Welcome back! We are glad you are here at UAH. We are excited about starting a new calendar year and a new academic semester. Please review the following announcements and updates for the Spring 2021 semester.
Important Dates. As you start your spring semester, please review the important dates for the semester or terms in which you are enrolled. The dates for drop/add, drop with refund, final exams and other important dates are attached included. These dates for the academic semester and the different terms within the semester are also given on the Registrar’s website at https://www.uah.edu/registrar/calendars?view=article&id=13843:spring-dates&catid=122:registrar
Drop/Add. The drop/add dates for Spring semester are fast approaching. For the given semester or term in which students are enrolled, students may add courses without special approvals and may drop courses and receive a refund up until the last drop/add date given for the semester or term. After the drop/add date, students must have approval to make schedule changes and cannot receive a refund for dropped courses. Please also keep in mind that not attending class does not equate to dropping it; students will still be responsible for tuition charges if they do not drop unwanted courses. Faculty can expect changes to their class rolls through the drop/add dates after which enrollment should be stable.
Remote Sections. Hybrid courses have blue and silver sections that are classified as on-campus and a remote section that is classified as online. If you are enrolled in a blue or silver section of a hybrid course, you will be classified as an on-campus student. If you want to be a classified as a fully online student, please remember that you must enroll in remote sections of hybrid courses and/or in online courses.
Return to Campus Guidelines. Please remember that if you are classified as an on-campus student, prior to re-entry you must complete the Charger Healthcheck COVID-19 Assessment Tool to assess if you are safe to return. You must continue to complete the Charger Healthcheck at least every three days. All students must present a valid Healthcheck green passport prior to each class session.
COVID testing of UAH students, faculty and staff, as indicated below, will help us identify and isolate positive cases. The testing will be free of charge for these individuals.
- Students living on campus will be required to test within seven days of returning to campus.
- Weekly sentinel testing, which targets a randomized sample of the general campus population (with a target of collecting no less than 2.5% of the sample) will be performed.
- Symptomatic testing and Athletics testing will continue as it did in the fall.
- For-cause testing of individuals in a shared location where people test positive will be conducted as necessary at the discretion of medical professionals.
Face Coverings. UAH students must wear a face mask/cloth face covering for the duration of any in-person class session or while in any University owned facility other than a private residence hall room or while alone in an enclosed study space.
Enhanced Cleaning. Disinfecting wipes are available in classroom buildings. Students are encouraged to pick up a wipe on the way into classrooms and wipe down their work areas and any shared classroom technology such as wireless microphones, keyboards, and podium touch pads. Before you leave after class, be certain to disinfect your classroom space. If working or studying on campus, disinfect the area before beginning your work and after you finish.
SSC Charge Into Success Workshops. The Student Success Center would like to support you by inviting you to one of their Charge Into Success workshops. Please register and we will email you the Zoom link an hour before the workshop.
If you are not able to join one of the workshops, here are the top tips for a successful semester:
- Get to know Canvas - it is your lifeline to your classes and to UAH Resources on campus such as the Student Success Center.
- Time Management is such an important part of being a college student whether in person or online. You must be intentional in making a schedule, not just for attending your classes, but for study time, work, and yes, even your social life.
- If you are taking online classes, it is important to structure your environment so that you can concentrate on your class for the duration without interruptions.
- When you go to class, whether in person or online, make sure you are engaged. There is a big difference between attendance vs. engagement.
- Make an appointment with an academic coach.
Additional Support. A wide range of support services are available in both face-to-face and remote formats this spring. The Salmon Library (www.uah.edu/library) and the Student Success Center (www.uah.edu/ssc) are there for you as usual and provide a place for you to study and seek assistance. Socially distanced group study areas are available for small study groups (2 to 4 students) in the Library. If larger study group spaces are needed, please contact User Services in the Library for assistance. In addition, Instructional Testing Services (www.uah.edu/testing) will serve as a Digital Safe Space for students needing internet access or a quiet place to take an exam.
Salmon Library hours for spring semester are
- 7:30 am - 10:30 pm Monday-Thursday
- 7:30 am - 8:00 pm Friday
- 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Saturday
- 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm Sundays
The Return to Campus website, https://www.uah.edu/return-to-campus/, will be continuously updated with the latest information, including guides and checklists to ensure your safety in Spring semester and beyond. In addition, a set of Frequently Asked Questions is on the website at https://www.uah.edu/return-to-campus/faqs and will be updated as new information is available.
We hope you have a great semester.
