Carnegie Mellon University

March 21, 2020

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

We are committed to aligning our practices with President Jahanian’s update to campus on March 19 and his call to action for each of us to do our part to help slow the transmission of COVID-19. We know this is a time of constant change and transition and we want to assure our student community that we are here to support you through it. We are working to offer student and campus services remotely where possible, and to continue to provide for those who remain in Pittsburgh.

As you know this is a very fluid situation, but this message will provide you with the important information you need to know about housing, dining, health and counseling services, student organizations and university libraries and affirm the many ways we will continue to support students’ Carnegie Mellon experience through virtual programs, services and resources.

Student Workers

We recognize that student employment offers valuable practical experience and important income for many students who contribute to our mission as student workers. For those hourly student workers who are able to work remotely, the university will be providing guidance early next week to facilitate opportunities for continued employment that would allow for student workers to earn their regular hourly wages through the end of the semester. For those who are unable to continue working in any capacity, the university is committed to maintaining 75% of each student workers hourly wages through early May.

Housing Services

For any student who needs to live on campus for the remainder of the semester, we will continue to welcome you. For those who can exercise another option to finish the semester remotely, we ask you to do so now to help support our commitment to the health and safety of our community.

To ensure we can maintain appropriate levels of security and support to care for residential students who need to continue living on campus for the remainder of the semester, we will be initiating processes to reassign students from their existing locations into a greatly reduced number of housing facilities. For more information about these processes and necessary changes that will be made to the residential experience, please visit the Housing Services Coronavirus FAQ.

To register to continue living on campus, please visit the COVID-19 Housing Registration form  so we may take steps to make this transition. Students are asked to complete this form by 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 22.

If you decide you will be moving out of your house community and finishing the semester remotely, please revisit the  COVID-19 Housing Plans as soon as possible and update your departure date from campus so we may better plan for occupancy for those staying. For more information about moving out and pro-rated housing charges, visit the Housing Services Coronavirus FAQs.

Dining Services

We are making changes to align with the directives issued by Governor Wolf on March 19 to ensure we are supporting social-distancing practices while adjusting to significantly reduced demand for dining services with fewer people on campus.

Beginning Saturday, Dining Services will have limited options for dining and will no longer open its retail locations, with the exception of Schatz Dining Room, which will remain open for take-out service only on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Schatz will close after Sunday’s dinner service. 

Beginning Sunday, students remaining on campus will be able to order meals online, and pick them up at one of two locations on the following day. This option also will be available to the limited staff, faculty and students who are near or on campus who wish to continue using Dining Services. For more information on ordering procedures, meal time pick-ups and locations, visit the Dining Services website.

University Health Services and Counseling and Psychological Services

Your health and safety are our top priority and we will continue to provide services to support your well-being. University Health Services (UHS) and CaPS will remain open and available with adjusted hours and services to best meet the needs of our community at this time. Telehealth and teletherapy will be primary modes of service provision for both. In order to protect student and staff health and safety, all appointments and services must be initiated by calling UHS at 412-268-2157 and CaPS at 412-268-2922 during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

CaPS will continue to provide students after-hours point of need support as well as consultation services for faculty and staff who are concerned about a student.

For more information about how UHS will utilize telehealth care to provide continuity of care with medication refills, psychiatric care, transcare, and other primary care needs, please visit our FAQ. If you are having a medical emergency, please call 911 if you are off campus and if on campus, call 412-268-2323 to access Emergency Medical Services. After-hours non-emergency medical advice can continue to be accessed by TeamHealth at 1-844-881-7176.

Adjusted Campus Services

The Cohon University Center will have restricted access for the following services that are remaining open with limited hours: University Postal Services, the Carnegie Mellon University Federal Credit Union and WRCT radio station. The rest of the building will be closing early next week. For additional information, please consult the CUC website, which will be updated.

All University Libraries have been closed. Librarians will continue to support the CMU community with remote teaching and research. Borrowing policies have been relaxed; due dates for all materials have been extended through May 15; and fines will not accumulate during this time. As a reminder, requests for physical Interlibrary loans, holds and recalls are suspended until further notice; electronic resources are still available. There is a comprehensive list of remote resources on the University Libraries website.

The CMU Campus Shuttles are committed to maintaining service, but will have reduced routes and adjusted schedules due to a decrease in demand. Please see the website or Ride System App, where updates will be posted on any further reductions to service and routes. We will maintain our relationship with the Port Authority, and access to Pittsburgh PAT buses will continue.

Student Affairs Continuity of Support

College Liaisons, Housefellows and Student Support Resources (SSR) coordinators will continue to provide direct support to students in need through frequent meetings and communication. They can provide a listening ear, advocate for student needs, and help navigate campus resources. SSR coordinators are also able to assist with interest-free Emergency Student Loans for students experiencing short-term financial hardships.

University-Wide Services

The services and resources outlined above are identified as those that are operating “on campus” to ensure support for our students who have remained in Pittsburgh.

All other campus services, such as the Academic Success Center, college advising resources, the Career and Professional Development Center, the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of International Education, the HUB, and others have all moved to virtual platforms to continue supporting all students’ Carnegie Mellon experience, regardless of your location. You have been hearing directly from many of them over the past week about how to engage, and department websites have been updated to reflect how you can stay connected. Although the “campus” experience will be different in a virtual setting, we are here for you and we are committed to maintaining continuity of care and support.

Staying Connected as a Community

The Community Health and Well-Being unit of Student Affairs is partnering with various Student Affairs departments to create a series of virtual workshops to promote healthy habits and foster a virtual community as students come together during trying times. Look for announcements about these workshops in the near future.

For latest information about the university’s response and reminders to keep yourself healthy, please visit the CMU’s coronavirus website.

In closing, the Tartan community is resilient and together we will find new ways to connect and share our experiences through challenging times. We are grateful to the leadership and counsel we have seen from our student government leaders who have been advocates for our entire community. We want you to know that together we are here for you and ready to engage and support you to ensure your success.

Sincerely,

Jim Garrett, Provost
Gina Casalegno, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students