March 11 Message from Interim Dean Louie F. Rodriguez to all GSOE Students

Dear GSOE students,

Yesterday, Chancellor Kim Wilcox and Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Thomas Smith sent a communication to the UCR community about steps the campus is taking in response to COVID-19. You can find that communication here.

In addition to that communication, I wanted to address some student matters as it relates to GSOE.

Email:

During this time, the primary way students and UCR community will be receiving any updates regarding classes, campus matters, and evolving plans as it relates to COVID-19 is email. It is critical that you monitor and read any email communication you receive from your instructors, UCR leadership, faculty, Student Affairs, and other campus organizations.

iLearn: 

iLearn will likely be the platform used by instructors to teach. However, there are many other online tools that your instructors may use. This is a great time to exercise patience and flexibility as we face this ongoing challenge.

Websites:

UCR COVID-19: Please stay up to date with information, campus wide announcements, and recommendations via UCR’s website. You can access that here.

GSOE COVID-19 Updates: GSOE will also keep a new webpage page updated with relevant information for GSOE students, including posting this communication there. You can refer to that page here.

 

This Week: As outlined in yesterday’s communication, classes are not canceled this week, however, follow the guidance of your instructor. Please look for communication from your instructors and/or TA.

March 30- April 3: Winter-quarter finals and the first week of Spring quarter (March 30 to April 3) will be held virtually campus-wide, and "may" extend later into Spring.  Please make sure you monitor your email and other modes of communication (i.e., iLearn).

 

Student advisors are available to answer any questions during this time; however, GSOE advising offices will conduct student appointments virtually. Below are the plans outlined for each advising office:

Undergraduate Student Advising:

The GSOE Undergraduate Advising Office will be available via email for advising questions, and will be utilizing Zoom to host online advising meetings and calls when needed. Schedule a Virtual advising appointment here. 

Student petitions will be moving toward digital online requests and can be initiated by contacting the specified GSOE undergraduate advisor. Please use the below contact information based on the first letter of your last name:

• Liliana Aguayo: A-L
  Email: liliana.aguayo@ucr.edu
• Richard Rangel: M-Z
  Email: richard.rangel@ucr.edu

 

Graduate Student Advising:

Heather Killeen is available via email for advising questions at heather.killeen@ucr.edu. Please email Heather to set-up a phone or virtual meeting via Zoom.

 

Teacher Education Student Advising:

Please contact your respective advisor to schedule a virtual appointment: 

• Alex Arriaga (Alex.arriaga@ucr.edu)
• Lina Canawati (lina.canawati@ucr.edu)
• Leticia Singh (Leticia.singh@ucr.edu)
• Frances Valdovinos (frances.valdovinos@ucr.edu)

 

 

Students who are involved in undergraduate community learning, teacher education fieldwork, school psychology fieldwork, or other community related involvement, please expect further guidance from your programs, if you haven’t received communication yet. 

Much of the fieldwork component is dependent on the status of districts and community organizations. As of now, there are no significant interruptions to K-12 districts or community organizations, to our knowledge. But this could change, so please continue to monitor communication, and be in touch with your program if you have specific questions. 

Teacher Education Students:Read Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education’s March 11 Communication

School Psychology Students:Read Assistant Professor Austin Johnson’s March 11 Communication

Graduate Students Researchers:
All GSRs should follow the guidance of their sponsoring faculty member and plan to conduct their research remotely, if possible. If in doubt contact your sponsoring faculty member. 

 

Teaching Assistants:
All TAs should follow the guidance of the professor/instructor of record.  There are likely to be further announcements with resources to help assist all teaching staff as we approach the Spring quarter.  

 

GSOE Student Organizations:
All student led organizations and ambassadors at the undergraduate, teacher education, and graduate levels, should follow campus guidelines and plan to meet remotely over the next few weeks.

GSOE Community Spaces and Conference Rooms in Sproul:
At this time, GSOE operations will be fully functional, but many offices and departments will work remotely. Therefore, we will not be offering any physical “meeting” spaces for the next 3 weeks. In addition, there is likely to be limited access to space in Sproul. If you work in a lab with faculty, please refer to your faculty or instructor for guidance. Finally, further communication regarding access to campus resources and buildings will likely be sent from campus in the near future. 

 

Finally, your health and well-being is our top priority. 

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, or, as an alternative, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Stay home if you are sick and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, and wash your hands.

In addition, practice healthy habits: Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. 

I want to thank you for doing your part to protect our community, and working with us as we address the challenges posed by COVID-19. These are unprecedented times, and please know that UCR and GSOE are here to support you in every way possible.