TSU Coronavirus FAQs

On March 23, a member of the Texas Southern University community was diagnosed with COVID-19, the first confirmed case within our university community. The staff member is symptomatic and is currently hospitalized receiving treatment. Please keep this individual and all the others battling the virus across the nation and worldwide in your thoughts. We wish them a speedy recovery.

TSU is working closely with city and county public health officials to reach out to any students, faculty or staff, as well as others, who may have come into contact with the individual. In accordance with CDC guidelines, these individuals will be placed under a mandatory self-quarantine to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 12. This is a rapidly evolving situation and Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s risk assessment will be updated as needed. The latest CDC risk assessment is available here.

• Always practice good hygiene: wash hands, cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid sharing food, cups or utensils.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Make sure to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and avoid personal contact with sick people.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. CDC cleaning recommendations can be found here.
• Get a flu shot.
• Recognize the symptoms of this illness, which may include a high fever, cough and difficulty breathing, similar to what you may feel with the flu or a bad cold.
• Seek care and immediately notify the University Student Health Center or your health care provider if you are experiencing these symptoms.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Self-report any international travel to TSU.

First and foremost, stay at home! Those who have recently traveled internationally or believe they have been exposed to the virus and are experiencing influenza-like illness, with fever greater than 100.3, and symptoms, including cough, body aches, severe sore throat or runny nose, should seek medical attention, especially if symptoms worsen.

Students should contact TSU Health Services and identify themselves as having flu-like symptoms to obtain further recommendations and guidance. Students should also consult with their regular health care provider or seek treatment at a local health center if they are overseas. Please call ahead to your health care provider to notify them of the reason for your visit. Faculty and staff who are ill with flu-like symptoms should stay home and contact their personal physician for further advice.

For additional information about COVID-19, including signs and symptoms, transmission and risk of exposure, and what to do if you are exhibiting symptoms, please refer to the links below. The CDC’s website and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) will also issue guidance for those planning to travel or who have recently returned.

If you travel to a country identified by the CDC with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (currently Italy, China, South Korea, Iran and Venezuela), depending on your travel history, you will be asked to stay home in self-quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time you left an area with widespread or ongoing community spread. To help the university best assess potential exposure and risks to our campus community, we are asking any student, faculty or staff member who traveled internationally recently or during Spring Break to let us know by filling out this form.

In response to the growing challenges and obstacles students have been dealing with as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Southern University will implement a temporary grading option for graduate and undergraduate programs (excluding the Law School and Professional Pharmacy Program) for the Spring 2020 semester.

This option allows students more flexibility given our emergency state and provides options that prevent student GPAs from being negatively impacted due to circumstances beyond their control. Feedback was received from various members of the TSU community, including academic deans, Faculty Senate, student leaders, and TSU Interim President Ken Huewitt.

All shared the common goal of doing what was fair and in the best interest of students and the university. Provided with these common goals, an interim plan was devised that consists of allowing students to receive either their regular letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F) or opt into a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading system (as explained in the attached FAQ sheet) by April 30, 2020.

In addition, the deadline date for students to drop one or more classes has been extended to April 30, 2020 (also found in the FAQ). We appreciate the support received from the TSU community during this challenging time. As most institutions across the country have now moved online, and many institutions throughout Texas have started adopting similar grading models, we all stand unified in working to provide what is in the best interest of our students. Additional guidance on how to opt-in to P/NP within MyTSU will be provided within the next week.

For additional information regarding the P/NP grading policy, please review the attached FAQ sheet.

In summary:

• Students have the option to receive their regular letter grade. Students have the “option” to opt into the P/NP grade system for individual courses.
• Students have until April 30 to drop a course.
• P/NP is not calculated in the grade point average (GPA).
• Students have until April 30 to select the P/NP option. If an option is not selected, they will receive their regular grade earned in the course. Students may pick and choose for which class(es) they would like to receive the P/NP grade.

Students will have access to online tutoring through the Tutoring Center in Student Academic Support Services (SASS). Tutorial services begin on Monday, March 30. Appointments can be made through the T-claw Navigate app starting Sunday, March 29. This service will be available through the end of the semester. More details are forthcoming.

SASS Online Tutoring (S.O.T.). is a peer tutoring service is for Tiger’s enrolled in TSU core curriculum courses. (Face-to-face peer tutorials have been suspended for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.) The goal is to provide an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all participants looking for assistance in TSU core-related subjects. Sessions are only by appointments and are scheduled for 60 minutes.

BlueJeans is the platform used to conduct online peer tutoring. The link to access BlueJeans will be included in the appointment confirmation in the student's EAB (T-Claw) account. Students can use their cell phones, electronic tablet, desktop or laptop to receive the online service. 

Here is some additional information about BlueJeans:

• BlueJeans Training: BlueJeans Meetings 101
• Andriod Download: Android-App Download
• iPhone Download: -iOS-App-Download

More details are forthcoming and students are encouraged to check their TSU student emails.

We understand the economic hardships that many of you may be under due to the effects of COVID-19. As a result, TSU is suspending the late fee you would normally be charged due to missing the April 3 installment deadline for the Spring 2020 semester.

We are temporarily raising the maximum balance allowed (from $500 to $1,000) in order for you to register for the upcoming summer or fall semesters. However, if you plan to register for the Summer I 2020 semester, your prior balance must be paid in full by June 1 (or July 6 for Summer II) – prior to the start of the semester – or you will be dropped from your classes. Likewise, when you register for the Fall 2020 semester, your prior balance must be paid in full by August 23 – prior to the start of the semester – or you will be dropped from your classes.

Students with a balance of greater than $1,000 on their account will not be allowed to register for the summer or fall semesters. Please make sure to check your account balance in your MyTSU portal.

Installment plans are available for both the summer and fall semesters for those who do not have a prior balance on their account. Registration for the both the summer and fall semesters begins on Monday, April 13.

We have made the following decisions related to adjustments for housing and dining charges:

• Students are only eligible for housing credit if they have left their campus residence for the remainder of the spring semester and cleared their room of all their belongings. Students who were enrolled in a spring meal plan and have left campus for the remainder of the spring semester are eligible for a dining credit.
• All credits for residence hall charges will be effective as of March 28, 2020. Credits for dining charges will have an effective date of March 29, 2020. Students living in campus housing will receive a credit after belongings are removed from their unit, checkout has been completed, and this has to be completed by May 9 in order to receive an adjustment.
• All credits will be first applied to any outstanding spring 2020 balance, and the student will receive any remaining credit (if applicable) as a refund via their BankMobile refund preference. We encourage all students to set up their BankMobile refund preference for a timely refund. Here is more information about the BankMobile process.
• Students who receive full housing and dining scholarships (student-athletes, presidential scholars, other non-refundable scholarships or grants) will have their scholarships adjusted and will not receive a refund.
• Students who receive partial housing and dining scholarships will have their scholarships adjusted and may receive a refund (See 3 above).
• Students utilizing federal funds to pay for any portion of their housing and dining will receive a refund for any credit balance per guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Refunds will be issued to all eligible students by the end of term (May 9).
• Questions about the calculation of housing and dining refunds can be emailed to tsuhousing@tsu.edu. Questions about the issuance of refunds can be emailed to samail@tsu.edu.

Please note that many networks are providing free WiFi for the next two months if you don’t have connectivity at home. You can Google it – or here is more information: https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-internet-providers-free-wifi-20200315-6k7pzukriffdfcic5odfizmnri-story.html.

Connectivity for students who don’t have it

• FCC agreement stating that providers will waive late fees, not cutoff service for lack of payment, and open hot-spots.
• Comcast COVID-19 response: offers free WiFi for 2 months to low income families plus all Xfinity hot-spots are free to the public during this time
• Charter Free Internet offer for 2 months
• AT&T COVID-19 response: offers open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low income families
• Verizon COVID-19 response: no special offers, but following the FCC agreement.
• Sprint COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, provides unlimited data to existing customers, and, starting Tuesday, 3/17/2020, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge (I expect others will follow).
• T-Mobile COVID-19 response: follows FCC agreement, plus unlimited data to existing customers, and, coming soon, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge (I expect others will follow).

Low Cost Internet Assistance:

Since all classes will be going online and some employers may require our students to work
remotely, students can find assistance here:

https://internetessentials.com/ 
https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/free_internet_access.html 

Rental Assistance/Utilities Assistance

If students cannot afford their rent or need assistance with utilities:
https://www.hud.gov/states/texas/renting 
https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/profiles/Texas.htm (Utilities)
https://www.mamhouston.org/housing (Closed but offering services remotely)
https://www.communityactionatwork.org/programs/homelessness-prevention/rent-utilitydeposit-assistance.html 
http://www.211.org/services/covid19 (May provide information on how to seek mortgage
assistance)

Food Assistance

Includes information for baby formula and food. Students who are parents can also check their
child’s school district since most are offering free meals for students.
https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/ https://www.lifehouston.org/getformula 

Childcare Assistance - The TWC child care services program subsidizes child care for lowincome families, promoting long-term self-sufficiency by enabling parents to work or attend workforce training or education activities.
https://twc.texas.gov/students/child-care-program 
https://texasrisingstar.org/ Texas Rising Star Program  

SSLC will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

Questions regarding the Student Center may be directed to Sean Bowers at Sean.Bowers@tsu.edu or (832) 335-8044

The Office of Student Conduct will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• Questions or concerns can be addressed by emailing Tanee.Newby@tsu.edu or calling 713-313-6778
• In the event of an emergency please call the Department of Public Safety at 713-313-7000 or 911 for the local police department
• All appointments and hearings will be conducted via Zoom or telephone
• Request for a medical withdrawal can be made by completing the Request for Medical Withdrawal Form http://students.tsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/request-for-medical-withdrawal-form.pdf and submitting it to Chio Sheppard, Assistant Vice President for Student Services, at chio.sheppard@tsu.edu 

The Office of Veteran Services will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

The office will be accepting request and appointments via email at veteransaffairs@tsu.edu and will be conducted via telephone (or Zoom)

Documents will be monitored and processed via email

The SASO will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• SASO remote office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Individuals are encouraged to call 713-313-4210 or email disabilityservices@tsu.edu for assistance.
• SASO is working on details to conduct virtual meetings using Zoom during office hours. SASO will communicate additional details about Zoom as soon as the process is in place.
• Accommodation service request applications will be processed electronically.
• SASO will generate and post an "Accommodations" handout for faculty on SASO web page as a reminder of approved accommodations and how they apply to online learning systems.

Faculty

Any faculty requesting accommodation consultations please contact the office via phone or email to discuss your concerns.

Outreach

Any face-to-face scheduled outreach activities are canceled until further notice.

TRIO Upward Bound office will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• Staff will continue to have contact with TRIO students via Zoom, Remind, text, and GroupMe
• Email: Deanna.Ashley-Lemon@tsu.edu 

The Career and Professional Development Center will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• The office will be closed but staff will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday via virtual meeting/appointments.
• With many on-campus recruiting events cancelled across the nation, we would like to offer virtual information sessions to assist TSU students with respective career and professional development needs.
• Students and Employers who are interested in speaking with the Career Center can schedule a Zoom meeting to connect either with a group of students gathered in one place or individual students joining the meeting remotely.
• If students or employers would like to coordinate a virtual meeting, please email placementservices@tsu.edu to fulfill this request.
• Our online database, Handshake, has thousands of jobs across this nation this year. We will continue help students find a great position or internships that suits their career-needs.
• Handshake: www.tsu.joinhandshake.com
• Please follow the Career and Professional Development Center: 
  • IG - tsucareercenter
  • Twitter – tsucareercenter
  • Facebook - tsucareercenter

General Student Organization Events and Meetings:

• Any in-person student organization meetings or events are canceled until further notice.
• Student group travel is suspended until further notice.
• Online and virtual meetings of student organizations are permitted and encouraged. 
• Training presentations and end of the year report documents will be uploaded to the student organizations webpage.
• Contact James Durant at James.Durant@tsu.edu, (713) 313-7759 for more information or with questions.
• Follow us at @txsu_campusorgs to stay updated with any changes with Student Organizations.

The Office of Student Engagement & Leadership will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• Appointments with staff can be scheduled by emailing Justin Lee at Justin.Lee@tsu.edu, (713) 313-6705, or via Calendly/Zoom. Please see link below. He will respond with meeting time options and format. https://calendly.com/justin-lee-18/one-on-one
• Office of Student Life and other components of the Office of Student Life will be engaging students online with various activities.
• Please follow us at:
  • TikTok - TXSU1927
  • IG - txsustudentlife
  • Twitter - studentlifetxsu

The Post Office will remain open with reduced hours, operating 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for more information, please call (713) 313-7032.

The Student Center’s Café will be open:

• Brunch – 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Dinner – 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Retail – Chick Fila – 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (until Tuesday, March 24, 2020)

The Parent Child Learning Lab will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• The Director will contact each family at the end of the week.
• The Director will post daily on Instagram “tsutinytigers” the following:
  • University Up-dates
  • Parenting tips
  • DYI Family Projects
  • Kid Friendly Recipes
  • Available community and online resources

The TRIO office will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• TRIO Talent Search and TRIO Student Support Services office will be closed but the staff will be available via teleconference and web conference
• Program staff will move all program services to the TRIO Office
• Email: triostudentsupportservices@tsu.edu 

TRIO Talent Search: Senior High School Students will receive online/telephone assistance to complete FAFSA, college admissions applications and follow-ups, Scholarship applications, and individual meetings via live chat and telephone.

• Weekly Virtual Student Meetings
• Online tutorial sessions available – please email triotalentsearch@tsu.edu to set up schedule and subject content.
• Updates available on social media and sent via email to program participants/parents.

TRIO Student Support Services: Staff will provide academic advisement and maintain student engagement via email, social medial and telephone.

• Online tutorial sessions are available – please email Vonda.Lackey@tsu.edu for additional information.
• Updates will be available on social media and sent via email to program participants.

The Student Health Center will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• If you are currently enrolled and need a copy of your immunization record go to https://tsu.medicatconnect.com
• A nurse is available at (713) 313-7173, Monday – Friday, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. to assist with general questions.
• If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and you are having symptoms, please contact the Harris County Health Department Hotline or the Houston Health Department Call Line.
• Harris County Health Department COVID-19 hotline: www.ReadyHarris.org. If you don’t have the internet, call (832) 927-7575.
• Houston Health Department COVID-19 Call Center: (832) -393-4220
• If you are experiencing a medical emergency on campus, call (713) 313-7000, off campus, call 911. Please inform the dispatch operator if you are experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing and or if you have a fever.

Debate Team Center will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• The Center will operate remotely via GroupMe, FaceTime, Zoom, cell phone, email, and other technical contacts.
• The staff will stay in touch with all volunteer assistant coaches and we will search books, catalogs and periodicals for materials suitable for collegiate competition in the Forensic Arts.
• The staff will contact students regularly to make sure that they are progressing with all their online courses.
• The staff will conduct teleconferences and FaceTime with students to review their presentations for the Fall semester.
• The staff will continue to conduct student workshops and assist students in research.
• All students on the Debate Team will be provided the contact information for the Debate Coach and all volunteer assistant coaches.
• The staff is in the process of developing team building exercises and programming that can be conducted remotely.

The University Counseling Center will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• The Center will be providing telehealth counseling sessions via video or phone to currently enrolled students who reside in Texas. Students who reside outside of Texas will be able to schedule a consultation and receive referrals to someone in their state/community
• Students can call 713-313-7804 to request an appointment. If someone does not answer, please leave your T-Number, Name and a contact number. Students can also complete this form to request an appointment, and someone will contact them during business hours, https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ViJL72KUK0Su4urH7Z-1ZFNJ2YNoWsVPstLk4r8W_X1UOUk2SUxMRVoyVEdQTVkzV09YRVBLNU5OTy4u
• Students may receive a call from a blocked or private number, please answer, as it may be your counselor trying to contact you. Students will also need to check their inbox and spam folder for an email from ReGroup, which provides access to the secure video session. Students will need to ensure their information (i.e. phone number and email) are up to date. This can be done through your MyTSU Web.
• If a student experiences a crisis outside of regular business hours, students can call 713-313-7863
• Other resources for support outside of the UCC include:
  • Crisis text line – Text Steve to 741-741
  • National Suicide Hotline - 800-273-TALK (8255)
• Please follow the University Counseling Center on Instagram @TSU_UCC for helpful tips and UCC updates.

The office will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

Remote operation – auditions for incoming students will take place virtually and that information will be updated at www.tsuoceanofsoul.com 

The Office of Event Services will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• All on campus meetings and events have been canceled until further notice.
• The office will only be open on an emergency need which will require approval.
• Individuals are encouraged to email eventservices@tsu.edu for assistance.
• Appointments will be available through blue jeans and or phone at 713-313-1015, a staff member will respond with meeting time options and format within 24 hours.

Card access will remain active for students to retrieve belongings at any time prior to March 28, 2020.

• Beginning March 28, 2020, only students who have special circumstances and approved by University Housing will be allowed to remain in on-campus housing.
• Students with special circumstances must complete the Emergency Housing Request Form. To complete this form, the link is in the correspondence sent to residents from Residential Life & Housing. Please contact us via email if you did not receive the correspondence.
• Students currently staying on campus and not approved are required to leave the facilities by Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
• Students who need access to residence halls to retrieve additional belongings after March 28, 2020 should submit the date they wish to return on the link in the correspondence sent via email.
• University Housing’s office in General Services Building Rm 200 will be open as scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness will close temporarily beginning on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will continue to be closed until further notice.

• Campus Recreation and Wellness will continue to offer some programs remotely through our social media platforms on daily and weekly basis to keep students actively engaged
• Hours of operation will be 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday to work on projects and answer emails etc.… via social platforms (Basecamp and Zoom)
• A virtual events calendar of all upcoming activities will be made available via our main platform Instagram account @txsucampusrec

A student emergency fund provides limited emergency financial support to currently-enrolled students who are unable to meet essential expenses due to temporary or unexpected hardship. Award amounts vary and are typically awarded once. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Awards are not considered loans and do not require repayment. Some funds may be considered income and are therefore subject to federal taxes. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, applicable expenses could include medical/prescription; books or school-related expenses, and health or safety-related emergency (shelter, travel, etc.). Students seeking financial assistance should be currently enrolled and able to provide documentation of their financial hardship. To request assistance, please email deanofstudents@tsu.edu.

During the weeks of Spring Break and March 23, our custodial staff will conduct a thorough cleaning of the campus, including all highly-touched surfaces, including restrooms, classrooms, and other high-traffic areas.

There are different scenarios that our Residential Services team is prepared for and will follow the guidance of the Health Department and the TSU Health Services. These include:

• Hospital
• Off-campus home if available
• On-campus quarantine/isolation

We are mandating that all residential students now away for Spring Break not return to campus. Given the State’s executive order pertaining to gathering places, recreation centers, eateries, entertainment, etc., it has become evident that this is the best action to take to enhance the safety of our students. Students should check their student email for detailed instructions from Residence Life & Housing regarding how to go about the collection of your belongings from your room.

Students who are now staying on campus should begin making arrangements with their families/guardians to move out of the residence halls by no later than Saturday, March 28, and return home for the remainder of the semester. Students who are facing special circumstances can put in a request to Residence Life & Housing to have their situations evaluated. These requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Those who remain on campus, out of necessity, will have limited access to services and facilities.

Move Out Procedures

With the recent notifications from the testing programs we administer (see below), the Testing Center will be closed to examinees, until further notice from each testing program:

• ETS/PROMETRIC
• Pearson
• SAT
• ACT
• LSAT
• TCEQ
• College Board
• CLEP
• TOEFL
• ACCUPLACER (TSI)
• EXAMITY SASO (No students on campus)

We have made the following decisions related to adjustments for housing and dining charges:

• Students are only eligible for housing credit if they have left their campus residence for the remainder of the spring semester and cleared their room of all their belongings. Students who were enrolled in a spring meal plan and have left campus for the remainder of the spring semester are eligible for a dining credit.
• All credits for residence hall charges will be effective as of March 28, 2020. Credits for dining charges will have an effective date of March 29, 2020. Students living in campus housing will receive a credit after belongings are removed from their unit, checkout has been completed, and this has to be completed by May 9 in order to receive an adjustment.
• All credits will be first applied to any outstanding spring 2020 balance, and the student will receive any remaining credit (if applicable) as a refund via their BankMobile refund preference. We encourage all students to set up their BankMobile refund preference for a timely refund. Here is more information about the BankMobile process.
• Students who receive full housing and dining scholarships (student-athletes, presidential scholars, other non-refundable scholarships or grants) will have their scholarships adjusted and will not receive a refund.
• Students who receive partial housing and dining scholarships will have their scholarships adjusted and may receive a refund (See 3 above).
• Students utilizing federal funds to pay for any portion of their housing and dining will receive a refund for any credit balance per guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Refunds will be issued to all eligible students by the end of term (May 9).
• Questions about the calculation of housing and dining refunds can be emailed to tsuhousing@tsu.edu. Questions about the issuance of refunds can be emailed to samail@tsu.edu.

In order to be compliant with the latest COVID-19 guidelines, we are asking our faculty and staff to not report to campus unless you have received approval from your supervisor. Instead, we are asking that employees stay at home and work remotely, based on direction from your supervisor. Only critical business and educational operations will continue on the campus.

Click here to find out more about the FFCRA, which requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.