(COVID-19): Campus Health Updates
(COVID-19): Campus Health Updates
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Registrar's Office FAQ Page | Official University FAQ Page
3/30/2020 - Daily COVID-19 Graduate Division Update
Dear Grad Students and Post-Docs,
Welcome back to spring quarter! For some of you, this may be the final quarter of your UCI career, as you proudly prepare to graduate. For others, this quarter represents another important step on your academic journey. No matter who you are, one thing is for certain, this quarter will be different. This is a truly unprecedented quarter in the 56 years of UCI’s history.
Different represents the unknown.
And the unknown is always easier when you’re not going through it alone. I can assure you, no one will be alone in this journey. Let’s embrace this change together and together get ready to have our most productive and innovative quarter yet, and if we can’t do that, let’s at least get through it, TOGETHER. And remember, if you have a bit of a slowdown, hiccup, or down right stoppage right now, that’s okay. For starters, we have waived filing and other fees for the summer, so any exam you wanted to finish in Spring, if it pushes Summer (and your program faculty are okay with that), its okay from our standpoint at Grad Division.
We are watching closely and if further campus-wide extensions seem necessary, Graduate Council is poised to have those discussions. In the meantime, should the end of Spring quarter come and an exception is needed, we can handle them through our usual exception process. As my mother always told me, “don’t borrow troubles, you have enough already.” That’s a cute Southern way of saying, practice mindfulness, focus on getting through this minute, this day, and this week. Try not to worry about things before you need to.
The 2020 #UCISpringUpChallenge is Underway!
Spring is in the air and while we may be practicing ‘physical’ distancing, we sure are not ‘social’ distancing. It is extremely important to your health and well-being, including your student success, to continue to build and find community during this unprecedented time.
Based on the success of our Winter Recharge event, this Spring quarter we would have hosted our 4th Annual Spring Up wellness day event. We did not want you to miss out on this experience since everything has moved online.
Fear not, we present to you the #UCISpringUpChallenge!
To partake in the #UCISpringUpChallenge, you must post a photo on your Instagram paired with a weekly prompt. This Instagram photo challenge has the same mission as our in-person event, it will touch on every aspect of your student/postdoc experience: your health and wellness, professional development, school/ life balance, and most importantly, will build community. Of course there will be no shortage of fun and prizes (Amazon gift cards… cuz at least we know we can get stuff delivered if we are trapped at home). Be sure to tag and reach out to your peers, lab mates and even faculty to join in the fun. It’s time to perk up, pep up, and Spring Up! Click here to see the rules and join the fun!
Drop In Virtual Office Hours Available With Graduate Counselors
With the support of Harinder Singh, Director, Graduate Professional Success in Science, Tech., Engineering & Math (GPS-STEM), Graduate Counselors Phong Luong and Elizabeth Dunn are leading a new “Restore-antine Graduate Support Group” for Spring Quarter.
These drop-in sessions will be held several times throughout the quarter as a means for students to express their frustrations or ask questions in a safe environment, gain advice from the graduate community about establishing routine and remaining motivated, while sharing their wellness and school-from-home tips with their peers. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, April 2ndvia Zoom from 3:30 – 4:30 pm PT. Click the link below to join!
https://uci.zoom.us/j/2530668585
Summer Session Offered Through Remote Instruction
Given the current extraordinary conditions, summer session courses will be offered through remote instruction to the maximum extent possible. Ideally, all currently planned summer courses will continue to be offered. Changes to the planned offerings can be reviewed in the coming weeks. In an effort to avoid conflict with the transition to remote instruction during Week 1 of spring quarter, any discussion of summer session schedule changes will begin in Week 2. Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Michael Dennin will follow up with more information.
Virtual Yoga and Meditation
Please join us for a virtual yoga and meditation class on Wednesday, April 8th from 10:30 am -11:30 am. The class will be live-streamed on UCI Graduate Division's Instagram page (@ucirvinegd) and facilitated by graduate counselor and yoga instructor Phong Luong.
The class is designed to allow for a full body stretch for beginners and fundamental breathwork. It is open to the wider UCI community. Mats are recommended, but not required!
Dean’s Virtual Office Hours
As a reminder, I or someone from my senior staff will be available for virtual office hours for 30 minutes every day, Monday - Friday for as long as needed to answer any questions or concerns. All graduate students and postdocs are welcome!
You don’t have to have a question to stop by office hours, you can just come to chat. This morning we had a great catchup and some fun time complaining about the internet in grad housing (yes, its been bad, its not just you, and yes, we are working on it).
All you need to do is click this link to join the virtual officer hours and you’ll be in: https://uci.zoom.us/j/7277477057. Below are our office hours for this week. We will post more for the coming weeks soon. All times are Pacific Standard Time.
- Tuesday, March 31: 1pm – 1:30pm
- Wednesday, April 1: 10am – 10:30am
- Thursday, April 2: 12:30pm – 1:00pm
- Friday, April 3: 10am – 10:30am
UCI IN THE NEWS - COVID-19 Article List
CBS Los Angeles, March 30, 2020
Coronavirus: UC Irvine Students Hold Supply Drive For Masks, Face Shields For Health Care Workers
The Stem Cellar, March 30, 2020
CIRM Board invests $5 million in emergency funding for coronavirus
CNBC, March 30, 2020
Richard Branson’s rocket company Virgin Orbit to begin mass producing ventilators
Greater Good Magazine, March 30, 2020
How to Be Intentional About Consuming Coronavirus News
The American Prospect, March 29, 2020
Unsanitized: A Crisis to End All Crises
Yahoo Finance, March 28, 2020
Bill Gates on coronavirus: U.S. testing needs to increase ‘quite dramatically’
The Washington Post, March 28, 2020
Three months into the pandemic, here’s how likely the coronavirus is to infect people
Los Angeles Times, March 28, 2020
Isolation is hazardous to your health. The term ‘social distancing’ doesn’t help
Yahoo Finance, March 27, 2020 (Video)
Current U.S. COVID-19 cases are ‘drop in the bucket’: Epidemiologist
Quartz, March 27, 2020
Every expert opinion you’ve heard about wearing masks is right
Orange County Register, March 27, 2020
Orange County releases coronavirus case counts by city, announces 2 more deaths
The Washington Post, March 27, 2020
Republicans were more concerned about Ebola than they’ve been about coronavirus. Here’s why.
EdSource, March 27, 2020
Coronavirus crisis spurs high school seniors’ anxieties about college plans
The Washington Times, March 27, 2020
Joe Biden: Trump can’t postpone the election because of the coronavirus outbreak
Orange County Register, March 27, 2020
In the age of coronavirus, seniors and the people who help them are in need
WHYY, March 27, 2020 (Audio)
Safeguarding elections in a pandemic
KPCC, March 27, 2020 (Audio)
COVID-19: Difficult Ethical Considerations For Care And Treatment
Medium, March 26, 2020 (Video)
Election Meltdown
KCRW, March 26, 2020 (Audio)
2 Southern California doctors work to get more ventilators where they’re needed
International Business Times, March 26, 2020
Is The Coronavirus Outbreak In The US Causing Crime To Drop?
Becker’s Hospital Review, March 26, 2020
How companies, citizens, donors can best support hospitals amid COVID-19
Ms. Magazine, March 25, 2020
Weaponizing Racism in the Wake of COVID-19
Glamour, March 24, 2020
What to do if your anxiety about Coronavirus feels overwhelming
In Closing
As we continue this journey together as a UCI community, remember that while we may be in physical isolation for much of this quarter, the isolation only is indeed just that: physical. Take advantage of all our virtual office hours. Reach out to others you haven’t spoken to in a while. Have a morning cup of coffee, an afternoon tea, or an evening cocktail with your friends. Don’t shut down just because the world seems to have. Your coursework, your research, your startups, your weddings, the birth of your children, and more will all continue. And we are here to help you celebrate each milestone along the way.
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”
- Jim Rohn
Not only will you run the day, you will soon help run the world. Use every day as a day to get closer to your goals.
On behalf of all of Graduate Division,
Gillian
Gillian Hayes
Kleist Professor of Informatics
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Dean of the Graduate Division