Spring 2020 General FAQs

Last updated 04/09/2020 at 10:50 a.m.

The FAQ page is arranged by category. Scroll down to find current answers to relevant questions. This page will be updated as we have new information.

What is the current status with students staying on campus?

As of Thursday, March 26, those students who are not permitted or required to shelter in place for approved reasons are asked to leave campus. Right now, we are a closed campus and only those individuals currently approved to be on campus should be here. At this time, guests are also prohibited from visiting you on campus.

What about leaving campus to run errands? Are students permitted to do that?

All students on campus should be staying in their rooms while self-isolating or sheltering in place and leaving only for basic essentials (picking up your delivered food to your halls, taking out the trash, etc.). The CDC is recommending this to help stop the spread of COVID-19. You may go outside for air and exercise, but please be sure to maintain distance from other people and refrain from touching surfaces others may have touched. No guests (student or non-student) are allowed on campus. We would like to emphasize the need to wash hands after using the touch pad door code.

Questions About My Health

Am I able to get screened for COVID-19 if still on campus?

Yes, to get screened please contact the Callaway County Health Department at 573-642-6881, extension 0 or contact the University of Missouri to arrange a virtual visit by following this link: https://www.muhealth.org/conditions-treatments/video-visits

I am wondering if I might have been exposed to someone who tested positive on our campus? What I should do?

If you are still on campus and think you might have had direct contact with someone who tested positive, we advise you to stay on campus for now and self-quarantine. if you think you are symptomatic, please contact the Callaway County Health Department at 573-642-6881, extension 0.

If you have already left campus and think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 and have developed symptoms, we advise you to contact your healthcare provider back home for medical advice.

Will the names of those who have tested positive be released so that I can better determine if I had direct contact with them?

We are not releasing the names of our students, faculty or staff who have tested positive as a way of protecting their privacy. However, the Public Health department, working in collaboration with those who have tested positive, may be reaching out to those of you we think should be informed. Of course, should you become symptomatic, we advise you to contact the Callaway County Health Department at 573-642-6881, extension 0.

What should I do if I return home and test positive? Should I communicate those results with anyone on campus?

Yes. If you leave campus and then later, back at home, you test positive for COVID-19, we would appreciate it if you would notify Student Life that you have tested positive. You can email us at studentlife@williamwoods.edu

Questions About Residential & Student Life on Campus

Do I have to leave campus right now? When do I have to decide?

Students departing campus need to notify Residential Life at reslife@williamwoods.edu. If you have communicated to Residential Life that you are leaving items in your room to pick up at a later time you will receive further information regarding pick-up. Any students not planning to leave campus by March 25 ^th need to be sure they have completed the late stay form (accessed by logging into QuickLaunch and selecting “Student Forms”) and received approval. These students need to continue to self-quarantine.

What do I need to know and do before I leave campus?

Please remove all of your belongings and trash. Residents are expected to leave the room as close as possible to the condition it was in when you first moved in to your room. Please sweep and wipe off surfaces. Leave your key on the desk and lock the door. Please email reslife@williamwoods.edu and notify them that you have left campus. These same instructions apply to those students staying in Stone-Campbell Apartments. After notifying us, Student Life Staff will then complete your checkout.

What if I can’t take all of my things with me right now?

If you are unable to take all of your things with you in one trip, please communicate with Residential Life, reslife@williamwoods.edu. Currently, we are working to clean the campus and thoroughly minimize your chance of exposure. At a later date, you will receive further information from Residential Life regarding the scheduled time to pick up your belongings.

What if I already left the campus and want to return to campus?

At this point we ask that you do not return to campus as it is currently closed. We are working to clean the campus and thoroughly minimize your chance of exposure. At a later date, you will receive further information from Residential Life regarding the scheduled time to pick up your belongings.

What if I left personal items on campus when I left – when can I come pick them up?

The University has set up a period of time for students and their families to return to campus and retrieve their personal belongings that may have been left when students left campus last month. Those dates will be from Saturday, April 25 through Sunday, May 3, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. We will be scheduling these visits in two-hours blocks, to help ensure that only 1-2 families are in any one residential hall at a time. It will also help our maintenance crews adequately treat door handles and other common surfaces that are used for entry into the buildings. To schedule your move-out time to retrieve your items, please contact the Office of Residential Life via email at reslife@williamwoods.edu .

Will those students remaining on campus be condensed into smaller quarters?

Students' living arrangements will stay the same at the present time; however, students should be prepared to move if circumstances change.

Will any portion of my tuition or room and board fees be refunded?

The COVID-19 crisis has presented William Woods University with unprecedented challenges. At this point, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students and employees, and we have found ourselves faced with many difficult decisions in a short period of time.

One of those decisions concerns the status of any prorated refunds for room and board fees. A decision on this topic will be forthcoming. We ask for your patience during this process, as our hardworking staff balances this important task against the numerous competing personal and professional challenges we are all facing.

What will happen to any mail I receive if I leave campus?

If the Mail Center has a forwarding address on file, first class DOMESTIC mail can be forwarded to you at no cost. If you receive a package, the package will be scanned into our system and you will receive an email notification the package has arrived on campus. If you would like to have the package forwarded to you, you will need to contact the Mail Center at mona.steffens@williamwoods.edu or 573-592-4273 to leave instructions. The Mail Center will determine the ESTIMATED cost to forward the package and notify you of those costs. Upon your approval, the package will be forwarded to you and the shipping costs will be charged to your student account at William Woods University.

What if I am currently on campus and receive packages?

At present, please do not come to the mail room to pick up packages. If you are expecting medicine or an package that you need right away, please contact the Mail Center at mona.steffens@williamwoods.edu

and they will notify you of how that package will be delivered to your residence. This also applies to picking up packages at the Fulton Post Office. Those are being picked up and brought to campus. The local post office will not give you those packages so please refrain from going downtown at this time.

What about student organization meetings and events?

All student organization meetings and events are currently suspended.

Can I still eat at Tucker Dining Hall? Is the Owl’s Nest open, too?

Currently, Food Services from Tucker will be delivered to each Residence Hall around noon at 5 PM. The 5 PM delivery will also include your breakfast for the following day. It will be delivered through the front doors and placed inside of each residence hall. When you retrieve your meal, please continue to practice social distancing. After you have picked up your meal, please return to your room. Be advised, options will be limited at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

If you live in the Apartments, the food is being left outside and will be delivered first.

Will the Mail Center be open?

Not at this time. We are working on a mail plan and will get that information out as it is available.

Will the Logo Store be open?

No.

Is the University’s Admissions Office still open?

Not at this time.

Are all Student Life offices open?

Not at this time. Email studentlife@williamwoods.edu

Questions About Academics on Campus

If students stay on campus, can they still ride the horses?

Not at this time.

What about labs and riding classes? How will those be done online?

Many disciplines have components that involve hands-on learning in a lab type setting, and these classes are also moving online. Faculty are adjusting the curriculum so that students can do things from home and still meet all the objectives of the course. Please check with your faculty members about the plan for your specific plan going forward.

How will things work for internships and clinicals?

Please talk to your faculty sponsor about details.

What should students do about academic advising?

Students may advise over the phone, through email, or by video chat.

How will I know when my faculty members are available?

Faculty will continue to be available at their scheduled times, whether teaching or holding office hours, but in a virtual format as opposed to in-person.

How will I register for summer and fall courses?

Registration for Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 courses continues as scheduled. If you have been advised, you may register beginning on your scheduled day.

How will meetings be conducted?

Many will continue with a virtual format. The coordinator of your meeting will let you know details.

What if I have technology questions or issues regarding classes online?

On the Help tab in Owlnet, there is a Student Owlnet Guide as well as guides for uploading assignments in Via and TurnItIn. You can also email the Help Desk at helpdesk@williamwoods.edu or call the Help Desk at 573-592-4224

I have library materials checked out. Will everything I have checked out be overdue?

All checked out library materials are renewed until the end of the semester (04/24/20). If you receive a reminder notice via email, you can reply to the email and request a renewal.

How can I return library materials if the library is closed?

Mail the items back to the Library: Dulany Library, William Woods University, 1 University Ave., Fulton, MO 65251

How do I log in to library databases?

Log in using your WWU username and password and scroll down on the main WWU web page to Library at the bottom of the page

Go to https://www.williamwoods.edu/current_students/library/index.html and search using the Woods OneSearch box.

Can I request books through MOBIUS or Interlibrary Loan?

No. Currently most libraries have suspended the borrowing and lending of physical items.

Can I request journal articles through Interlibrary Loan?

Yes. Search the Library’s databases first. If the article is not in the Library’s digital or print collections, go to https://www.williamwoods.edu/forms/library/article_request.aspx. If the request can be filled electronically, it will be emailed to you.

Questions Related to Student Finances

Will my Pell Grant or Federal Direct Loan be affected?

The Department of Education has released emergency guidelines regarding the use of federal financial aid funds. As long as students are enrolled and working towards their degree, Pell, Federal Direct Loan and SEOG funding should not be impacted. Any changes to your current schedule or enrollment status may impact your aid.

I receive VA benefits. How will those be impacted?

Information from the Council of Independent Colleges indicates that all veteran students will continue to receive their GI Bill ® tuition and BAH at the rate of in-person classes. Should this guidance change this information will be updated.

GI Bill ® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

What about my LEAD award?

The LEAD program is being suspended for the semester. Students previously in good standing will retain their award.

What if I am expecting a refund from financial aid?

If money coming to you from awards, grants, scholarships, and loans exceeds the amount you owe on your student account, a refund will be issued to you following our normal refund process. Contact Student Financial Services at financialaid@williamwoods.edu for any questions regarding your refund.

Questions About Future Events

Will graduation and Alumni Weekend still be held?

Alumni Weekend (April 17-18), and all associated activities, have been canceled. It will not be rescheduled this year but will be held in spring 2021.

Regrettably there will not be a graduation ceremony for the 2020 class as all graduation events have been canceled.

Since commencement activities were cancelled, will the graduation fee be refunded?

Graduation fees cover the costs associated with auditing each student to determine eligibility, printing of diplomas, diploma binders, final transcripts and the mailing of documents. As a result, the graduation fee will not be refunded.

General Questions

What if things change?

We should all expect some additional changes to our campus operations and routine going forward. If and when that happens, we will respond accordingly and keep you posted.

If the situation changes, is there a chance that we will return to campus this semester?

No, we are not going back. All classes for the remainder of the spring semester will remain online.