living and learning community that values face to face interactions both in and out of the classroom, please do your part to keep yourself and others healthy and safe. So, mask up, wash up, and keep your distance! We are a tough Dragon Nation and we can do this!

Best, Dr. Peter Holbrook
Provost & Chief Academic Officer

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Tiffin University move-in updates

Good afternoon Dragon Nation,

There have been a few updates that we would like to inform you about. To help maintain a safe and healthy environment on campus, Tiffin University will be doing temperature checks of all individuals traveling to campus, both students and support individuals upon arrival. It is our recommendation that you check your temperature prior to heading to campus. Move-in groups who do not register a temperature of 100.3०F or higher will be given a check-in pass allowing them to receive their room key and complete other necessary check-in procedures.

On Friday, August 14, students checking in that are not involved with Cheer/Stunt and Cross Country, will be required to report to the parking lot of the University Health Center (new location) at 142 Jackson Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883. Once you are there, please stay in your vehicle and call 419.448.3429 and an individual will come out and take your temperature.

On Saturday, August 15, there will be tents with temperature check stations set up in the Jackson Street Cul-De-Sac and the Gillmor Student Center parking lot. All individuals are to remain in the vehicle during the temperature check process. Students checking into Kirk, Zahn, or Huggins Halls will be using the temperature check station at the Jackson Street Cul-De-Sac, students checking into Clay Street Hall, Frieldey, or Craycraft will utilize the Gillmor Parking Lot temperature check station.

On Sunday, August 16, all students will be checking in at the Heminger center. A temperature check station will be set up in the Heminger parking lot. All individuals are to remain in the vehicle during the temperature check process.

If there is an individual in your vehicle that registers a temperature of 100.3०F or higher, nobody from your vehicle will be permitted on campus. If you live within 300 miles of campus, you will be required to go back home and quarantine for 14 days. If you live outside of the 300 mile radius, the student will be placed in our isolation housing for 14 days. A student may be tested for COVID-19 after an individual in their vehicle registered a temperature of 100.3०F or higher as a means of being released from the 14 day quarantine. The student must have test results that state they are negative for COVID-19 prior to coming back to campus. If the student is instructed to quarantine, or is placed in isolation housing, the student will need to register with the Office of Disability Services in order to receive accommodations for their course work.

We appreciate that this news is difficult, though it is not entirely unexpected given the rise in confirmed cases nationally, and in Ohio. The University remains focused on the health and well-being of our community, and we will continue our measures for social distancing as we all do our part to limit community spread, flatten the curve of infections, and protect those who are particularly vulnerable to this disease.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Fall 2020 re-opening plan

Good afternoon Dragons,

The beginning of the 2020-21 academic year is just around the corner and we look forward to welcoming students, faculty and staff back on campus. As we re-open campus, our top priority is to maintain the health and safety of the entire Tiffin University community.

Our staff have worked diligently throughout the summer on a re-opening plan for campus, called the Dragon Plan, and I’m thrilled to share it with you today. This live-document, which is housed on the TU website, has been created to communicate regular updates on the plan for returning to campus, COVID-19 news and developments and any new requirements or guidance that the University receives. We will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and regional and local health care partners to comply with directives and guidelines to safeguard our students, faculty, staff and visitors and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on our campus.

Through the Dragon Plan, we believe that we have positioned our institution to follow the Governor’s Safe Business Practices and the Seneca County Public Health Guidelines.

Please take the time today to review and bookmark the Dragon Plan at pga-guide.com/dragon-plan. Refer to this document for all questions and concerns related to COVID-19 and a safe return to campus for the start of fall classes on August 17, 2020.

We look forward to a great year!

Sincerely,
Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Greetings Dragon Faculty and Students,

We are looking forward to resuming seated face-to-face classes next week Monday, July 6. We have missed our students and faculty in the classroom!

Summer Term II will be a trial run to help prepare for a full opening for the fall semester, which starts on August 17, 2020. The number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase nationwide, including the State of Ohio. With this in mind, we have two goals for the Summer Term II Session. One, to keep our faculty, staff, and students safe by embracing a Commitment to Personal Responsibility. Two, to ensure that we can deliver classes in a face-to-face setting, which is the preferred delivery mode for many of our students.

To keep our faculty, staff, and students safe, we continue to closely follow the recommendations made by our state and county health department. We also monitor and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization along with the guiding principles of the Responsible Restart Ohio plan to continue our efforts to protect the health of employees, students, and our community. Attached is our Restart Plan for Summer Term II.

In addition, we have adopted the guidelines below for classroom instruction. It is important that we practice a Commitment to Personal Responsibility, which means that we embrace our ICARE value of Respect to keep each other healthy so that we can deliver seated, face-to-face instruction. What this means is that we ask that you wear a face covering and practice social distancing while in the classroom. Likewise, you can help the University stay safe by whipping down your workstation before you leave the classroom. Sanitizing each classroom at the end of each session before another group arrives will supplement the ongoing work by our staff to clean and sanitize our classrooms on a regular basis throughout the day.

I believe that if we all practice a Commitment to Personal Responsibility, we will decrease the likelihood of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Most of all, by taking personal responsibility and embracing our ICARE value of Respect, we will increase the likelihood that we can continue to offer classes in the desired face-to-face format and reduce the chance that we will need to revert to virtual classes.

To make it easy to take personal responsibility, The University has outlined the following guidelines for classroom instruction. You are to follow these guidelines each time you enter and leave a classroom. Please remember to practice good personal hygiene by handwashing frequently as this is the number one tip for preventing the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19. When soap and water are not available, the next best option is to use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

• Prior to coming on to campus every day, students are required to complete the health assessment If they show symptoms of COVID-19, they should not attend class and notify their instructor. The health assessment can be completed on the TU Mobile app and at http://forms.gle/dsgHJ8PimQMthpNr7.
• Temperatures will be taken prior to entering the classroom.
• Tiffin University will be implementing social distancing protocols with students being spaced at least 6 feet apart. Students and faculty should wear face-coverings to provide added levels of safety for all.
• Will limit any face to face class to a specific number of students and an instructor with seating set with 6 feet social distancing.
• Disinfect each classroom at the end of each session before another group arrives.
• Provide alternate activities for students who may be personally vulnerable or individuals they live with who are vulnerable as deemed necessary.

Again, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus next week. It is a milestone in helping Tiffin University reopen safety. Let me thank you in advance for your willingness to practice a Commitment to Personal Responsibility. By each of us doing our part, we will increase the likelihood of keeping our campus safe!

Good luck as you start your studies.

Go Dragons,

Dr. Peter Holbrook, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer

Thursday, July 2, 2020
From: Dr. Peter J. Holbrook
Subject: Important Information Please Read | Seated Classes, Summer Term II | July 6 Class Starts

Commencement – Graduation Co-Curricular Requirement

In response to COVID-19, we recognize that our students may be facing challenges in completing the required co-curricular experiences due to closures and cancelations nationwide.  The co-curricular requirement for May and August 2020 graduates will be waived.

Moodle – Online Coursework

Students are expected to maintain an active presence and “check-in” to your Moodle shells at least once a day to review important information and actively engage in online coursework and activities, as appropriate. Faculty will be using the Announcement Forum in Moodle as the primary conduit for official course-related communication. Even though your instructor’s announcement posts will trigger an email to your pga-guide.com account, you should be sure to check ALL course discussion forums regularly (at least daily) to be sure you have not missed any important information.

If you have questions about accessing your course in Moodle and finding the Announcements Forum, check out the video at http://youtu.be/bXjTUeYcLQM

Guidance for Art Students

Professor Van Kerkhove will compile art material kits for all students enrolled in ART courses. These students will have the materials and guidance to work on projects required for the course during the time period the face-to-face courses cannot be taught.

Guidance for CCP Students

CCP classes are following the same protocol as campus. All CCP seated classes, both at high schools and campus, are transitioned to the online platform for the next two weeks. Advising appointments will be over the phone. TU’s CCP Program Manager has sent the news release to guidance counselors, superintendents and students.

Guidance for Digital Media and Design Students

The Digital Media and Design Lab will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for students to use as they need to in order to complete the course work. Professor Kleinoeder will be in his office to help individual students with software questions. His office is adjacent to the Digital Media and Design Lab.

Guidance for ESL Students

ESL students should log into Moodle at their regular class times for online instruction.

Guidance for Music Ensembles

• Members of the University Choir (MUS X12/X13) will be asked to listen to audio recordings of university and professional choirs, and submit written reviews of these performances. Some of these recordings will be of repertoire currently being prepared by TU ensembles. These reviews will require students to specifically address technique, performance practice, interpretation, and an assessment of artistic and aesthetic merit.
• Members of the University Concert Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble (MUS X10/X11) will be asked to listen to audio recordings of university and professional ensembles performing the same pieces as have been prepared to date by TU ensembles. Students will submit written reviews addressing technique, performance practice, interpretation, and an assessment of artistic and aesthetic merit.
• The Band and Choir concert scheduled for Saturday March 14 is canceled. Repertoire scheduled to be presented will be moved to the second Band and Choir concert scheduled for Friday April 24.

Guidance for Private Music Instruction

• Private Music Instruction will be held via video conferencing where possible
• Where video conferencing is not possible, students will submit their individual music performances and technique demonstrations on video via Moodle. Faculty will respond, give feedback and instruction in writing or on video, and students may re-submit their work taking feedback into account.
• Students still on campus may have access to the PAL so they may have use of drumsets, pianos, and other instruments needed in their instruction and individual practice.
• Students who do not have access to school-owned instruments needed for practicing and instruction may have to reschedule lessons when face-to-face instruction is allowed.
• The PMI student recital scheduled for March 18 will be postponed to a later date.
• Two additional PMI student recitals are scheduled for April 1 and April 15.
• Students presenting performances as part of their senior projects may be asked to make video recordings of some of their performances. These recordings will be assessed and archived.
• Should juries scheduled for final exam week have to be canceled, students will be asked to submit performances on video, which will be assessed by faculty using PMI rubrics.

Guidance for Science Students

• Based on the lab curriculum content, professors will work with students in the digital environment.
• Some professors will lecture during the lab time with Collaborate, or Discussion Forums and complete lab procedures during the lecture period when face to face lab classes can be held.
• Some professors are assigning Research Projects which can be done outside of a lab classroom. Students will  research the scientific literature through DragonQuest on the library home page to identify a journal article that involves the curriculum content in the lab.
• Some professors will have students complete alternate lab procedures, and have students record the experiment, results, discussion, and conclusions in their laboratory notebook. The students can upload to Moodle classroom the video or picture record of the experiment.
• Some professors will have students complete simulated laboratories.

Guidance for Students Completing the Co-Curricular Requirement

As we continue to manage through the pandemic, in response to COVID-19, we recognize that our students continue to face challenges in completing the required co-curricular experiences due to closures and cancelations nationwide. The co-curricular requirement for our graduates will be waived until further notice.

Guidance for Students Completing an Internship

We have large numbers of interns placed with agencies across the state/nation this spring. Each internship site will vary in their response to COVID-19 which will require us to be flexible in managing each student’s unique situation. Recommended guidelines:

• If the student has already logged 100 hours, this will be considered successful completion of the internship hours, pending completion of the remaining internship documents/assignments.
• If the student has logged 50-100 hours, the faculty will work with the student to complete additional work in place of the remaining hours. This additional work will be above and beyond the required internship assignments. Additional work may include a research paper, an experiential learning opportunity with a written reflection or working remotely.
• If the student has logged less than 50 hours, faculty may reassess the student’s academic plan to see if the student could take their internship in a later semester without consequences (including financial aid and athletic eligibility). If the student has another semester remaining, and retaking the internship at a later time is not possible, a student may be approved to take a course substitution for the internship course. If this is the student’s final semester, the faculty supervisor will need to work with the student, similar to an IGS, to have them complete case studies, additional written assignments and real-world simulated experiences to meet the CLO’s of the course.

** Please note: Specialty internship programs such as the Washington Center, WSARC, Disney, etc. may vary from these guidelines.  All forensic psychology students’ hours will be measured by doubling the above requirements – 200 successful completion, 100-200 additional assignments, under 100 reassess.**

Tuesday, June 26, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Summer Term II

Good morning Tiffin University Students, Staff and Faculty,

As you know, Tiffin University has been monitoring developments with COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus). Our University continues to closely follow the recommendations made by our state and county health department. We also monitor and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization along with the guiding principles of the Responsible Restart Ohio plan to continue our efforts to protect the health of employees, students, and our community. This summer, the University has been working to address our student academic and non-academic experiences along with our safety and campus operations to prepare for in-person teaching and learning to resume Summer Term II.

You will notice various changes in the way our campus looks as well as new practices and guidelines. We understand these changes may be difficult and we are here to support you. Our goal is to collaboratively ensure you feel safe and secure so together we can navigate through today’s complexities given this pandemic.

Attached, you will find the Tiffin University Summer Term II Restart Plan outlining the new practices and guidelines effective Monday, June 29, 2020.

The health assessment can be completed on the TU Mobile app and at http://forms.gle/dsgHJ8PimQMthpNr7

Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and welcome back to campus!

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Monday, June 8, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Important academic calendar updates

Good day Tiffin University Students and Families,

I hope everyone is enjoying beautiful weather, at least in our neck of the woods, and more importantly, taking some time to relax, spend time with family and reenergize for what will soon be upon us with the start of the fall semester in August and welcoming all of our students to campus.

As a follow up to my email on May 19, I wanted to share that we have finalized plans for the Fall Semester start for on campus students. All other students will follow the regular academic calendar. Academic Calendars are posted on the TU portal for your information. Classes for on campus students will begin on Monday, August 17 and end by Thanksgiving break, with finals completed remotely concluding on December 3. We will still have Labor Day off and will have our Fall Break on October 8-9, 2020. Welcome weekend dates will be solidified soon.

Needless to say we have many details that remain to be ready for the fall start and will share information with all of you throughout the summer. We are looking so forward to having everyone back at Tiffin University with a very special welcome to our new incoming students. More to come and see you soon!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Friday, May 29, 2020
From: The Office of the Provost
Subject: On-Campus Summer Term II Classes Will Be Held Face-to-Face

Greetings Dragon Nation,

We are excited to welcome back students to campus for the Summer Term II Session starting June 29, 2020. If you are scheduled for a seated course on the Tiffin University campus you will be meeting face-to-face with your instructor. There is still time to enroll in a seated Summer Term II class. To access Schedules — go to: ACADEMIC RESOURCES/Schedules on MyTU or in Self Service/Search

To promote a safe return of students to the seated classroom, we will be implementing social distancing protocols with students being spaced at least 6 feet apart and highly encouraging students to wear face-coverings to provide added levels of safety for all. Classrooms, common areas, and frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned daily, with classrooms being disinfected throughout the day. Posters will be displayed with reminders on how to prevent the spread of germs. More specific protocols will be shared prior to the start of classes.

Students desiring to live in student housing during the Summer Term II Session are required to be enrolled in either a seated or online course. To sign up for student housing, contact housing@pga-guide.com. All students will be placed in single rooms for Term II housing and the rate is $800 for the term. Specific safety and health protocols will be shared prior to moving in.

We are looking forward to the safe return of our students to campus. We have missed you all. Our ability to offer seated, face-to-face courses during Summer Term II is part of our plan to prepare for the full return of students to campus this fall. It will give us the opportunity to implement safety protocols and to adjust based on our learnings.

We will keep you informed in the weeks ahead as to our intentional opening of campus for fall classes. President Schumacher will provide additional details in a communication sometime in late June/early July. Our decision-making will continue to be guided by health and government officials as well as our commitment to keeping our Dragons safe and healthy. Have a safe and good summer.

All my best,
Dr. Holbrook

Monday, May 18, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Campus Update

Dear TU students and Dragon family,

I can only imagine how restless you are about the upcoming fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters at Tiffin University, in light of the current health crisis facing our nation and world.

First off, I wanted to share that this year provided us some unprecedented opportunities for growth, and we are therefore stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for what lies ahead. We are in the midst of enhancing opportunities related to all student services, health and wellness outreach, academic advising, and career services outreach, among other services, to provide all TU students with as many connections points and a sense of engagement as possible. This pandemic has allowed us to persevere through any challenge, and more importantly thrive given the opportunity to pivot in extremely creative and innovative ways.

I will share that we are preparing to return to campus in the fall, to the greatest extent possible. Our plan is to begin the fall semester in August (actual date TBD) with our on-campus students physically with us and our online students, virtually with us.

We know that for our traditional student population, the best way to transform the education we provide is to do so by allowing students to interact with fellow students, develop friendships, engage in student activities, participate in athletics, reside in our residence halls and develop bonds with faculty and staff.

Of course, none of us has a crystal ball and we do not know how much the Covid-19 virus will be mitigated by August, and/or what parameters health experts and government officials (including the Governor of Ohio, the Mayor of Tiffin, and the local and state health departments) will place upon colleges and universities between now and then. However, there are optimistic signs.

The State of Ohio has fortunately been relatively low in terms of numbers of coronavirus cases. Just last week Ohio began the careful process of reopening the state, and Governor Mike DeWine and his staff continue to closely monitor our state and county statistics related to Covid-19. We are hopeful, given current modelling, that the virus will have subsided sufficiently to permit some version of on-campus classes and residential housing in the fall, as long as appropriate modifications are made to ensure social distancing, enhanced hygiene measures, de-densifying in common spaces, testing, etc.

My leadership team and I have been working around-the-clock to create multiple, adaptable contingency plans that can be implemented quickly, so that we are prepared for any scenario as the new academic year arrives.

The health, safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority. We also want to ensure our students’ academic continuity, so there is no disruption of their ability to achieve their academic goals and earn their degrees. Additionally, we are committed to fostering ongoing social interactions and community building among our students, even as guidelines and restrictions are created by government and health officials to deal responsibly with this unprecedented pandemic.

We must remain nimble through this. With the help of my leadership team and experts on campus, we are creating a continuity of operations plan that is as flexible as possible. It will allow TU and its students to move seamlessly into and out of any situation that emerges in the months ahead, regardless of what parameters are placed on us by health and government officials. Once our plan is in place, I will share more of its specific details in a communication to you sometime in late June/early July.

The exact trajectory of future events, of course, is impossible for any institution of higher education to predict. The development of rapid testing, treatment and/or vaccine for the virus could change the situation positively. Equally, a spike in cases could slow down openings. Governmental guidance, informed by science and data, regarding parameters for in-person classes and on-campus living will likely be forthcoming. For that reason, we are building an infrastructure that will allow us to pivot into different modes of educational delivery, if necessary, whether at the beginning or in the middle of the semester. Essentially, our adaptable contingency plans are built around three possible scenarios:

Scenario #1: On-campus classes and housing are permitted, so long as modified to protect the health and safety of students and employees, as guided by CDC directives, governmental protocols, etc. (For students and/or employees who have underlying health issues or otherwise have concerns about on-campus activities, online instruction options will always be available under any scenario).

Scenario #2: Blended in-person and online classes, and scaled-back on-campus housing, are recommended, in order to modify for health and safety purposes, at least for a period of time in the academic year.

Scenario #3: Fully online instruction is required for a period of the academic year, if the virus recurs and the government orders another period of shut-downs. Under this scenario, which we hope is less likely, we would develop the ability to move quickly and seamlessly back to campus as soon as health concerns subside.

Presently, our Institutional Response Team is focused on six task force areas aligned with this contingency plan. These six areas are: Health and Safety Protocols for Students and Employees; Academic Affairs and Online and Extended Learning; Housing, Food Service, Physical Plant and Auxiliary Services; Student Success; Athletic and Extra-Curricular Programs; and, Finance and Budget.

As I work with our Institutional Response team, which includes my leadership team, to complete the plan for this upcoming academic year, please know that we will continue to do so with the same care, foresight, judicious and data-driven analysis as we have done when the pandemic first impacted our institution in March. At that time, thanks to the remarkable efforts of many people at TU, we were able to provide necessary and exceptional services for our students, both academically and from a student engagement perspective. Correspondingly, using what we now know as we plan for the fall, we are confident that Tiffin University will be fully operational whatever comes our way. We expect more guidance from state and local officials in the upcoming weeks and will keep you updated as soon as our plans are solidified based upon those instructions.

We prioritize the Tiffin University educational experience to be a transformational journey for all of our students across varying modalities, programs and timelines. The experience is more than just one semester or one year. It involves being part of a life-long community; creating TU Dragons for life; living by a set of core ICARE (interdependence, communication, accountability, respect and entrepreneurship) values that drive our relational behaviors. A pandemic can, and will, impact aspects of the learning experience for a finite period of time. But these disruptions will pass. In the meantime, at Tiffin University we are and will continue to be purposeful, proactive and intentional in all that we do to continue resilience despite any temporary obstacles. We are Dragon strong!

We look very forward to seeing you in the fall semester, hopefully in person, on campus. We thank you in the meantime for your patience, consideration and support, in the face of these challenging times.

As I often tell my own children, make good choices, and stay safe and healthy in the weeks ahead. We will be back in touch with you again soon.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Campus Scenario Models graphic

Monday, May 5, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

Greetings Tiffin University Students,

We hope that you are all doing well. We wanted to reach out to let you know that Tiffin University is administering a grant, provided by the Federal Department of Education, to assist students who have incurred certain expenses caused by the disruption from COVID-19. The funding is provided in the form of a grant which does not need to be repaid.

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund helps students enrolled in seated classes as a degree seeking student and eligible for Title IV funds (FAFSA) on or after March 13, 2020 with certain expenses that have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To apply, students must submit the application found here, along with any supporting documentation of the expenses claimed. Additional documentation may be requested.

Applications will be reviewed within 10 business days and you will be notified by email if funding is approved. The grant funds will be direct deposited if you are signed up for eRefund or mailed in a check to the student at the permanent address on file with the University. Disbursements from this fund will not be applied to an outstanding balance on your student account.

Due to a limited amount of funds available, the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund team will need to evaluate individual requests to determine the amount students will be awarded. The deadline to submit the application is May 25, 2020.

If you or a parent on the FAFSA has a loss of income please email finaid@pga-guide.com to determine whether you would qualify for additional financial aid through the special circumstances review process.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Wednesday, April 22, 2020
From: Wes Kruger
Subject: Caps & Gowns

If you ordered your cap and gown to be picked up in the Bookstore they are now available. I will be in the Bookstore from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Starting May 4th the Bookstore will be open Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday 9a.m.-3 p.m.

Thanks,

Wes Kruger
Store Manager
TU Bookstore

Monday, April 20, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Graduation announcement

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

We were all heartbroken when the coronavirus pandemic forced us make different arrangements for spring commencement. We still want to recognize our students with a commencement day and award the academic degrees that they have earned through years of study and hard work.

Today, I would like to announce that Tiffin University will be hosting a virtual graduation ceremony on May 2 at 2 p.m.

This virtual ceremony will give students and their loved ones an opportunity to participate in a meaningful shared experience. Provost Dr. Peter Holbrook will lead the virtual ceremony, which will be posted on the University’s website at pga-guide.com/commencement. Our Board of Trustee Chair, the President of the Alumni Association and I will give a few remarks, and each graduate’s name will be announced. We will be conferring over 800 degrees, and diplomas will be sent to students through the mail.

Dr. Reginald Wilkinson, President of Connecting the Dots, LLC, a consulting company, will deliver a brief message as well. Dr. Wilkinson was selected because of his impressive career achievements and the leadership that he has provided to his profession, as well as Tiffin University as a dedicated trustee since 2012. He has succeeded in his career and his life based his hard work and integrity.

Please be sure to keep an eye on social media the week leading up to graduation, as we plan to host commencement experiences virtually.
Thank you, everyone, for your hard work and perseverance during the last couple of months. Now it is time to celebrate the reason why we are here – our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Wednesday, April 15, 2020
From: Wes Kruger
Subject: Summer Student Accounts Now Open

Summer Accounts are now open to order your summer books and school supplies. When checking out choose student account and type in your student ID starting with P to find the account. If your account doesn’t show up you need to fill out the Revolving Credit Agreement with your Advisor.

Thanks,

Wes Kruger
Store Manager
TU Bookstore

Wednesday, April 8, 2020
From: Wes Kruger
Subject: Dragon Dollars

If you have Dragon Dollars left that you would like to spend at the Bookstore please let me know and I can make it available on the Bookstore website www.tiffinuniversityshop.com. We are currently offering free shipping for all online orders.

Thanks

Wes Kruger
Store Manager
TU Bookstore

Tuesday, April 7, 2020
From: The Office of the Provost
Subject: Announcement for Summer Term I Seated Classes | Tiffin Campus

Greetings,

Please see the following announcement from Provost Holbrook.

Summer Term I Seated Classes for Tiffin Campus Term I, May 5 – June 11

In response to COVID19, Tiffin University will transition the Tiffin Campus Summer Term I seated course schedule to a Live Virtual learning modality. These synchronous courses will include designated scheduled class meeting times for lecture and class participation held through video conferencing.

Note: If you are a SACM sponsored student: SACM has approved a max of 12 hours of online study for Summer 2020 due to the pandemic.Students returning to their home country will be limited to 12 hours of online study and will not be able to enroll in the live virtual seated courses being offered due to the synchronous format that will be used for these courses. For students remaining in/around Tiffin, Ohio, you are permitted enrollment up to 18 hours of instruction (combination of live virtual seated and online courses, with a maximum of 12 hours being online). For registration assistance contact Andrea Draper at DraperAC@pga-guide.com or Dr. Terry Sullivan at TSullivan@pga-guide.com

This announcement applies only to Term I seated Main Campus courses. Summer Online courses will continue to be offered as they always have been. Further decisions regarding Term II seated Main Campus courses will be made at a later date.

To access the Tiffin Campus Seated Summer I Schedule go to: MyTU Summer Schedule

Monday, April 6, 2020
From: Jacob Simon, Associate Dean of Students
Subject: Housing Email

Hello Dragons!

Whether you are still on campus or have returned home, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to send along some updates regarding campus housing during the coronavirus pandemic. Please make sure to read this entire email.

• Spring 2020 Refunds
  • If you have not already done so, please make sure to fill out the refund request form HERE.
  • Remember, in order for your refund to be processed, your room must be emptied and your key must be turned in.
    • If your room is empty and you still have your key, you can mail it in a padded envelope along with a paper with your name and housing location to:
      • Tiffin University
      • Housing and Residence Life
      • 155 Miami St
      • Tiffin, OH 44883
  • You will still receive a refund based on the date you initially left campus.
  • If you left campus before March 22nd, you are still eligible for a refund, just not any more than if you left on the 22nd.
  • Questions? Contact reslife@pga-guide.com
• Spring 2020 End of Term
  • The Spring 2020 housing contract ends on May 1, 2020. All students are expected to have moved out, all of their belongings removed from campus, and their room key turned in to the housing office by May 1, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
  • Students who are currently on campus:
    • You may leave at any time during this semester but will not be permitted back to campus once you have moved out.
    • As a reminder, all university policies are still in place, including the amended guest policy revision listed below:
      • Only individuals who are registered Tiffin University students who are maintaining their room reservation through the Spring 2020 semester are permitted in university housing. This policy is to encourage the mandatory social distancing enacted by the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health. Violations may result in actions taken by the office of student conduct and could include the student’s removal from on campus housing.
      • The CDC and State of Ohio Department of Healthy is observing a six-foot social distancing guideline. This applies to all spaces on campus as well.
  • Students who already left campus but still have items in your room
    • You will receive an email with a link to sign up for a move out appointment. This will be done through Google Calendar. More instructions will follow in an email specific to your housing location. Please schedule intentionally.
  • Questions? Contact reslife@pga-guide.com
• Summer 2020- Term I
  • Tiffin University will not be offering summer housing for Term I.
  • Only students who are absolutely unable to go home as a result of coronavirus related travel restrictions (international students) or those who already are considered independent students with the office of financial aid. If this situation applies to you, please email reslife@pga-guide.com for more information regarding crisis housing.
  • All other students should plan to leave campus by May 1st.
  • Questions? Contact reslife@pga-guide.com

• Fall 2020 Housing
  • You MUST wait to start the application until your class standing updates on the welcome page. It can take up to 30 minutes for your class registration to come through to the housing system.
  • The first round of timeslots will be sent on Wednesday this week. The timeslots to select housing will begin on Friday. If you do not receive a timeslot Wednesday, you will receive one on Monday, April 13th as long as your application is completed.
  • Questions about the housing process should be sent to housing@pga-guide.com.

If you have any questions or are in need of any assistance, please contact reslife@pga-guide.com.

Jacob Simon
Associate Dean of Students

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: A quick note from the President

Good day Tiffin University Students, Staff and Faculty,

Just checking in on everyone…

I hope your week is off to a great start. It is Tuesday, March 31st; the last day of March already. 2020 is flying by despite current events!

I wanted to send a quick note just to say how proud I am of all of you and how you are handling these challenging times.

Students, you are trying your best, sticking with your coursework and trying new ways of engaging during this social distancing challenge and so many of you are upbeat and positive! Thank you for being such an inspiration for us all!

Staff and faculty, thank you so much for adapting, staying the course and working so hard for TU and our students! You are dedicated and resilient!

I thought I would share a quote that resonated with me when I read it this morning…

“Appreciate where you are in your journey even if it’s not where you want to be. Every season serves a purpose.” Author Unknown

Please know I appreciate you! Stay strong Dragons and GO GONS!!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President

Friday, March 27, 2020
From: Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Subject: Student refunds for the spring semester

Greetings Tiffin University Students,

I sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 challenges. I hope you are all doing well and staying strong academically and otherwise this spring semester.

We have made a decision on student refunds for the spring semester. We will be offering partial room and board refunds for eligible students.

Specifically:
Tiffin University will be administering refunds on a per day basis, as of Sunday, March 22 or when the student left campus, whichever is later. No additional refund will be awarded to students that left campus prior to March 22. Students who moved off campus, but left their belongings in their rooms, will still be eligible for a refund. Refunds will FIRST apply to spring 2020 semester student account balances. Any remaining refunds will be issued back to the student.

All Tiffin campus students are eligible for this refund, except students who receive federal, state and institutional aid (scholarships, grants, etc.) that cover the entire spring 2020 balance. Additionally, any student remaining on campus for the rest of the spring 2020 semester is not eligible for any refund.

Students requesting reimbursement must complete a form with residence life in order to receive any refund. You can find the form at http://tiffindragons.wufoo.com/forms/qfd2c7e0o4ylwg/ and the directions on how to fill out the form is attached.

The form must be completed by May 1 to be considered for a refund.

If you have any questions, please direct them to our residence life office reslife@pga-guide.com.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

How to Sign Up for Direct Deposit of Student Disbursements/Refunds

Tuesday, March 24, 2020
From: Frances Ford
Subject: Fwd: Seneca House

The Seneca House will remain physically closed for appointments during the COVID-19 crisis. I will remain available however, for telephone consultations between the hours of 10am through 2pm Monday-Friday for any health related questions or concerns. Please call 419-448-3429 during these hours; I will also be available by e-mail at fordfj@pga-guide.com.

I am looking forward to the day when things are back to normal; until then you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Fran Ford
Certified Nurse Practitioner

Tuesday, March 24, 2020
From: Dan Clark
Subject: Updated Information on 03.23.20 Moodle Outage

Dragon Family>

We have received initial information from our Moodle host concerning yesterday afternoon’s outage. They believe it was caused by a significant increase in Moodle use nationally that temporarily overwhelmed their systems. They shut down the sites to work with their partner AWS (Amazon Web Services) to scale up resources to meet demand, and will continue to monitor the situation and search for any specific root causes that may have contributed to the service disruption.

As institutions all over the country move into uncharted territory, we should not be surprised to experience temporary disruptions like yesterday’s outage. Based on articles and information we have reviewed, worldwide internet usage is up an estimated 67%. For the most part, the system is holding together well and we are confident that any issues that confront us can be dealt with quickly and ultimately, overcome.

Please know that the COEL and ITS teams team here at TU and all of our technology vendors are all aware of how important Moodle and other online resources are to everyone, and we will be vigilant in minimizing issues when and if they arise.

To make certain we get important information out to everybody as efficiently as possible, we have adjusted our communication procedures to disseminate information through both email and the TU app if there is an issue.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

onward,

Dan

Monday, March 23, 2020
From: Wes Kruger
Subject: Bookstore closed website open with FREE shipping

The Bookstore will be closed starting Tuesday 24th till further notice. The Bookstore website will remain open with FREE shipping. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.

Thanks

Wes Kruger
Store Manager
TU Bookstore

Saturday, March 21, 2020
From: Michael Herdlick
Subject: Taking care of each other…

Good evening Dragon Nation,

As I was walking a bit outside in the driving snow this morning, I was reflecting on our TU community and how very proud I am of our students during this unprecedented time in our history. I could see the sun trying to peak out a bit and the temperature starting to slowly warm up as thoughts were running through my mind about the campus, online classes, and how we are all adjusting to a new norm. I just felt a sense of calm that we are going to be just fine and our Dragon Spirit is great and inspiring.

I want you all to know how hard our President, Cabinet, faculty, and all of our staff have been working through this difficult time as we all balance our thoughts, emotions, and feelings. I can tell you that every discussion we have as administrators revolves around all of our students. The decisions that are being made are with all of you at the forefront and that we are all in this together. We don’t have all the answers and no one does, but we are listening and doing our best to answer your questions.

Keep working hard in your online classes as your faculty are dedicated to seeing you all succeed. Take walks and coffee breaks, write letters to your parents and family members if you are not at home, and watch some shows on television. I am learning a lot about YouTube! Talk to people via social media and think about what you can do to help each other during these tough days. Support your local businesses, offer words of encouragement, do those random acts of kindness, and continue to show compassion wherever you go. It is OK to be upset, and to cry, and to be vulnerable…but keep laughing and smiling as that will be our great medicine to help us as human beings. Now is not the time to point fingers, but to look deep within ourselves and see what we can each do to help each other.

Proud to serve as your Dean of Students, honored to work with the greatest people here in Tiffin, and blessed to be a Dragon for life…

Keep the faith and be strong
Take care

Michael Herdlick
Dean of Students-Director of Facilities

Friday, March 20, 2020
From: The Office of the Provost
Subject: Registration Notice for Tiffin Campus Students | Murphy Academic Support Center | Please Read

Greetings,

In response to COVID-19 and to better serve you, the following changes have been made.

Registration Update

We have made the decision to delay registration for Summer and Fall 2020 by 1 week while everyone continues to adjust. The updated registration calendar is below:

• March 30: Seniors, 82+ credit hours completed as of Fall 2019
• April 1: Juniors, 55-81 credit hours completed as of Fall 2019
• April 6: Sophomores, 28-54 credit hours completed as of Fall 2019
• April 8: Freshmen, 0-27 credit hours completed as of Fall 2019

**All students must be authorized by their advisor for registration. Contact your advisor by email for a virtual advising appointment

**General Advising Questions? Email: academicadvising@pga-guide.com

**Registration Questions? Email: records@pga-guide.com

Murphy Academic Support Center Update

The Murphy Academic Support Center will be closed starting immediately. However, academic support services remain available remotely in order to provide continued assistance to students.

Peer tutoring is still available virtually by appointment. Schedule an online tutoring appointment at TutorTrac or by calling 419-448-3324 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Please provide your cell phone number when scheduling your appointment and a tutor will call you during your scheduled appointment time. For step-by-step assistance making a tutoring appointment online, please view Tutoring Tutorial

Online Tutoring hours are as follows:

• Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

For questions or assistance, please contact tutor@pga-guide.com.

Thursday, March 19, 2020
From: Wes Kruger
Subject: Rental Returns and Ebooks

Hello Students attached are two documents. The first is how you can access a shipping return label in case you need to ship your rental books back to the Bookstore. The second document shows you how you can access FREE digital texts for the remainder of the semester through REDSHELF.

Thanks,

Wes Kruger
Store Manager
TU Bookstore

Rental Book Online Returns

Accessing RedShelf Read at No Cost Titles

Thursday, March 19, 2020
From: Lillian Schumacher, President
Subject: Note from the President: Additional resources

As we continue to navigate through the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to take the time to let you know about some additional resources we have learned about that may be of interest and ease some potential strain.

Our ITS team has compiled a list of offers and information for internet access:

• FCC agreement: The Federal Communications Commission has stated that providers will waive late fees and not cutoff service for lack of payment and open hot-spots.
• Comcast COVID-19 response: Comcast is now offering free WiFi for two months to low income families, plus all Xfinity hot-spots are free to the public during this time.
• Charter Free Internet offer for two months: Charter will offer free access to Spectrum Broadband and WiFi for 60 days to new K-12 and college student households.
• AT&T COVID-19 response: AT&T now offers open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers and $10/month plans to low income families.
• Verizon COVID-19 response: At this time, Verizon has no special offers, but is following the FCC agreement.
• Sprint COVID-19 response: Sprint is following the FCC agreement and is providing unlimited data to existing customers. As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Sprint will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
• T-Mobile COVID-19 response: T-Mobile, too, is following the FCC agreement and is adding plus unlimited data for existing customers. Soon, T-Mobile will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.

We suspect that many of these offers will change in the next few weeks, so check back if you don’t take advantage of them today.

We have also been alerted to Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s College Student Travel Assistance program to help college students get back to their families. You can find more information at College Student Travel Assistance.

We will continue to update you with any new offers that our team hears about.

Thank you,

Dr. Lillian Schumacher
President

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
From: Financial Aid Office
Subject: Emergency Funds for Students

Good Afternoon TU Students,

We were contacted by SAGE Scholars and they have increased their Emergency Funds budget to help students in this time of need. They are also allowing any student to apply for these emergency funds, up to $250. Funds are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

you have to do is apply for this Emergency Fund of $250 by completing the attached form and sending it back to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@pga-guide.com, along with any supporting documentation. If approved, SAGE Scholars would send Tiffin University a check for $250 in your name. SAGE Scholars will respond as quickly as possible because they know how important these extra funds might help you.

Please stay safe and well.

Best regards,

Tiffin University
Financial Aid Office – Seitz Hall

SAGE Scholars Educational Foundation Emergency Fund Application

SAGE Scholars Educational Foundation Emergency Fund Flyer 2020

Monday, March 16, 2020
From: Lillian Schumacher, President

Good evening students,

Due to the State of Ohio Governor’s announcement this afternoon, effective tomorrow, we will close the Gillmor gymnasium, weight room and areas of the Heminger Center.

My sincerest apologies for having to do this.

There are potentially additional announcements coming this week and I will provide updates based on these within the next seventy-two hours. Please be patient as we finalize some of our decisions in the best interest of all students and our Tiffin University employees.

Sincerely,
Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President

Sunday, March 15, 2020
From: Jacob Simon, Associate Dean of Students
Subject: Cole Dining Hall Update

Hello Dragons,

With regard to Governor DeWine’s order restricting dine-in restaurants, the Cole Dining Hall will continue to operate but only in a to go format.

Starting with breakfast on Monday, March 16th, students will enter the dining hall as usual and will make their selections. All dining options will be plated to-go for patrons to enjoy elsewhere on campus. Cups, lids, and straws will be available for drinks and salads will be premade.

For any students with special dietary needs, please email Chef Todd at foodservice@pga-guide.com to make arrangements before coming to the dining hall.

This process will run for all meals moving forward unless specified otherwise.

If you have any questions or concerns during this time, please know that you can reach out to any of us in Student Affairs. We are here for you!

Jacob Simon

Friday, March 13, 2020
From: Lillian Schumacher, President
Subject: More Campus Communication regarding athletics-PLEASE READ

Good afternoon TU students, staff and faculty,

As promised, I will continue to communicate whenever information is new or updated. To that fact, please read the attached press release from the NCAA, specifically for all of our Division II programs as a result of our Presidents’ meeting earlier today.

Thank you.

Attachment 1:
Effective immediately, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference has canceled all spring athletics competition and championships. All team-related activities are suspended through April 6, 2020. Following that date, institutions will review and implement team-related activities at their discretion as permitted by NCAA legislation.”

OFFICIAL STATEMENT
GREAT MIDWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Attachment 2:
FOR RELEASE (NOON ET):
Great Midwest: COVID-19 Official Statement
Friday, March 13, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – On Friday morning, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference provided an official announcement regarding the status of remaining spring athletics competition and championship sport offerings for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

Effective immediately, the Great Midwest has canceled all spring athletics competition and championships. All team-related activities are suspended through April 6, 2020. Following that date, institutions will review and implement team-related activities at their discretion as permitted by NCAA legislation.

The Great Midwest Presidents Council provided a unanimous decision in light of the impact of COVID-19. The legislative actions were taken and conducted in the best interest of protecting the student-athletes and the entirety of the campus communities.

Conference and institutional administrators will continue to monitor developments and work with the NCAA to ensure the best interests of Great Midwest student-athletes and member institutions are met moving forward.

Friday, March 13, 2020
From: Lillian Schumacher, President
Subject: More Campus CommunicatIon – PLEASE READ

Good afternoon TU students, staff and faculty,

I hope this email finds all of us doing well and enjoying the sunshine!

Just a quick update for you…effective immediately, any TU campus student (meal plan or not) will be able to eat in the dining hall. Thank you to our AVI Food Service partner! Students, just make sure you have your student ID with you.

I just left there and it was great food! Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 11, 2020
From: The Office of the Provost
Subject: Important Email | Read | Online Instructions

Greetings, Dragons!

As you are aware, the University has transitioned your seated courses to an online modality for at least the next two weeks in response to the COVID-19 disruption. In addition to your health and safety, your academic success is of vital importance to us. In order for you to ensure the successful completion of your courses throughout this transition, please review and abide by the following.

First and foremost, we appreciate your ability to adapt to doing your course work online during this period of time. Thank you!

Second, it is crucial for you to understand that classes have not been cancelled or postponed. Students are expected to maintain an active presence and “check-in” to your Moodle shells at least once a day to review important information and actively engage in online coursework and activities, as appropriate.

We have instructed the faculty to use the Announcement forum in Moodle as the primary conduit for official course-related communication. Even though your instructor’s announcement posts will trigger an email to your pga-guide.com account, you should be sure to check ALL course discussion forums regularly (at least daily) to be sure you have not missed any important information. If you have questions about accessing your course in Moodle and finding the Announcements Forum, check out this video:

http://youtu.be/bXjTUeYcLQM

Over the next few days, you should expect ongoing and detailed Moodle Announcements from each of your instructors outlining how each of them has decided to adjust the course to transition it to the online delivery. It is possible, and even likely, that several activities, assignments, and assessments will be adjusted to give you the best chance to achieve attainment of the course learning outcomes, and successfully complete the course.

Remember, your instructors want you to be successful, and given the disruption, will undoubtedly demonstrate some flexibility as you work through the upcoming weeks. However, your success is ultimately up to you. As long as you maintain an active presence, engage the course activities earnestly and put in the effort necessary to complete the tasks and assignments to the best of your ability, your grades will not suffer. In fact, you might surprise yourself with your resilience and adaptability, skills that will serve you well in the future.

If you have never been an online student, you will find time management is critical. It is recommended that you set aside at least the time you spent in class to review your courses in Moodle and interact with your instructor and peers.

As always, if you have any technical questions or concerns, please contact the Moodle Support team at moodlesupport@pga-guide.com and we will be glad to help.

Finally, please remember to take care of your health by following preventive guidelines, which can be found at pga-guide.com/offices/campus-safety-security/coronavirus/response-plan.

Again, thank you for leaning into and adapting to this instructional change. It is all being done with your health and safety in mind.

Best,
Peter J. Holbrook, Ph.D.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
From: Michael Herdlick, Dean of Students-Director of Facilities
Subject: Re: Important Tiffin University Communication-Please read including attachment

Good afternoon everyone,

As a follow up to President Schumacher’s earlier email regarding the Coronavirus, please note that the Cole Dining Hall will remain open during this time period as well as the The Wall Street Pub. If you do have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at herdlickm@pga-guide.com
Thank you and have a good evening

Michael Herdlick
Dean of Students-Director of Facilities

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
From: Lillian Schumacher, President
Subject: Important Tiffin University Communication-Please read including attachment

Greetings Tiffin University Faculty, Staff and Students,

In response to the recent confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the United States, and the state of Ohio, Tiffin University, in consultation with state and local officials, has established a plan to protect its students, employees, visitors and the Tiffin community against any possible threats of the virus, likely or unlikely.

At this time, it is important to note that currently there are zero incidents of COVID-19 at Tiffin University and in order to maintain this safe and healthy environment, Tiffin University will continue all classes through an online modality effective Wednesday, March 11. Please note, this change will remain in effect until Sunday, March 29, unless notified otherwise.

Students are welcome to consider whether or not they remain on campus or go home; however all students are expected to complete all course work online per individual faculty instruction.

Normal operations for staff will continue until otherwise notified.

In an effort to prevent any illness whatsoever, individuals outside of the campus community will not be permitted to attend any scheduled events on campus through Sunday, March 29, unless notified otherwise. This includes all indoor events; community members are welcome to attend outside events, at their own risk.

At this point in time, I cannot state how long this plan will remain in place. It may be extended and/or changed between now and March 29. We will do our best to keep everyone informed.

For those of you who have scheduled events through the end of the semester, that include students, alumni and/or community events indoors, I mandate that you be proactive and cancel or reschedule these events until summer or later, especially for any individuals that need to make travel plans to get to campus. A decision regarding our annual Honors Ceremony and Commencement will be made at a later date.

Your understanding and cooperation is appreciated. Hang in there. This too shall pass!

Sincerely,
Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President

Attachment:
PUBLIC RELATIONS STATEMENT

Office of the President – Dr. Lillian Schumacher
Today is March 10, 2020

In response to the recent confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the United States, and the state of Ohio, Tiffin University, in consultation with state and local officials, has established a plan to protect its students, employees, visitors and the Tiffin community against any possible threats of the virus, likely or unlikely.

At this time, it is important to note that currently there are zero incidents of COVID-19 at Tiffin University and in order to maintain this safe and healthy environment, Tiffin University will continue all classes through an online modality effective Wednesday, March 11. Please note, this change will remain in effect until Sunday, March 29, unless notified otherwise.

In an effort to prevent any illness whatsoever, individuals outside of the campus community will not be permitted to attend any scheduled events on campus through Sunday, March 29, unless notified otherwise.

Understand that all decisions related to the safety and welfare of our campus and the community may change at any time, and to that end, the University will address all issues as appropriate as communicated by Dr. Lillian Schumacher, President, or her designee.

Please be mindful:

• Students and employees who have symptoms of the flu should isolate themselves from others. Those who have confirmed cases of the Coronavirus will be required to go home and not return to campus without the consent of a medical doctor.
• International and other Tiffin campus students with confirmed cases and who live far away, will be quarantined in designated University housing facilities.

Tiffin University will continue to implement additional measures as directed by the U.S. Government and the Ohio Department of health to prevent the disease from spreading and will continue to encourage students and employees to take care of their health by following preventive guidelines set forth in the plan which can be found here.