COVID-19 | Ohio Northern University

Dear Students and Families,

We’ve had a lot to absorb since Tuesday, March 10, 2020, when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine requested that all colleges and universities in the state move to remote learning. The action he called for was intended to promote social distancing on campuses and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Together with more recent actions, from closing K-12 schools to a Stay at Home Order, life as we knew and loved it on our campus has been upended.

Nonetheless, due to the resilience of the ONU community, we are moving forward together to save the semester. I am incredibly grateful for how everyone is demonstrating flexibility, creativity and collective action, especially our faculty who have displayed amazing academic dexterity in pivoting to alternative and remote instruction so quickly and so well.

I also deeply appreciate the understanding and support of our students and their families during these turbulent times and am grateful for your patience as we developed our policies and procedures regarding room, board, and fees. What follows will provide you with some general information about these important issues.

Students with a room and board contract and who have not remained on campus will receive a 40% credit of room and meal plan charges. This percent is consistent with the schedule published in the 2019-20 Student Handbook. Depending on your individual billing circumstances, some or all of the credit may be refunded. A more detailed set of instructions about your options for these credits will be sent tomorrow, Thursday, March 26.

Unlike student room and meal plan contracts, student fees are not prorated. There are several reasons for this. The General Student Fee, for example, supports a variety of student services, partially or entirely, services which are or may still be utilized in some fashion for the entire semester. A notable example is IT, which has experienced increased expenses for remote learning resources due to COVID-19. Individual course fees and the Engineering Fee are spent on supplies and equipment related to learning and are typically expended at the beginning of the semester. Therefore, those fees have been spent.

In closing, I do want to say something about Commencement. The reason we have not yet made a formal or official announcement about commencement is because we are determined to give the Class of 2020 and their families an opportunity to have a celebratory graduation ceremony, one that they richly deserve. While it is unlikely that this will happen on the scheduled date, several options are under consideration. We hope to announce a decision early next month.

During these past few weeks we have had to remain nimble in order to protect the health and safety of our students and our workforce, to continue educating our students and to operate the University effectively. Everyday, we realize more and more that we are all in this together, and we will all get through this together, because our spirit is Polar Bear strong and we are a caring community.

Stay healthy, be safe and take good care,

Daniel A. DiBiasio
President

To all members of the University community,

As we faced an unprecedented time of challenge and change last week, the health and safety of all Ohio Northern University students was and remains of utmost importance.

Going forward, we continue to monitor and evaluate conditions as they evolve further and base future academic decisions on what is best for our students and the continuity of teaching and learning. After considering new information presented in the past few days, we write today to share that we have made the difficult decision to extend remote education for the rest of the semester. Effective TOMORROW, March 17, 2020 we will move ALL instruction into alternative, remote delivery mode, including laboratories and all other learning activities that were previously scheduled to occur in person, a change that will further encourage social distancing.

Several factors contributed to this decision, including:

Ohio Department of Health Director, Dr. Amy Acton’s announcement on Friday, March 13, that Ohio’s outbreak of the COVID-19 is not expected to peak until between late April and mid-May.
The academic benefits of enabling faculty and students to plan for remote course delivery during the coming months
A desire to bring clarity regarding the University’s plans for students and their families
The continuing concern for the health and safety of the campus community amid the rapidly growing spread of COVID-19 in Ohio and the confidence that we can remain safe and healthy by practicing evidence-based, preventive measures recommended by federal, state, and local health organizations
Governor DeWine’s recent order to close all K-12 schools from March 17- April 3, an order that may be extended according to his recent statements
Dr. Acton’s Executive Order announced on March 15 that further limits public gatherings by closing all restaurants. This order applies to all campus dining facilities which will operate as take-out only.

We know that this announcement represents a significant change from communications sent last week, indicating that we would re-evaluate alternative and remote learning prior to April 17. At the time, we thought the possibility existed that COVID-19’s spread might be mitigated by next month. The latest reports, however, reveal otherwise.

Given this new information, the prospect of resuming in-person classroom instruction by April 17 is increasingly unlikely; thus, we feel this decision is in the University’s best interest at this time.

This latest change raises several questions, some of which we will not be able to answer immediately. We can, however, announce the following additional changes:

Students will be required to move out of the residence halls by Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 5 pm. There will be exceptions made for students whose personal circumstances make it necessary for them to stay on campus. Additional information about the move out process, how to apply for an exception to remain on campus, and a policy regarding refunds/rebates for room and board is forthcoming. We encourage students to move out as soon as practical and have urged faculty to be flexible regarding their assignments and any synchronous instruction during this move out week.
Information regarding University dining during this week and beyond will be sent in a separate communication.
University buildings are closed to the general public, including suspending Admissions visits by prospective students and their families until further notice. Deliveries of mail and packages will continue.
The ONU Health Center, Counseling Center, Healthwise Pharmacy and The Inn’s hotel operations will remain open to the public, including take out options only for The Inn’s restaurant.
ONU HealthWise Community Pharmacy will remain open with regular hours. The pharmacy has extended its home prescription delivery service to all patients in Hardin County, and to anyone living within 40 miles of the pharmacy including Lima and Findlay. Curbside pick-up at the pharmacy also is available. Individuals interested in this service should call 419-772-3784. The pharmacy can transfer prescriptions from other pharmacies to allow anyone to take advantage of this service. The pharmacy can mail prescriptions to a student at their home through the remainder of the spring and summer. Prescriptions may be refilled through the website, the app and by telephone (419-772-3784).
The Child Development Center will remain open for the time being.
We will also suspend in-person job interviews for searches currently underway and encourage the use of electronic interviews (Skype, Zoom, etc.) as an interim solution until further notice.

Although campus buildings are closed to the public at this time, the University remains open. To be sure, changes in some services may impact staff work schedules, which will be determined as this fluid situation evolves. ONU employees who are at high-risk, vulnerable to COVID-19 or must care for themselves or dependents due to virus-related matters may need to tele-commute, and we will work to accommodate these individuals. For others, tele-commuting flexibility is at the discretion of the supervisor with the approval of the appropriate dean or vice president. Please contact your supervisor and Human Resources for additional information.

Finally, we wish we could be more definite about whether the commencement ceremonies and related activities will be able to proceed as planned and will provide updates as we have more information. Regardless, we will make arrangements for all students to receive their diplomas and other items (awards and honor cords) related to commencement. We definitely are committed to trying to hold our commencement ceremonies.

We are grateful for your understanding and patience during this fluid time when collective action and cooperation are paramount and our commitment to the continuity of alternative and remote learning is imperative.

Sincerely,

Dan DiBiasio, President

Maria Cronley, Provost

To all members of the University community,

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, I have, not surprisingly, another update for your information.

With the governor’s announcement that Ohio K-12 schools are closing until April 3, and potentially many other childcare facilities that may consider doing so as well, Human Resources is quickly gathering information regarding requests for accommodating dependent child care needs of our employees. The University is adding 15 days of sick leave to help employees who may need to care for their children, who may become ill or who may care for an immediate household family. More information about sick leave will be disseminated by the vice presidents and deans.

Also related to school children, the Ada Exempted Village School District is notifying its students and parents that Ohio Northern buildings are closed to the local community for non-campus visitors at this time. This includes the children of ONU faculty and staff. This is a change in policy for those that have brought their children to work occasionally, or if an employee has brought their children with them while using the King Horn athletic facilities. We appreciate your cooperation during this time when we are taking many health and safety precautions.

As we continue to update you frequently, I also want you to know that a notice was sent earlier today to ONU parents summarizing the actions taken by the University during this unprecedented week.

Additionally, the ONU Health Center has sent out some “best practice tips” regarding staying healthy during this time. Our Dining Services is also focused on maintaining a safe environment for students. They are heavily promoting the use of the existing to-go meal program, and have implemented a number of anti-contamination mitigation practices such as educational and informational signage, single-use paper to handle common utensils, increased availability of hand sanitizer, increased surface cleaning, and relocating or eliminating easily contaminated products such as bagels/bread and scoopable ice cream.

With all this said, the situation is quite fluid and we will continue to assess and evaluate each day as we get further information.

The University’s COVID-19 Taskforce held its first meeting yesterday and will be meeting weekly going forward. Among the priorities they will be discussing are business and financial continuity plans and identifying all that would need to occur if ONU were forced to close its residence halls, libraries, and other academic and student support services. I am very appreciative of our colleagues who have agreed to serve on the Task Force. They include the following members: Dan DiBiasio, Maria Cronley, Julie Hurtig, Karen Schroeder, Lynda Nyce, Marc Staley, Anthony Rivera, Adriane Thompson-Bradshaw, Justin Courtney, Noah Ristau, Bill Ballard, Vicki Niese, Tonya Paul, Amy Prigge, Nate Oblizajek, Jeff Rieman, Rod Anderson, Michele Durand, Tallene Eichelberger, Greg Horne, Steve Martin and Karen Kier.

As we close this eventful week, please know that we are grateful to all who have adapted so quickly and are adjusting so well, especially to our excellent faculty for transitioning their instruction to remote delivery, to our administrative and support staff for your patience and cooperation, and to the senior administrative team for their leadership.

Your safety and the well-being of our community are our top priorities, and I appreciate your support as we work through this challenging time together.

Many thanks and take good care,
President Daniel A. DiBiasio

Dear ONU Parents,

As this unprecedented week of challenge and change comes to a close, I want to reach out to ONU parents to summarize how the University has swiftly and proactively responded to the current stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many of you may know, on Tuesday, March 10th, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made several recommendations to the state’s colleges and universities intended to mitigate the risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus. ONU embraced the Governor’s recommendations and the same day announced a series of social distancing practices and other measures. Specifically, the University has taken the following actions:

Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, suspended all traditional classroom instruction, except some laboratory sessions, and transitioned to alternative and remote instructional delivery until April 17, 2020
Immediately cancelled all large indoor gatherings and public events until April 17, 2020
Immediately limited attendance to all faculty, staff and student organization meetings to 25 or fewer until April 17, 2020
Immediately suspended all non-essential University business travel by air, train or bus until April 17, 2020
Immediately suspended all university-related student travel until April 17, 2020
Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, cancelled the spring sports season in conjunction with the other nine members of the Ohio Athletic Conference
The University remains open to serve students in a healthy and safe way. The main reason for moving classes from a traditional delivery format to alternative and remote delivery is to significantly reduce the occasions of communal gathering where many students are in close proximity with one another, making social distancing almost impossible.

Labs, on the other hand, are different learning environments. They are smaller, often structured in clusters or in spaces that permit social distancing. Some labs may be offered in a virtual environment. Others require physical presence. If students do not want to remain enrolled in a lab that is meeting face-to-face, they have the option of electing an incomplete grade and completing the course at a later time.

Similarly, students can live and eat in residence halls, apartments, and the dining hall in safe and healthy ways. This can be accomplished by following reasonable health and safety measures designed to keep residence hall rooms and apartments clean. Our dining hall is large enough that it includes several different, nearly separate spaces. Diners can use those spaces in ways that are safe and that enable social distancing. In addition, students who do not want to eat in the dining hall can take advantage of the popular takeout option.

Also, Dining Services has implemented an additional layer of protection at points of service with the introduction of single-use "delicatessen" wax paper throughout operations. Signage explains and encourages students to use this paper as a barrier between their hands and shared surfaces; one disposable sheet can be used to handle all spoons, tongs, knobs, buttons, etc. that would otherwise be touched directly. In tandem, hand sanitizer has been placed with signage asking that it be used before and after touching any surface.

We will be redoubling our efforts during this time to keep residence halls and academic spaces extra clean, focusing especially on greater frequency and intensity of cleaning high touch and highly trafficked surfaces.

Having said the above, I also want to emphasize that we want students to choose what is best for them regarding staying on campus or returning home during this period of flux.

I am very proud of how our faculty has risen to meet the challenges of a different teaching format and appreciative of how the staff at the University has rallied to support students. During the past week, my wife Chris and I have made several trips to the dining hall to check in and engage with our students, to ask how they are doing. We come away from those interactions inspired by our students. To be sure, many are concerned, some even afraid, but most are calm, keeping focused on learning, and trying to be college students in these uncertain times. We are proud of them and dedicated to their health, safety and success.

As a parent, I can understand your concern and worry for the health and safety of your son or daughter. I share that concern as well. You can be assured that we will continue to make students aware of all the support services available to them on campus for their physical health and emotional well being.

Because current conditions are so fluid, I will keep you informed in the weeks and months ahead of any major modifications to our plans going forward. In the meantime, please visit the ONU website for more regular updates.

Thank you and take good care.

Sincerely,
President Daniel A. DiBiasio

Campus Community,

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are learning more about it every day. This message is sent to underscore some important information to help keep our campus community as safe and healthy as possible. At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

fever
cough
shortness of breath

How can I help protect myself?
There are simple things you can do to help yourself and others stay healthy:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; before eating or preparing food.
Use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Stay at home when you are sick.
Avoid those who are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Take a walk outside. You do not need to stay in your room.
SOCIAL DISTANCING is avoiding crowds if possible.

If you cannot purchase hand sanitizer, make your own. Mix 2/3 cups of 99% rubbing alcohol and 1/3 cup of Aloe Vera Gel. Add a fragrance if you wish.

What should I do if I recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19?
If you have traveled from an affected area, there may be restrictions on your movements for up to 2 weeks. If you develop symptoms during that period (fever, cough, trouble breathing), seek medical advice. Call the Health Center or your health care provider before you go, inform them about your recent travel and your symptoms. They will give you instructions on how to get care without exposing other people to your illness. While sick, avoid contact with people and don’t go out. Delay any travel to reduce the possibility of spreading illness to others.

Things you can do to support yourself:

Avoid excessive exposure to media coverage of COVID-19.
Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and avoid alcohol and drugs.
Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly. Engage in other activities you enjoy to return to your normal life.
Connect with others. Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Maintain healthy relationships.
Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking.

Individuals who feel an overwhelming worry or anxiety or who have stress reactions that interfere with daily activities for several days in a row should seek professional support by calling the Counseling Center (419-772-2190) or Health Center (419-772-2086). People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment plans and monitor for any new symptoms.

Below are additional CDC resources and guidance on this topic:
Self-monitoring of symptoms
Cleaning
When and How to Wash Your Hands
Know the Facts about Covid-19
Frequently Asked Questions

We are here together to keep our campus and community healthy, strong and informed.

Karen L. Schroeder RN, BSN, MBA
ONU Health Center Director

To all members of the University community,

I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding at this time of great flux for the University and our academic programs.

As a follow up to yesterday’s announcement, I am writing to provide you with further clarification of the actions taken to address the COVID-19 outbreak.

First, it is important to clarify that all actions, including suspending all face-to-face instruction, with the exception of laboratory sessions, will be in place until Friday, April 17, 2020. Given the fluid nature of how COVID-19 is impacting Ohio and its communities, this time frame may be adjusted. Any adjustments will be communicated in advance as best we can.

Second, I have received a number of questions from students and parents asking why, if we are moving from face-to-face instruction to online classes, are we still holding labs face-to-face and keeping residence halls and the dining hall open. Some have suggested that this appears to be an inconsistency in our efforts to help students be safe and stay healthy. Let me try to explain briefly why this is not the case.

The main reason for moving classes from face-to-face to online is to significantly reduce the occasions of communal gathering where many students are in close proximity with one another, making social distancing almost impossible. Many laboratory classes are different learning environments. They are smaller, often structured in clusters or in spaces that permit social distancing. That is one of the main reasons why we are keeping laboratories open for face-to-face instruction.

Similarly, students can live and eat in residence halls, apartments, and the dining hall in safe and healthy ways. This can be accomplished by following reasonable health and safety measures designed to keep residence hall rooms and apartments clean. Our dining hall is large enough that it includes several different, nearly separate spaces. Diners can use those spaces in ways that are safe and that enable social distancing. In addition, students who do not want to eat in the dining hall can take advantage of the take out option. Finally, we will be redoubling our efforts during this time to keep residence halls, academic spaces, and the dining hall extra clean.

Having said the above, I also want to emphasize that students can choose what is best for them regarding staying on campus or returning home. With regard to labs, faculty have some options that they will try to utilize as we enter this period of flux. Some labs may be able to be offered in a virtual environment. Others require physical presence. If students decide not to complete the expectations of the lab, they will have the option of electing an incomplete grade and completing the course at a later time.

Third, I have also received a number of questions about refunds. We are evaluating whether that should happen and, in doing so, will take into consideration that University operations are functioning during this period. Notice of the final decision will be made at a later time.

Finally, it is important to note that ONU’s actions regarding online instruction, sustaining face-to-face lab instruction and keeping the University open are similar to what many other Ohio private and public universities with similar academic programs have put in place for a period of time.

These are indeed unsettling times, and we want nothing more than to return to ONU’s up close and personal approach to education as soon as possible. That may not happen quickly. However, I know that we can count on your patience and understanding until it does.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

To all members of the University community,

As I indicated in previous communications about the coronavirus, we continue to monitor the outbreak and remain in close contact with local and state officials in order to do what is best for the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.

Early this afternoon, Gov. DeWine held a conference call with all Ohio college and university presidents, followed by a press conference later where he outlined the steps he advises organizations to take in light of the coronavirus. He specifically advised all higher education institutions in Ohio to move to remote learning for classes as soon as possible for a period of time. In addition, he asked that all large events, such as indoor sports and other performance events, be discontinued.

Ohio Northern University has begun the transition to virtual instruction. Many faculty have already been working in preparation for this, and the campus will complete the transition by Monday, March 16. To facilitate this and allow faculty time to prepare their course materials, all academic classes are cancelled on Friday, March 13.

Starting on Monday, March 16, we are suspending all face-to-face instruction, with the exception of laboratory sessions for the remainder of the spring semester. Later this week, faculty will send their class rosters an email to let the students know how the course will be meeting in the future. Students engaging in clinical placements, internships and experiential outplacements will continue at this time and should follow the protocols of the facility. Students and faculty are encouraged to do what is best for their personal circumstances as we transition to this new form of instruction delivery.

Effective immediately, the University will take these additional actions:

The University has canceled all large gathering, indoor public events until Friday, April 17, 2020. This includes events such as Honors Day, Relay for Life, and many more that we will publicize.
Ohio Northern is asking all University groups to suspend meetings for groups that include 20 or more participants, or these groups should meet in a virtual capacity when possible, including student organizations.
Non-essential commercial travel (air, train, bus) for university business is suspended for all faculty and staff until April 17. Essential travel must be approved by the appropriate Vice President or Dean.
All university-related student travel, including team competitions and travel to conferences, is suspended until April 17. Outdoor sporting competitions will continue at this time.

The University will remain open, including academic resources such as the library and study spaces, residence and dining facilities, athletic, and recreation facilities. The Inn will also remain open. Social distancing and enhanced preventative public health and hygiene measures are actively encouraged.

These actions will be reevaluated on an ongoing basis and updates or modifications will be communicated as necessary.

Ohio Northern has created and is maintaining a website for information and updates for our campus community at onu.edu/covid-19. Students, please send this link to your family members for their information.

In the meantime, please follow these health guidelines:

If you become ill with flu-like symptoms, seek medical care and contact the ONU Health Center at 419-772-2086, even if you choose to seek medical care off campus. For anyone visiting the ONU Student Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history. [NOTE: Before you go to the ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.]

CLICK HERE for the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19.

CLICK HERE for the most up-to-date information from the Ohio Department of Health on COVID-19.

CLICK HERE for rolling updates from the World Health Organization on COVID-19.

We will continue to send updates as university, local and federal advice and guidelines change. The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority.

Your help is greatly appreciated as we work together to maintain a healthy campus.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

To all members of the ONU Community:

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine announced the first three positive COVID-19 cases in Ohio. We are unaware of any COVID-19 cases under investigation in Hardin County.

With the arrival of the COVID-19 virus in Ohio, the university community is presented with a unique situation that will require constant monitoring and timely response. To monitor this situation, we are in regular communication with the Ohio Department of Health.

In previous email communications, we have encouraged students, staff, and faculty to remain at home if symptoms present. We now ask all members of the campus community to be understanding and flexible in response to absences.

ALL Faculty and Academic Staff:

We ask that all faculty and staff members anticipate and prepare for the potential disruption associated with COVID-19. Below we provide a list of actions that will enable the university community to operate remotely.

Please maintain an updated grade book that can be sent to a colleague electronically. (Moodle meets this need because other faculty can be granted access to your Moodle room.)

Please provide mid-term grades for students at risk of a D or F. Also, we ask that faculty clarify the meaning of the midterm grade. Students receiving notice of a D or F need to know that the grade can be improved or that he or she should drop the course.

Please be flexible with your attendance policy for students who are not able to be present in class. Faculty are expected to work with students to catch them up on any missed material; students should not be penalized. ONU is not going to require students to show a doctor’s note to prove their absence during this time, as health care provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.

In addition, we strongly recommend that faculty anticipate the possibility that they are unable to meet with students due to student illness, faculty illness, illness of a dependent, or closure of schools, daycare, and adult care facilities.

Consider how you would cover materials for 4-10 class periods?

Make sure you take materials home, upload scans of items to your cloud storage, etc.

Consider how labs and class discussions could take place using alternative technologies;

Could labs be video-recorded, and students be given the lab data and asked to write their lab reports?
Can discussions take place on Discussion Boards or Google Hangouts or via email?

Make a plan in your classes to allow for alternative class delivery. Some options may include:

Set up assignments and/or quizzes for student completion in the Moodle gradebook or another electronic format.
Have assignments, class handouts, requirements and/or rubrics for all upcoming assignments ready in Moodle or another electronic format.
Plan for all assignments to be collected via Moodle, email, or other electronic means.

Remember that per FERPA, grades and feedback on assignments for individual students should be done in a way that students would only receive their individual information.

Resources

Keep in mind that Information Technology has gathered “work at home” tips to assist faculty and staff with items like forwarding your campus phone, accessing the p-drive, and online instructional tools. The Educational Technology staff will continue to develop additional instruction guidelines for Google Hangout Meet, Zoom, and video recording.

Please stay abreast of this dynamic situation using these resources:

CLICK HERE for the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19.

CLICK HERE for the most up-to-date information from the Ohio Department of Health on COVID-19.

CLICK HERE for rolling updates from the World Health Organization on COVID-19.

This is a unique situation and as such we are asking everyone to be as flexible and understanding as possible. We will continue to send updates as university, local and federal advice and guidelines change. The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

To all members of the University community,

I am writing to follow up on my earlier communication today. Fortunately, members of the campus community are being responsive about informing us of COVID-19 issues, enabling a quick response when issues arise.

Such was the case this morning when we were notified that four students and one faculty member who went to Costa Rica over spring break traveled back home from an airport in that country where a number of cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed.

The University and the Hardin County Health Department conferred this morning about these individuals. As a precaution, the four students and faculty will be quarantined off campus at their home for the next 14 days. None of them are symptomatic, and they will be self-monitoring for this period of time. We hope that they will be cleared at the end of the period and be able to return to campus. In addition, other precautionary measures to ensure health and safety are being taken.

We were able to act swiftly and with an abundance of caution for the well being and health of the members of our community due to timely reporting. So I encourage everyone to be aware of the information about reporting that has been shared in previous communications.

This is an unsettling time, but with the cooperation and caring concern of everyone, we will remain a strong and healthy community.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

To all members of the University community,

Welcome back to those of you who were away from campus last week. As classes resume today, I want to briefly follow-up on the three communications that were sent before, during, and toward the end of spring break last week about how the University is addressing issues related to the coronavirus.

First, I want to assure the campus community that we have been and will continue to monitor the updates from local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, we are in communication with several higher education organizations about issues unique to colleges and universities. That monitoring will become more formal with the establishment of a COVID-19 Task Force that I will announce shortly in order to best coordinate our efforts to plan and prepare for changing and uncertain elements of this public health outbreak.

Second, I want to reinforce the personal health advice shared in those previous emails and encourage everyone to adhere to them rigorously. Also, as previously stated, if you become ill with flu-like symptoms now that you are back on campus, seek medical care and contact the ONU Health Center at 419-772-2086, even if you choose to seek medical care off-campus. For anyone visiting the ONU Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms who traveled over break, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history. [NOTE: Before you go to the ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.]

Finally, once the Task Force is established, there will be additional communications from the Task Force pertaining to a host of pertinent issues as they become more clear. For example, issues related to University sponsored international travel coming up later this spring and summer.

In the meantime, I appreciate everyone’s concern and cooperation as we do our part and our best to be safe and stay healthy in light of what is happening across the country.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

To all members of the ONU Community:

At this time, there are no suspected COVID-19 cases on our campus. Ohio has not reported any confirmed cases as of this morning. We are continuing to monitor the situation and are in communication with the Ohio Department of Health.

As you prepare to return to campus following Spring Break, we ask you to take a moment to review the following guidelines and information.

If you traveled abroad to restricted countries:

ONU did not authorize any University travel to countries under Level 2 or 3 Warnings over the Spring Break. However, if you personally traveled to any country that was on a Level 2 or 3 Warning with the CDC (check levels here), we ask that you inform the university about your travel if you have not already done so using this link: https://my.onu.edu/ONUTravelReporting.

Upon returning to the US from any country that is identified as a CDC Warning Level 3 or Alert Level 2, you will need to return to your home or to another location off-campus for 14 days. The Health Center will send you an email with instructions for self-monitoring of symptoms. During this period of self-quarantine off-campus, students should stay home and self-monitor for fever, cough, or shortness of breath. At the end of the 14-day period, the Health Center will review your symptoms and health status and make a determination about your return to campus. Staff, faculty and instructors will work with students who need to complete academic work remotely during this time.

If you traveled abroad to non-restricted areas or domestically:

For other community members preparing to return to campus, especially those that traveled abroad to non-restricted areas or traveled through large metropolitan airports, we strongly encourage you to monitor your own health.

If you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, please do not return to campus. Contact the Health Center at 419-772-2086 and the staff will send you an email with instructions for self-monitoring of symptoms. During this period of self-quarantine off-campus, students should stay home until fully recovered. Then contact the Health Center. They will review your health status and make a determination about your return to campus. Staff, faculty and instructors will work with students who need to complete academic work remotely during this time.

If you become ill with flu-like symptoms after you are back on campus and have traveled during spring break, seek medical care and contact the ONU Health Center at 419-772-2086, even if you choose to seek medical care off-campus. For anyone visiting the ONU Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history. [NOTE: Before you go to the ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.]

Prevention Practices

If you are traveling through an airport as you return to campus:

On flights, if wipes are available, wipe headrest, tray table and its lock, armrests, and emergency instructions pamphlet. Refrain from storing items in the magazine pocket and handling the in-flight magazines. When using the facilities, use a tissue or wipe to lock the door and flush. Then wash thoroughly after use. Again use a wipe or tissue to unlock and open the door.
In the airports, refrain from touching rails, armrests, and door handles. Avoid close contact with people who are sniffling, sneezing, or coughing.

Please continue to follow everyday prevention practices to help ensure the health and safety of all ONU community members.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Stay away from others when you are sick. Wear a mask if you are not feeling well and need to be around others.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using sanitizing wipes.

We will continue to send updates as university, local and federal advice and guidelines change. The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority.

Thanks for your help in helping the campus be as healthy as possible.

Provost Maria Cronley and the Office of Academic Affairs

To all members of the ONU Community:

An update from the message lasts week. Cases of Coronavirus COVID-19 continue to increase around the world. As a result, travel restrictions and guidelines are changing. Continuing to be proactive about the safety of our university community, Ohio Northern University wants to make sure that you are aware of these changes during spring break.

On Friday February 28, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced an elevation of travel alert status for Iran and Italy. There are now 4 countries assigned a Travel Alert Level Status 3 by the CDC: China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea. Therefore, travel to these countries is to be avoided. ONU is restricting university travel for all faculty, staff and students to China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea.

For our spring break abroad groups, because they are not in elevated travel alert areas, we will not at this time ask them to return to the States prior to their scheduled flights this weekend, March 7 & 8. We do urge the participants to, in addition to previously communicated everyday prevention practices, diligently follow proactive practices to help ensure the health and safety of all ONU community members.

For personal travel, we strongly advise all students, faculty and staff to follow travel alerts from the CDC, DOS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The situation in any particular travel destination can change quickly. A number of other countries have been assigned a Travel Alert Level 2 status by the CDC. ONU may add travel restrictions in the future if additional countries are elevated to a Travel Warning Level 3 status. Take precautions when traveling, particularly through airports.

As a reminder from a prior email, please report international travel, take precautions to protect the health and safety of the campus community, and notify ONU professionals if you are ill upon your return to campus.

International Travel Reporting

Those with personal travel to any international destination over Spring Break are asked to report their travel through this online form: https://my.onu.edu/ONUTravelReporting. We are collecting this information so that we can offer proper resources and immediate assistance to any member of our community who may become ill. All information gathered through this process will remain confidential.

Prevention Practices

If you are traveling through an airport:

On flights, if wipes are available, wipe headrest, tray table and its lock, armrests, and emergency instructions pamphlet. Refrain from storing items in the magazine pocket and handling the in-flight magazines. When using the facilities, use a tissue or wipe to lock the door and flush. Then wash thoroughly after use. Again use a wipe or tissue to unlock and open the door.
In the airports, refrain from touching rails, armrests, and door handles. Avoid close contact with people who are sniffling, sneezing, or coughing.

Please continue to follow everyday prevention practices to help ensure the health and safety of all ONU community members.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Stay away from others when you are sick. Wear a mask if you are not feeling well and need to be around others.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using sanitizing wipes.

Returning to Ada

If you are ill upon your return to Ada, please seek medical care right away. ONU asks that you notify the ONU Health Center, even if you seek medical care elsewhere. Please call 419-772-2086. For anyone visiting the ONU Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history. [NOTE: Before you go to the ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.]

For more information about the travel advisories please consult the CDC, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the World Health Organization.

US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
US Department of State ( https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
US Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/
World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/travel-advice
We will continue to send updates as university, local and federal advice and guidelines change. The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority.

Thanks for your help in helping the campus be as healthy as possible. Please direct all questions about international travel over spring break to onu-travel@onu.edu.

Lynda Nyce, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs

To all members of the ONU Community:

Continuing to be proactive about the safety of our university community, Ohio Northern University wants to make sure that you are aware of travel precautions and guidelines as we head into spring break.

This week the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced an elevation of travel alert status for South Korea. Both China and South Korea are now assigned a Travel Alert Level Status 3 by the CDC. Therefore, travel to both countries is to be avoided. ONU is restricting university travel for all faculty, staff and students to China and South Korea.

For personal travel, we strongly advise all students, faculty and staff to follow travel alerts from the CDC, DOS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The situation in any particular travel destination can change quickly. A number of other countries have been assigned a Travel Alert Level 2 status and additional travel restrictions will be put into place if additional countries are elevated to a Travel Warning Level 3 status.

International Travel Reporting
Those with personal travel to any international destination over Spring Break are asked to report their travel through this online form. We are collecting this information so that we can offer proper resources and immediate assistance to any member of our community who may become ill. All information gathered through this process will remain confidential. Please direct all questions about international travel over spring break to onu-travel@onu.edu.

Returning to Ada
If you are ill upon your return to Ada, please seek medical care right away.
[NOTE: Before you go to the ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.]

ONU asks that you notify the ONU Health Center, even if you seek medical care elsewhere. Please call 419-772-2086. For anyone visiting the ONU Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history.

Precautions
We continue to take all precautions to ensure the health and safety of all ONU community members. The best way to prevent the spread of any type of infection — including the flu – is to follow these everyday prevention practices.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Stay away from others when you are sick. Wear a mask if you are not feeling well and need to be around others.
Cover your cough or sneeze.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using sanitizing wipes.

More information about the travel advisories can be found at the links below:

US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
US Department of State https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
US Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/
World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/travel-advice

We will continue to send updates as university, local and federal advice and guidelines change.

The safety and well-being of our community is our top priority!

Lynda Nyce, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs

To all members of the ONU community,

I am reaching out to the University community as a measure of precaution relating to the coronavirus.

You may have heard that two Miami University students who recently traveled to China are being isolated as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") investigate whether they have confirmed cases of coronavirus. The CDC is expected to notify local officials by the end of the week whether the students have confirmed cases.

The CDC has recommended avoiding all non-essential travel to China. If you were in China in the last 14 days or if you have had close contact with anybody who was in China in the last 14 days, you should closely monitor your health. If you were in China or have had close contact with anybody who was in China and develop a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing, you should:

Seek medical care right away. Before you go to ONU Health Center, a doctor's office, or an emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel or close contact with someone who recently traveled and your symptoms.
Notify the ONU Health Center, even if you seek medical care elsewhere: 419-772-2086.
Stay away from other people until you receive instructions.
Do not travel while sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

For anyone visiting the ONU Health Center with a fever or respiratory symptoms, the Health Center will obtain a detailed travel history and information about close contacts with anybody who was in China. If anyone with these symptoms was in China on or before December 1, 2019, please notify the University Health Center, and we will take all precautionary measures, including immediately notifying the state and local health department.

President Daniel A. DiBiasio

COVID-19 and Campus Safety

What to do if you become ill

Campus & Parent Communications

Statement on Spring Sports

Information from Admissions

Impacted alumni events

ONU COVID-19 Taskforce

International Travel Reporting

Have a question?

ONU Health Center

Information for:

COVID-19 and Campus Safety

What to do if you become ill

Campus & Parent Communications

Student and Parent communication - March 25

University and Parent communication - March 16

University communication - March 13

Parent communication – March 13

University communication – March 13

University communication – March 11

University communication - March 10

University communication - March 10

University communication - March 9

University communication - March 9

University communication - March 6

University communication - March 3

University communication - Feb. 27

University communication - Jan. 29

Statement on Spring Sports

Information from Admissions

Impacted alumni events

ONU COVID-19 Taskforce

International Travel Reporting

Have a question?

ONU Health Center

Information for: