This message is sent on behalf of Vice President for Student Affairs Kathy Collins.

Members of the Rhody Family, 

Thank you for the care and concern you have shown during this challenging and unprecedented time. Today, as you know, we all are facing a public health emergency and recognize our original plans for the spring semester have changed drastically. I appreciate your help, assistance, and patience during this difficult time. 

I write today to appeal to you that your student stay home until in-person classes resume as currently planned on Monday, April 6. We recognize that this is not an option for everyone based on family circumstances while you navigate this evolving public health emergency. Know that we are pleased to continue to offer on-campus housing, dining, health and other services to students who for personal or family reasons need to return to campus due to unavoidable circumstances. Regardless of what you decide is best for your student, we ask that they complete the simple Statement of Intent survey (via MyHousing on e-campus) to help us plan effectively. 

Effective Friday, March 13, 2020, and in accordance with Executive Order 20-03 of the State of Rhode Island, students, faculty and staff arriving in the United States or who have traveled outside the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the past fourteen (14) days must immediately self-quarantine for fourteen (14) days from the date they returned to the U.S. They should not return to campus until the end of the quarantine period.* Travelers returning to the U.S. should follow the guidelines provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel site. 

We are concerned about our students who traveled internationally over Spring Break. If your student traveled outside the 50 states and the District of Columbia over the last 14 days, they should notify URI Health Services via email at health@uri.edu and Health Services will share information about self-monitoring instructions for their health and self-quarantine instructions. Self-quarantine instructions can also be found at this CDC website.

We are especially concerned about our students living off-campus, “down-the-line.” We ask your assistance in encouraging good healthy behavior and a decrease in students gathering together. We need your assistance in helping our students understand the dangers of COVID-19. And, while we know that many younger persons may only experience mild symptoms, they could be carriers of the virus to persons including other community members, family, grandparents and even friends with complicated health scenarios who could become acutely ill. 

Things we need your student to do now:

• If they live in our residence halls, they need to complete the housing intent form available via MyHousing (under Applications & Forms) via e-campus. 

URI made the very difficult decision to cancel face-to-face classes the week of March 16 and move remote instruction starting the week of March 23. This was not an easy decision to make. We know your student had hopes and dreams for this semester that may have included performing in one of our amazing theatre productions to competing for Rhody on the diamond; those plans have now changed and it is hard. We also know this has impacted plans for RhodyThon, DIVE RI, Greek Week, etc. — all events that our students worked hard for and planned for months. 

We are providing resources to your student via regular communication from the University. In fact, we have set up a comprehensive website full of timely communications (uri.edu/coronavirus/). Mitigating this crisis as a community is a civic responsibility and as part of the Rhody family we want to enlist the help of you and our students in this fight. Together, we can do this! 

Sincerely

Kathy M. Collins, Ph.D.Vice President for Student Affairs 

*Students who have no other options than to quarantine on campus should immediately contact Customer Services at Housing and Residential Life. Call (401) 874-4151 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or email after hours at customerservice@housing.uri.edu to make arrangements for safe housing and health services during your quarantine period on campus. In an after-house emergency, contact Dispatch at the University of Rhode Island Police Department at (401) 874-4910.