All issues of the COVID-19 daily email update are now available online. To see information shared in past issues, visit https://coronavirus.olemiss.edu/category/covid-19-daily-digest/
University News
Tele-mental Health
The University Counseling Center will shift to tele-mental health as a sole-service delivery platform beginning Monday, March 23. These services can be offered only to campus community members who are physically located in the State of Mississippi. Detailed information is available on the UCC website, including information for out-of-state students about referrals. The website will be updated and will reflect the most recent information and changes to UCC services. For additional information, please call the UCC at 662-915-3784 or email counslg@olemiss.edu. The UCC will make every effort to address your emailed questions in a timely manner.
Way to go Ole Miss family!
The Ole Miss Food Bank has secured 925 pounds of food, which translates into 770 meals. It’s all thanks to your donations so far to the Rebel Relief campaign.
Students
UM Students Get Free Access to Barnes & Noble eTextbooks
UM students now have no-cost access to more than 55,000 eTextbooks, thanks to Barnes & Noble’s efforts to help college campuses ease their transition into online learning to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Through the end of the Spring 2020 semester, students will be allowed free access through VitalSource, which the company has worked with to provide ebooks and digital learning materials since 2016. Here’s how it works:
- To get started, students should visit bookshelf.vitalsource.com.
- To begin reading ebooks, students will need to log-in or create a Bookshelf account with their institution-provided email address.
- For instructions on creating a Bookshelf account, visit this link.
- Once students create an account with an institution-provided email address, they should login and click on the “explore” tab in the upper left corner of the screen to search by ISBN, Title or Author to find their free ebooks.
- For additional assistance gaining access to the site or other questions, please visit this link.
See full story: https://news.olemiss.edu/students-get-free-access-barnes-noble-e-textbooks/
Keep Learning: What You Need to Succeed in Online Classes
Here are some strategies for success in learning remotely from the university’s Keep Learning website:
- If you can, set up a dedicated work/study area.
- Schedule regular times to complete your schoolwork. Check your email and the communication channel your instructors set up with you at least once a day.
- Have a question? Ask, don’t guess! Contact your instructor using the communication channel they established.
- Use a calendar to keep track of deadlines. Stay on schedule.
- Stay engaged with your classmates. You can still do tutoring sessions, study groups, and group work in an online environment.
- Remember, you are not alone!
Student Disability Services
As classes transition from in-person to online, SDS wants to assure registered students that the Department is working diligently with administrators, technology staff, and faculty to ensure continued access to courses and course materials. Accommodations used in traditional classes might look different or, in some cases, not be necessary now, but students should expect full access. SDS remains available to assist and support registered students during this time. We encourage students to call our office at 662-915-7128 or email us at sds@olemiss.edu with any questions or concerns during this transition.
Faculty and Staff
Work From Home Security Recommendations
As more university employees work from home in an effort to stay healthy and observe social distancing practices, here are important recommendations to help secure data and devices:
Make sure your computer is not compromised by malware or viruses by running a free scan using Malwarebytes, Sophos, ESET, or F-Secure
- Antivirus software is licensed and available for use on home and work computers. Make sure it is installed, updated, and running on your computer.
- Set a strong password to access your home’s wireless network. Don’t use the default password provided by the manufacturer or ISP.
- Use Box or other UM-approved services for cloud storage, file sharing, and collaboration.
- Make sure emails claiming to come from a UM employee/student DO NOT contain the [EXTERNAL] banner. If they do, and the messages are asking for privileged access/information, do not respond. Instead, report it by forwarding the message to abuse@olemiss.edu.
Student Disability Services
As we transition from in-person to online instruction, Student Disability Services (SDS) wants to assure instructors that the department remains available to provide support in ensuring courses remain fully accessible to students with disabilities. SDS is committed to collaborating with instructors and academic departments on accommodation issues that may arise during this transition. Instructors are encouraged to contact SDS at 662-915-7128 or sds@olemiss.edu with any questions or concerns related to accommodations in online environments.
Time Recording for Payroll
Human Resources has shared information for time recording for the March 31, 2020 payroll, including:
- Hourly, non-exempt employees
- Salary, exempt employees
- Paper timesheet delivery options
- Paper timesheet for employees working remotely
See: https://hr.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/Procedures-for-Payroll.pdf or visit https://hr.olemiss.edu/ for updates and view the Frequently Asked Questions.
Questions? E-mail payroll@olemiss.edu.
Other Things to Know
The Mississippi Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline is now available 24/7 at 877-978-6453.
UMMC experts offer tips on dealing with stress in our workplace. https://umc.edu/news/News_Articles/2020/03/Workpace-Stress.html
Americans will have an additional three months to file their taxes amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/20/politics/steven-mnuchin-tax-day-july-15/index.html
COVID-19 scams are everywhere right now. Time shares how to protect yourself. https://time.com/5806518/covid-19-scams/
Need plans for the weekend? Disney’s newest Pixar release, Onward, will be available for streaming Friday night.