To Our Students with Belongings on Campus:
We have completed collection of small, valuable and/or urgently needed items in Kusch that students requested via the online form provided earlier this week, and now are working through requests involving the PMAs.
This effort has proceeded more quickly than anticipated thanks to volunteers from the university’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). They and Residence Life staff have worked in two-person teams to fulfill requests, all the while maintaining physical distance and following related health protocols.
In light of this progress, we invite residents of all other campus housing to make their requests using this form. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m., Sunday, April 5.
As noted previously, the university is providing this free service to allow students to receive small, valuable and/or urgently needed items. These include prescription medications, keys, jewelry, small electronics, credit cards, passports and other official documents.
Over-the-counter medicines, toiletries and clothes do not meet the criteria for this process. In addition, we learned this week that FedEx does not permit shipping of cash (a prohibition that many other companies also follow). The teams did collect the money that students requested on the form, and will continue to do so. For now, the sums are being kept in a secure location.
Many of you contacted us this week to ask when you would be able to return to campus to pack your belongings. Like so many questions surrounding COVID-19, we simply do not know. Today Gov. Mike DeWine announced the extension of Ohio’s stay-at-home order for another four weeks, until Friday, May 1. The order includes a new clause asking those coming into Ohio to self-isolate for 14 days.
The end of this stay-at-home order would represent a significant step toward determining when you could come back to campus for your belongings. Conditions in Cuyahoga County, and guidance from its health officials, would be another.
We promise to provide updates whenever we have additional information. Meanwhile, please complete the form to request small items by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, April 5.
Please know that we too are terribly disheartened that most of you are not here. We miss seeing so many of you moving along sidewalks as classes begin and end… playing ultimate Frisbee on Freiberger Field… gathering outside Adelbert Hall for the Hudson Relays to begin... and so many other sights and sounds of the campus as it should be.
For now, we wish you all the very best of health.
Lou Stark
Vice President for Student Affairs
Richard Jamieson
Vice President for Campus Services