On March 13, 2020, classes at The UWI Mona were suspended and Jamaican students residing in Halls were asked to return home for a one (1) month period until further advised. Now that teaching will commence on April 14th solely online, students are being permitted to retrieve their belongings from the Halls of Residence.

Students who are residents at 138SL facilities who collect their belongings within the stipulated timeframe will be charged in keeping with The UWI Mona's position for the other Halls of residence, that is, students will be billed up to March 31, 2020 and will not be billed for April and May. Students who remain in residence would be billed as per their contract.

Students will be allowed to collect their belongings on April 8 -15 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm daily to exclude public Holidays (April 10th, 12th and 13th). Failure to collect belongings on or before April 15th 2020, will result in charges being applied.
Regional and international students who are away should make direct contact to work through the arrangements for their belongings.

Need for Compliance with COVID-19 protocols
Although we would like to make this process of coming on campus to collect personal items as convenient and hassle-free as possible for students, The UWI Mona has a duty to ensure the well-being of all and will continue to observe national protocols to protect public health - such as social distancing and avoiding gatherings. As such, additional protocols will be implemented in the Halls of Residence to facilitate this process.

Student Services and Development Managers (SSDM) have been tasked to schedule the visits and provide students with the relevant guidelines/protocols for their return to campus. We therefore seek the cooperation of all students in adhering to the instituted protocols.

Students should first make contact with their SSDM to schedule their visit to the campus, and will only be permitted on the Hall during the agreed upon time. Students who refuse to comply with instituted protocols, will be asked to leave campus.

When classes were suspended on March 13, 2020 our students residing on Halls were asked to return home for a one (1) month period. Now that we have agreed that teaching will commence on April 14th solely on an online basis, some of our students have expressed anxiety in relation to retrieving their belongings from the Halls of Residence.

Timeline for the Collection of Belongings
At this time, we will be facilitating students residing on all Halls except for those operated by 138SL, who want to return for their belongings to do so from April 3rd to April 12th between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm daily, subject to whatever Government curfew conditions that may prevail beyond April 7th. Students residing on Halls operated by 138SL will be informed at a later date of the relevant arrangements. We do apologize to these students for the delay but seek their understanding as we work assiduously with our partners to address our students' concerns.

Need for Compliance with COVID-19 protocols
Although we would like to make this process of coming on campus to collect personal items as convenient and hassle-free as possible for students, The UWI Mona has a duty to ensure the well-being of all and will continue to observe national protocols to protect public health - such as social distancing and avoiding gatherings. As such, additional protocols will be implemented in the Halls of Residence to facilitate this process.
SSDMS have been tasked to schedule the visits and provide students with the relevant guidelines/protocols for their return to campus. We therefore seek the cooperation of all students in adhering to the instituted protocols.

Students should first make contact with their Student Services and Development Manager (SSDM) to schedule their visit to the campus, and will only be permitted on the Hall during the agreed upon time. Students who refuse to comply with instituted protocols, will be asked to leave campus.

Financial Implications – Hall Fees
Students (except for residents of the 138SL facilities, who will be informed at a later date of the relevant arrangements) who have vacated Halls of Residence will only be charged Hall fees up to March 31, 2020, whether or not they return for their belongings during this period.

For students who are unable to collect their belongings at this time, another period will be arranged and communicated once we determine it is safe.
Further, students (except for residents of the 138SL facilities, who will be informed at a later date of the relevant arrangements) who have paid for the semester in full will have their accounts credited for the period
April 1 – May 15 for a future semester. Finalising students with no other outstanding balances will be eligible for a refund if payments were made for the semester in full.

Regional and International students who have already left the island are encouraged to contact their SSDM directly to make arrangements in relation to their belongings.

We look forward to your continued support and understanding. Please continue to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and families during this time.

RESUMPTION OF CLASSES AND REGISTRATION

Question: When will classes resume in light of the additional restrictions announced by the Government?

Answer: Classes will resume in an on-line/virtual mode on April 14, 2020.

Question: I am not registered; how will get I access course content?

Answer: Given that some students are still not registered and will therefore not be able to access course content on our online platform, the Campus has decided to waive the Late Registration Fee of J$4,000 allowing students, who have not already done so, to register. The fee will be waived for registration between March 15th and the end of teaching (date to be confirmed).

SITTING OF FINAL EXAMINATIONS

Question :If I have an outstanding balance, will I be able to register for Semester Two (2)?

Answer: Students are required to clear their outstanding fees (Tuition and Miscellaneous) for Semester One in order to register for Semester Two.

Question: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, will I be required to have financial clearance to sit exams?

Answer: Students admitted in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years are required to be registered and financially cleared for the current semester before commencing final examinations. Financial Clearance will now be dependent on the following conditions:

i) Payment of Miscellaneous fees for the academic year in full; and

ii) A minimum of 50% of the tuition fee is paid by the start of the examination period (date to be confirmed) and the establishment of an approved Installment Plan with the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) for the balance to be cleared before the end of the semester.

Question: What are the financial clearance requirements for finalizing students to sit exams?

Answer: Finalizing Students are required to be registered and financially cleared for the current semester before commencing final examinations. Financial Clearance will now be dependent on the following conditions:

i) Payment of Miscellaneous fees for the academic year in full; and

ii) A minimum of 50% of the tuition fee is paid by the start of the examination period (date to be confirmed) and the establishment of an approved Installment Plan with the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) for the balance to be cleared before the date of the student's final examination for the semester.

Question: I am being funded by the Students' Loan Bureau, what are the financial requirements for me to sit exams?

Answer: Students who have been verified as being approved for Student Loans or other approved scholarships/grants will be able to sit their exams once the scholarship/grant covers their outstanding balance.

Question: I have a payment plan with the University, what are the requirements for me to sit exams?

Answer: Students who are already on an existing Installment Plan may engage the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) to adjust existing payment deadlines. All installment payments must be completed before the start of the examination period.

Question: What if I miss my exam due to lack of registration and financial clearance?

Answer: Note that no special arrangements will be made for any component of a course which was missed due to the lack of registration/financial clearance.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Question: What are my options if I am unable to continue this semester as well as next semester?

Answer: Students who are unable to continue with the semester must apply for Leave of Absence. Such requests must be submitted via the Automated Student Request Management (ASRM) system by April 24, 2020.

LATE FINES

Question: How long will late fees fines be suspended for?

Answer: The Campus will suspend Late Fine Charges for outstanding fees between the period March 13th – April 13th, 2020.

The UWI, Mona remains committed to student success. Please continue to follow us for more information and updates and keep safe.

TEACHING AND FINAL EXAMS FOR SEMESTER TWO 

Question: When will teaching for semester two end?
Answer: Teaching for semester two will end on May 29, 2020.

Question : When will final exams begin?
Answer: Final exams will commence on June 15, 2020.

Question: When will the semester and final exams end?
Answer : The semester and final exams will end on July 3, 2020.

The Government of Jamaica has announced that effective April 1, 2020, from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am daily, there will be an all island curfew. The curfew will run for 7 days, ending at 6:00 am on April 8, 2020.

This means there will be restrictions on public transportation and all movements of persons except where they are members of exempted groups for example, essential workers.

Students Residing on Campus
Students currently residing on campus are expected to observe this curfew and are to stay inside their rooms/Halls during the stipulated curfew period 8:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Essential Workers
Staff members who provide essential services (doctors, nurses, health care workers etc.) should have their UWI Identification Cards on their person at all times for inspection/verification by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Some categories of staff in addition to their UWI Identification Cards, may require a letter from the Principal indicating the nature of their role on the campus during restricted hours, and should also always travel with the letter for verification by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Access to the Campus during Curfew Period
As a result of the imposed curfew, all gates except for the Post Office Gate will be closed to vehicular as well as pedestrian traffic at 6:00 pm and reopened at 8:00 am daily during the period April 1, 2020 to April 8, 2020.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. Please continue to take all the necessary personal measures to stay safe, including frequent hand washing, social-distancing, avoiding gatherings of more than 10 persons and staying home (indoors) as we continue to navigate this national public health emergency.

The Sickle Cell Unit (SCU) at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), The University of the West Indies, Mona is urging people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) to exercise extra caution amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to the SCU, people with sickle cell disease may be at increased risk of severe complications if they get COVID-19 and are advised to minimise their risk of exposure by staying at home as much as possible. Against this background, the SCU is rescheduling appointments for people with routine appointments who are well.

The unit is making attempts to contact persons to do health checks by phone. Persons are asked to contact the SCU if they have not been contacted.

People who are unwell or who may need additional advice are asked to contact the SCU during normal business hours from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at: 876-927-2471. They may also follow the SCU on IG @sicklecellunitja for clinic updates and advisories.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and our students being impacted, the following adjustments to the Regulations for Registration and the Payment of Fees are being made in order to ease the burden and anxiety of our students for Semester Two of the 2019-2020 academic year:

REGISTRATION
1. Classes will resume in an on-line/virtual mode on April 14, 2020. Given that some students are still not registered and will therefore not be able to access course content on our online platform, the Campus has decided to waive the Late Registration Fee of J$4,000 allowing students, who have not already done so, to register. The fee will be waived for registration between March 15th and the end of teaching (date to be confirmed).

2. Students are required to clear their outstanding fees (Tuition and Miscellaneous) for Semester One in order to register for Semester Two.

SITTING OF FINAL EXAMINATIONS
3. Students admitted in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years are required to be registered and financially cleared for the current semester before commencing final
examinations. Financial Clearance will now be dependent on the following conditions:

i. Payment of Miscellaneous fees for the academic year in full; and

ii. A minimum of 50% of the tuition fee is paid by the start of the examination period (date to be confirmed) and the establishment of an approved Installment Plan with the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) for the balance to be cleared before the end of the
semester.

4. Finalizing Students are required to be registered and financially cleared for the current semester before commencing final examinations. Financial Clearance will now be dependent on the
following conditions:

i. Payment of Miscellaneous fees for the academic year in full; and
ii. A minimum of 50% of the tuition fee is paid by the start of the examination period (date to be confirmed) and the establishment of an approved Installment Plan with the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) for the balance to be cleared before the date of the student's final examination for the semester.

5. Students who have been verified as being approved for Student Loans or other approved scholarships/grants will be able to sit their exams once the scholarship/grant covers their
outstanding balance.

6. Students who are already on an existing Installment Plan may engage the Student Administrative Services Section (SASS) to make adjustments to existing payment deadlines. All installment
payments must be completed within the timeframe as indicated in points 3 & 4 above.

7. Note that no special arrangements will be made for any component of a course which was missed
due to the lack of registration/financial clearance.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE
8. Students who are unable to continue with the semester must apply for Leave of Absence. Such requests must be submitted via the Automated Student Request Management (ASRM) system by April 24, 2020.

LATE FINES
9. The Campus will suspend Late Fine Charges for outstanding fees between the period March 13th– April 13th, 2020.
The UWI, Mona remains committed to student success.

Please continue to follow for more information and updates and keep safe.

We appreciate your patience thus far as we grapple with the extraordinary situation presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Outlined below are the most recent updates on our campus response to COVID-19 as influenced by decisions made by the Government of Jamaica.

This is a fluid situation and we will continue to assess, revisit and communicate any changes to our campus response plan as needed.

Teaching and Learning

Classes will resume in an on-line/virtual mode on April 14, 2020. Preparations are currently underway to facilitate access to course information via OurVLe and/or Blackboard Collaborate. We also encourage all students to make the necessary preparations to access the online learning platforms from their residential locations. We will continue to deliver online/remote teaching for the remainder of Semester 2 and until it is safe for us to resume in a face-to-face mode.

Semester extension and Examinations

Currently, there is a four week extension to the semester as a result of the current four week suspension of classes. This could however change, depending on our assessment of the online/virtual delivery teaching/learning experience. We are also preparing for online and alternative assessments (mid-semester exams, final exams, quizzes etc.). Teaching for Semester two will end on May 29, 2020. Examinations for Semester two will commence on June 15, 2020. The semester and final examinations will end on July 3, 2020.

Students Residing on-campus

In light of the rapidly changing situation locally, we require all students residing on campus who can do so, to make the necessary arrangements to return home as soon as possible and prepare to engage academic material in an online mode.
Whilst we recognize that a small number of students are unable to leave due to unavoidable circumstances, we would like to remind our Jamaican students in particular, to make the necessary arrangements to leave campus as soon as possible as it is necessary to reduce the population on campus at this time.

Work from Home Arrangements for Staff

The campus will continue on a reduced business operation mode and as such, work from home arrangements as determined by Heads of Departments/Centres/Units should continue until further advised. Should the local situation call for a further reduction/ restriction of movement by the general population, then The UWI Mona will respond and further scale down operations to emergency operations only.

Other Changes in keeping with recent updates orders issued by the Government of Jamaica

Effective March 25, 2020:

• Consistent with the Government's edict that public sector workers aged 65 and over should not report to work, we also encourage our employees in this age category to work from home if possible
• All members of our community aged 75 years and over are to remain at home
• There should be no gatherings of groups of more than ten (10) persons. We ask that students currently on campus as well as teams who are required to meet/work on-campus strictly adhere to this order

We are aware that there may be questions / concerns that have not yet been addressed. Students and staff are encouraged to view the 'Frequently Asked Questions' tab on the COVID-19 website for answers to concerns not addressed here. www.mona.uwi.edu/covid19
Please also feel free to share questions or concerns via email: covid19Questions@uwimona.edu.jm

Please continue to check emails and the covid19 information website regularly for updates and useful resources. We also seek the assistance of HODs to share important announcements to team members who may not be able to access our online communication platforms at this time.

Consistent with the curtailment of human contact in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, The UWI Mona wishes to advise of the suspension of walk-in services. These services include but are not limited to:

• Technical support
• Application for admission
• Application for Status Letters and transcripts
• Chapel bookings
• Faculty services
• Application for employment
• Staff employment or benefit related matters

Our stakeholders can however continue to access these services via email, telephone calls, WhatsApp or text messages. For specific services please see below the relevant contact information for our various departments that provide walk-in services. Given the reduction of staff on Campus and the increase in the number of team members operating from home, please bear in mind that in some instances we will not be able to guarantee the agreed service standard that we have promised.

We crave your understanding and cooperation as we strive to serve you for as long as and as best as possible, while together we manage this crisis.