Updates from the Student Success and Student Care and Support Team

Dear Emerson community members, 

We’d like to update you as to what you can expect from the offices of Student Success and Student Care and Support for the rest of the semester. We know the switch to online learning, in addition to all the rapid changes to daily life, will be stressful. We’re here to help you through!

A few updates are below:

• Food Pantry Access – As of right now, we plan to continue to keep the food pantry running through 12:00 pm EST on Friday, March 20, 2020. Our staffing of the office may be reduced as the week goes on, and hours of availability may change. We will be putting out updates on Twitter (@emerson_oss) every morning, and you are welcome to call us at (617) 824-8650 if you would like to check before you come by. We strongly encourage anyone who plans to use the food pantry to come by very soon, in case we need to close sooner than expected.
  • Go to foodpantries.org for a list of food pantries in the Boston area (or change the location to search beyond Boston).

• Share A Concern – If you are worried about a student, you can still submit a Share a Concern!  We are still monitoring referrals that come in and will support students remotely. Remember, you don’t have to be on campus to share your concern.

• One on One Meetings – We will be operating with reduced staffing through Friday, March 20, 2020, and will continue to offer in-person meetings until then. Starting March 23, 2020, we are pleased to announce that we will be available for face-to-face meetings Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, using Zoom! We are also available for phone calls and email guidance.
  • Schedule an appointment to discuss anything related to navigating the rest of the semester, academic success, leave of absence inquiries, questions about resources, or the Student Assistance Fund with Student Success staff.
  • Schedule a Money Matters financial counseling session OR a Veteran Support appointment.
  • Schedule an appointment with Amanda Turnley in Student Care & Support. 

• Student Assistance Fund – We will continue to review requests and provide as much support as we can while we are physically away from campus. Please understand that any requests that may require an in-person transaction may be delayed until it is safe for our staff members to make those transactions. If you are experiencing an immediate financial need because of move-out, the switch to online courses, or other factors relating to COVID-19, please email the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@emerson.edu or call them at (617) 824-8655. 

• Programming Updates:
  • Money Matters financial counseling appointments are still available, and we’d like to take this time to remind you that all Emerson community members can access  cashcourse.org  for free online financial education! 
  • First Gen Programming: First Gen Fridays will resume April 3, 2020, and be hosted every Friday through the semester! Online workshops will be on Zoom and links will be included in a weekly invite. Schedule an individual meeting with Chris Grant.
  • Spring 2020 Emersion: Foundations of Success (FS 101) sections will continue to run when classes start back up the week of March 23. Contact your Emersion facilitator if you have questions!

These are challenging times, and we imagine this is not how you pictured your spring semester going. We are constantly being bombarded with news alerts and changes – it is unsettling at the very least. We encourage you to take care of yourself during this difficult time. There are many resources for this, but here is an example from the CDC. 

The entire Emerson community is still here for each other. We’re just going to be communicating differently for a little while, and we’re going to get through that together. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you this semester! Reach out to us for support and assistance!

Please continue to check Emerson’s FAQ page and send any COVID-19 related questions to covid19@emerson.edu.

Your Student Success & Student Care and Support Team,
Carol, Seth, Heather, Chris, Amanda and Sharon

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