What's Happening At Woo U!
_______________________________________________
Every week, the What's Happening at Woo U Newsletter shares upcoming events, programs, and opportunities with students, staff, and faculty.
To post your very own announcement on our What's Happening At Woo U newsletter, click here! Submissions due each week by noon on Tuesday. To add a picture, a form, or a video to your announcement, please email it to studentinvolvement@worcester.edu.
In This Issue
- Registration Information for the Fall Semester
- Tutoring Services Available for Students
- Library Services During Distance Learning
- Recreation & Wellness Events
- Support from Counseling Services
- Update from the Mail Center
- Kathleen Downey and Barbara Pilon Contests Deadline Extended
Registration Information for the Fall Semester
Recognizing the difficulties facing academic advisees and advisers in planning for fall 2020 course selection, the university has approved changes to the advising week/pre-registration period this semester.
The dates and sequence of academic advising and pre-registration are changed to the following:
Advising for Fall 2020
- Advising of undergraduate students for pre-registration will occur April 6-17, 2020. The fall 2020 schedule is set to be posted to the University community on March 30, 2020. The university hopes the extra week will allow students and their Advisors to look over schedules carefully before beginning pre-registration. Students and their Advisors are welcome to discuss the fall semester prior to April 6, 2020.
- PINS will be released to undergraduate students automatically, on April 15, 2020, sometime between 9am. and 4pm. The university expects that this will simplify the pre-registration process for students.
Pre-Registration for Fall 2020
- Pre-registration for undergraduate students will be moved back eight days, as follows:
- Seniors, April 21: 6 a.m. (W), 8:15 a.m. (R): 110+credits; 9 a.m. (W), 11 a.m. (R): 100-109 credits; 12 p.m. (W), 2 p.m. (R): 90-99 credits
- Juniors, April 22: 6 a.m. (W), 8:15 a.m. (R): 80-89 credits; 9 a.m. (W), 11 a.m. (R): 70-79 credits; 12 p.m. (W), 2 p.m. (R): 60-69 credits
- Sophomores, April 23: 6.a.m (W), 8:15 a.m. (R): 50-59 credits; 9 a.m. (W), 11am (R): 40-49 credits; 12 p.m. (W), 2p.m. (R): 30-39 credits
- First-Years, April 24: 6 a.m. (W), 8:15 a.m. (R): 20-29 credits; 9 a.m. (W), 11 a.m., (R): 10-19 credits; 12 p.m. (W), 2 p.m. (R): 0-9 credits
Students are urged to make contact with their Advisors as soon as possible, through whatever method their Advisor recommends. We hope that the extra time granted this semester will produce a good outcome for academic advising and timely student progress in degree programs.
Tutoring Services Available for Students
____________________
The Math Center will remain operational through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra beginning on March 30th.
All students enrolled in a math course supported by the Math Center will be added into a new Math Center Tutoring Blackboard course. During a scheduled tutoring session, a student can log in to Blackboard and click on this Math Center Tutoring course. They can then click Blackboard Collaborate Ultra on the left hand panel and join the appropriate tutoring session with the tutor for their course.
Most tutors will continue to tutor at their regularly scheduled time, however a few tutors will not be tutoring during this remote time so please check the updated schedule posted on the math center website at https://www.worcester.edu/SP-Math-Center/
Please contact Elizabeth Gilbert at egilbert1@worcester.edu with any questions or concerns.
____________________
The Spanish Clinic will remain operational through Google Hangouts beginning on March 30th.
Spanish tutors will work remotely during their regularly scheduled shifts (Monday through Thursday 9am-2:30pm). Tutoring will be offered on a drop-in basis, similar to regular operations.
Tutoring will be conducted through Google Hangouts with student WSU email accounts. Tutors will be available at spanishclinic@worcester.edu. Students can conduct a chat, video call, or voice call with a tutor through this platform. To initiate a session, students should log into their WSU email and send a message to the Spanish Clinic. From there, students and tutors can coordinate how the session will proceed.
Any questions should be sent to spanishclinic@worcester.edu.
____________________
The Writing Center will remain operational through the Google platform (Mail, Calendar, Hangouts, and Forms) beginning on March 30.
Writing Consultants will be working remotely during their regularly scheduled shifts (Monday thru Thursday 9-6 pm and Friday 9-1 pm) to offer two online options:
- Synchronous appointments. These face-to-face sessions will be enabled via Google Hangouts, the video calling format through Google Calendar.
- Asynchronous appointments. These indirect sessions allow clients to submit their assignments and have them reviewed by a consultant within 3-5 business days. Students should submit their work using this link: https://forms.gle/r8t7n9A3ZnMSQNjPA
Email will be the dominant source of communication. Faculty, staff, and students can ask questions and make appointments by emailing writingcenter@worcester.edu.
Library Services During Distance Learning
Contact: Matt Bejune
Services Available to Remote Users
1. Access to the Library web site.
2. Access to all electronic resources (databases, ebooks, and electronic subscriptions to journals, magazines, and newspapers).
- Learn more about Remote Access
- Find Online Full Text Articles from Library OneSearch tutorial
- How to Find and Download E-Books tutorial
- Navigating Databases by Subject tutorial
- How to Locate Journals by Title tutorial
3. Access to Subject and Research Guides which include 60+ guides with helpful information for users in all academic disciplines.
- All subject and research guides
- Library Research 101 & Online Tutorials
- Open Educational Resources guides-Learn about Open Educational Resources and Locate Open Content
4. Research Assistance provided by WSU Liaison Librarians will be available via chat, email, and phone. Most services will be available Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM.
5. Instructional services via videoconferencing. Contact Liaison Librarians for additional information
6. Interlibrary Loan will be limited to electronic article requests while the Library is closed. Please note many lending institutions have closed and some materials may be unavailable at this time.
7. Any physical Library items, such as books, that are currently checked can continue to be used by Library patrons. Any overdue fines will be suspended during the Library's closure.
Recreation & Wellness Events
Below are two upcoming programs for students sponsored by Recreation and Wellness!
Woo Wellness Bracket Challenge
Email Brittany Rende for your chance to fill out our Worcester Wellness Bracket and select your winner amongst the different wellness opportunities we have to offer. Check back on Instagram stories and Twitter to vote for who advances and to make sure you end up with the perfect bracket. Goes live on Instagram @wsu_recwellness on March 31.
Woo State Around the World: A (Social) Distance Project
Let's come together as a community and see how far we can get. It will take a collective 2,802 miles to get us across the USA and 24,901 miles to get us around the world. Run, walk, or hike your way to help us come together. Email Brittany Rende or comment on the post @wsu_recwellness for a form to log your personal miles. Goes live April 7.
Support from Counseling Services
- Create a daily routine: Why does routine help? It gives us normalcy, predictability and a sense of control-three things we desperately need in uncertain times. Wake up, shower, have meals, and schedule a morning and afternoon activity to break up the day. When making daily agendas consider these essentials:
- Sleep: stay on a sleep schedule for maximum mental health
- Eat: make sure you're eating as healthy as you can.
- Social: Schedule times to face time, chat, etc with friends and family.
- Academics: schedule time for online classes and for homework.
- Exercise: Exercise not only helps improve the immune system; cardiovascular fitness has significant mental health benefits for anxiety and depression. Download a workout app, join an online class or go for a walk or run.
Expect a range of feelings. Change and disruption may cause anxiety and sometimes even grief. Grief consists of waves of emotions-anger, numbness, bargaining, acceptance-which can hit at any time.
How to manage tough feelings:
- Acknowledge the feeling. Ex: I'm feeling angry that school is remote.
- Feel the feeling. Express your feelings through journalling, art, crying, and/or sharing with a good listener.
- Normalize your experience. Reassure yourself as you would a friend. Ex: It's okay that I feel this way.
- Distraction. Have a list of ways you can distract yourself (watching Netflex, music, art, school, etc.) if you start feeling overwhelmed. Calm your stress response by taking deep breaths (breathe in for 2 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds) throughout the day.
- Ask yourself what you need now. Feeling lonely? Reach out to someone. Worried about a class? Email a professor for clarification.
Focus on the present or near future. If you start worrying about next semester or even further down the road, you'll feel more stressed. Being as close to the present is where we have the most control. Ask yourself what you can focus on now.
If you are having difficulty with functioning, concentration, anxiety and/or feelings of hopelessness and need additional support, contact Counseling Services at counseling_WSU@worcester.edu or call 508.929.8072. Counseling is scheduling telehealth appointments during regular business hours.
In an immediate crisis, students off campus should call 911. Any remaining on campus students should contact University Police at 508-929-8911.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
Update from the Mail Center
Students should change their shipping addresses with all vendors for delivery to their HOME address ASAP.
Any packages that arrive on campus, as well as those that are currently still on the shelf to be picked up, will be mailed to the student's home address on file.
Kathleen Downey and Barbara Pilon Contests Deadline Extended
Contact: Leslie Daniels
The English Department has extended the deadlines for the Kathleen Downey Short Story contest and the Barbara Pilon Poetry Contest to April 3rd, 2020.
The Office of Student Involvement & Leadership Development
Email: studentinvolvement@worcester.edu
Website: www.worcester.edu/student-involvement/
Location: 2nd Floor of the Student Center
Phone: 508.929.8073
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WSU.OSILD
Twitter: @WSU_OSILD