This is the last In the Know for 2020, but we’ll be back every week in the Spring 2021 semester.
Important updates
Academic changes at the College: Last week, Interim President Marcia White shared with our campus community that as part of a multi-year financial plan for the College’s long-term financial sustainability, the Saint Rose Board of Trustees approved the closure of 16 unique bachelor’s degrees, six unique master’s degrees, and three certificate programs. This means the College won’t enroll new students in those programs. Current students enrolled in these programs will be able to finish their degrees and will receive individualized degree completion plans. You have a message from Interim President White in your email inbox from last week that will have more detail, and you can read the announcement here.
Why these decisions were made: The College is a nonprofit organization. These decisions were not made to grow profits – they were made to balance the College’s budget.
Our operating expenses are consistently exceeding our income (which primarily comes from the tuition and fees students pay), creating a structural deficit. When unexpected circumstances come along that create significant financial losses, like the COVID-19 pandemic, carrying a structural deficit is not a sustainable way to operate. The board of trustees wanted to be proactive and address this situation now. It’s also important to understand that a significant portion of the College’s annual budget is dedicated to student financial aid and scholarships.
Timing of the announcement: Several students and their families have asked about the timing of the announcement, as last week was already stressful with finals. We were very sorry to have had to inform students of this news during the time. We needed to provide the impacted faculty with notification of the elimination of their positions one year prior to their date of termination as required by the College’s Faculty Manual. In order for them to receive that notification that their last semester of teaching would be Fall 2021, we needed to tell them prior to the end of this fall semester, which was last week.
More answers to questions: You also can find answers to questions like this one and others, as well as the list of impacted programs and some of the details about how decisions were made, on our FAQ page. We have added new material to that page since the announcement was made.
Upcoming meetings from the 322 students whose programs were affected: Knowing students who were in programs that were affected would have questions, Dr. Margaret McLane, provost and vice president for academic affairs, sent follow-up emails to those students letting them know about meetings that will be held by school with herself and the deans to answer additional questions. If you’re among the students impacted, you can find the Zoom link in your email from Dr. McLane, but as a reminder, the dates are:
• School of Mathematics and Sciences: Wednesday, December 16, at 3 p.m.
• School of Education: Wednesday, December 16, at 4:30 p.m.
• School of Business: Friday, December 18, at noon
• School of Arts and Humanities: Friday, December 18, at 3 p.m.
If your program was among those approved for closure but you didn’t get the email and need the meeting link, please email provostoffice@strose.edu.
Another meeting for students and families: A meeting will also be held for students and their families with Interim President Marcia White on Monday, December 21, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. That link is also available in your email from Interim President White.
Accessing final grades: Final grades for the fall semester will be posted this week. Students can access them through their secure site by following the directions below. (Also, please see the item under “Banner notice” about a temporary outage in order to do Banner upgrades, so you’ll want to note the system will be unavailable starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday, December 18, but will be back up starting Monday, December 21.)
1. Go to https://bannerweb.strose.edu.
2. Click on Login to Secure Area—Available seven days a week 6 a.m. –1 a.m.
3. Enter your User ID number (This is your Saint Rose Identification Number).
4. Enter your Personal Identification Number (Pin). *If you have never visited the secure area, your “Pin” number is your birth date resembling the following form (MM/DD/YY). You will then be prompted to change your “Pin.”
5. Click on Student & Financial Aid.
6. Click on Student Records.
7. Click on View Final Grades.
Book return extension: The Campus Store heard you when you said the turnaround time to return textbooks was too tight. The authorized rental textbook deadline is December 11, 2020, however, due to the COVID pandemic, the grace period has been extended 30 days. So please return all rental textbooks as soon as possible but they must be received by no later than January 11, 2021. Mail books to: The College of Saint Rose Campus Store, 432 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203. Email bookstore@strose.edu or call 518.454.5245 if you have questions.
Need help Registering for Classes?: If you need any help registering for classes, the Office of Academic Advising has created a tutorial video and PowerPoint that explains the course registration process and how to register for your classes online. If you have any questions about the process, you may contact them directly at advisement@strose.edu or by calling 518.454.5217.
Banner notice: ITS will be implementing a major upgrade to Banner, the College’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday, December 18. Banner and systems dependent on Banner will be unavailable until the start of business on Monday, December 21. While there is never a good time to upgrade major technology systems, this was determined to be the least disruptive time frame. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Health and wellness
New COVID-19 testing requirement for students for Spring 2021: If you haven’t already, please see the note from Dr. Shai Butler, vice president for student development, where she details the requirements for returning to campus for the Spring 2021 semester. Classes start January 19, and every student who will be coming to campus for any reason – whether it’s a class or just to use the library – will have to submit a negative COVID-19 test before the start of classes. Read Dr. Butler’s note, but if you prefer a visual, you can see this chart for guidance. The precautions we took for the fall semester helped to protect our community and keep COVID-19 rates low. As we’re surging again, and experts say it may be a tough winter, we’re taking this extra precaution for our return to campus. The restart website has also been updated for spring.
The weekly COVID-19 update: Mark Parisi, director of counseling and health services, sent his final COVID-19 weekly update of the semester on Friday. You can always check out our COVID-19 dashboard if you want to keep up with the current COVID-19 rates.
Treatment at the Counseling and Psychological Services Center: Students may be experiencing emotional distress in response to the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives or simply need to talk to a counselor. Please call our center at 518.454.5200 or email us at counseling@strose.edu to speak with a counselor through a phone or Zoom session.
Treatment at Health Services: For any non-urgent medical issue, students can call 518.454.5244 or email healthservices@strose.edu for assistance, and their cases will be triaged by our LPN or nurse practitioners. Based on the presenting concerns, the triage outcome may lead to a telehealth appointment with the nurse practitioner. We will have staff available until December 18, 2020, and will resume telehealth appointments the week of January 11, 2021.
