Dear students, faculty and staff,
Updates provided over the past couple of days by Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health have made it clear that our plan to resume on-campus courses by the end of this month is wishful thinking. To help ensure the health and safety of our
community, and to help students better focus on their studies moving forward, the Leadership Team decided this morning to extend the use of online-only remote learning for classes through the end of the semester. It is critical that we, as a campus
community, align our response to the COVID-19 outbreak with the directives and recommendations of health officials.
Since Ohio Dominican will remain online-only, University leadership also decided it would be prudent to vacate the residence halls for the remainder of Spring Semester. Naturally, those of you who live on campus will want to know when you can retrieve
your belongings. The Residence Life staff will be in touch shortly to communicate this process and timeline to you. As for our international students who are far from home, or for students who have no alternative housing options, we will provide
you with additional flexibility as needed as you arrange travel plans or secure accommodations elsewhere.
In accordance with the governor’s order on food service announced yesterday, Hamilton Hall will no longer provide a dine-in experience. Instead, meals will be prepared in to-go containers for students, faculty and staff to take with them. If
you have any questions, please contact the Office of Residence Life at 614-251-4718 or email reslife@ohiodominican.edu.
The Leadership Team understands that some students may need access to campus technology during this time. To help us better understand your technology needs and expectations, especially if you need access to a computer on campus, please complete this form.
I also want to point out that Spectrum has announced that it will offer free internet to students during this outbreak, and Enterprise
Rent-A-Car has announced its College Student Travel Assistance program to
help students get back to their families.
Finally, I’m saddened to inform you that Spring Commencement, scheduled for May 9, has been postponed indefinitely. As we consider forecasts predicting the peak of this virus, it seems unlikely that we will be in a position to celebrate our
graduates’ achievements on that date with a large gathering. We have already begun to have conversations about how we can appropriately recognize our graduates and provide a proper sendoff to mark this memorable milestone. Those details
will be provided later in the semester.
I recognize the disruption that this outbreak has caused, and I thank you for your patience over the past couple of weeks. We are most certainly all in this together, and I ask for your continued patience and understanding as we respond to this situation
in accordance with the latest recommendations made by state officials to help ensure the health of our community.
If you have not heard from your faculty yet, please contact Dr. Manuel Martinez, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs, at 614-251-4671 or martinem1@ohiodominican.edu. Please continue to monitor
your email for additional updates regarding ODU’s response to this situation.
In peace and truth,
Robert Gervasi, Ph.D.
President