Prairie View A&M University News July 23, 2021 Here is some need-to-know information ahead of the Fall 2021 semester Earlier this summer, Prairie View A&M University's (PVAMU) provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs<https://www.pvamu.edu/academicaffairs/>, James M. Palmer, and interim vice president for Student Affairs<https://www.pvamu.edu/sa/>, Steve Ransom, released<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/191/2021/06/Fall-2021-Semester-Opening.pdf> important information about the upcoming Fall 2021 semester. With the first day of classes exactly one month away, here is a recap that should make preparations just a little bit easier: Course Instruction The first day of classes<https://www.pvamu.edu/registrar/academic-calendars/> is Monday, August 23, and PVAMU will return fully to face-to-face instruction. A small percentage of coursework will be offered in hybrid and online modalities as was done prior to the pandemic. Occupancy levels of classrooms and labs will return to 100 percent, though every effort will be made to place courses in larger settings where available, including in auditoriums not typically used for course delivery. Vaccinations, Testing and Face Coverings Vaccinations<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus/vaccines/> are not required to return to campus, but vaccination is the most effective way to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Vaccinations are, therefore, strongly encouraged. Contact Health Services<https://www.pvamu.edu/healthservices/> at 936-261-1410 to schedule an appointment for vaccinations. Testing<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus/onsite-campus-testing/> will be offered at the main campus through the Curative kiosk through the fall semester. Face Coverings<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus/face-coverings/> are highly recommended indoors and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. At present, not everyone has been vaccinated; therefore, asymptomatic, unvaccinated individuals pose a risk, and face coverings help reduce that risk. COVID-19 Training New freshmen and transfer students must complete an assigned training course. Returning students should refer to their prior training and updates made to the PVAMU COVID-19 Resource webpage. Academic Support In-person advising<https://www.pvamu.edu/student-success/advising/> and tutoring<https://www.pvamu.edu/student-success/sass/university-tutoring-center/> services will return this fall, but virtual support will also take place during pre-scheduled times. Faculty will hold office hours face-to-face, as well as virtually in the fall semester. Full-time faculty will be required to hold a minimum of six hours per week on at least two days during the week with options for students to interact virtually as well. Classroom Safety Current cleaning protocols will remain in place for the fall. These include disinfecting facilities and scheduling time for deep-cleaning during the day between classes at select times. Course Attendance and Grading Faculty will record attendance and report absences per the Attendance Reporting schedule as determined by the Office of the Registrar. Students who are sick or are self-quarantining due to COVID-19 related illnesses or exposure must not attend in-person class sessions. Students who are feeling sick should follow PVAMU's COVID guidelines posted at www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus> and complete the steps to receive an official university excuse. Due to the return to face-to-face teaching, the Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) grade options will not be used in the fall. Mini-Mester Coursework Prairie View held its first mini-mester courses<https://www.pvamu.edu/blog/pvamu-rolls-out-new-january-mini-mester-option-for-students/> last January, and these will be offered again to support students to remain enrolled and progress through the pandemic. Courses will be offered online and will be compressed and intense. Options will be available for viewing and registration in November. Athletics, Band and other Student Groups Selected student populations will be returning to campus during the late summer prior to the start of the semester. Details will be shared by the administration and staff over these areas regarding when to return and with details about testing and safety protocols. On-Campus Housing Campus housing<https://www.pvamu.edu/reslife/> is available for lease this fall. On campus visitation is allowed; however, the University will be monitoring any rise in COVID-19 cases closely and may make adjustments. Domestic and International Travel Domestic travel is now allowed for essential University business purposes. International travel is allowed to countries with a CDC risk assessment level of 3 or lower following careful approval of its essential business need. Vaccinations are recommended prior to travel, and CDC COVID-19 protocols must be followed upon return to the U.S. On-going Planning for the Fall Working together, we can ensure a successful start and finish to the fall semester. Continue to stay safe this summer, and be on the lookout for additional information regarding the fall to include a protocol grid for ease of reference. Also, please continue to monitor the Campus Coronavirus Updates website<https://www.pvamu.edu/coronavirus/>. Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/