COVID-19 FAQs

Credits were calculated as follows:

• Original contracted housing period January 10 - May 2 for a total of 114 days.
• Subtracting the 9-day spring break leaves 105 days in the enrollment period.
• The residence halls officially closed on March 22; this computes to being open for a total of 73 days (or 70%).
• Refund will be for 30% (32 days) of residence hall utilization and meal plan charges.
  • Room Credit for the Suites = $886.20
  • Room Credit for all other Residential Housing = $778.80
  • On-Campus 19 Meal Plan Credit = $458.64
  • Off-Campus Meal Plan Credits
    • 10 Meal Plan = $330
    • 5 Meal Plan = $180

Upon the completion of Spring 2020 courses, local students are requested to return their textbooks no later than Friday, May 15th by dropping them off at the Campus Bookstore. A student who returns textbooks once the deadline has passed will be subject to late fees and/or a hold on his/her student account. Please note that the Bookstore’s normal hours of operation are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Out-of-town residential students who will be returning to campus to retrieve personal belongs are requested to drop their textbooks to staff persons in Residential Life or take them to the Bookstore prior to checking-out.

Students unable to return textbooks to campus in-person may request a free return shipping label by completing this Google Form. After completing this form, students will be emailed a shipping label from the Campus Bookstore. All textbooks should be packaged together for shipping. There will be only one free shipping label issued per student. Any other book(s) not included or perhaps found later must be returned at the expense of the student. Packages can be dropped at any in-store FedEx location (find one near you - https://www.fedex.com/locate/). The deadline for textbook return for students shipping via FedEx is May 29, 2020. After this date, a student’s account may be subject to fees and/or the placement of a hold.

The College will utilize a five-step process to determine the issuance of refunds or credits to students as a result of the changes made to the Spring 2020 Semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The steps are as follows:

1. We will calculate a pro-rated amount of unused meal plan charges per student. The pro-rated amount will extend from the date the College closed the residence halls through the last day of classes in the academic year.
2. We will calculate a pro-rated amount of housing charges based on the date the College closed the residence halls or the date the student moved/checked out of the residence halls as documented by Residential Life if an extension was granted.
3. If a student currently owes the College funds (balance due on their account), we will apply the pro-rated room and board credit to the student account against the outstanding balance. There is a possibility that the credit applied to the account will not generate a refund based on the student’s current outstanding balance.
4. We will enforce our institutional aid policy. Institutional aid received from the College in order to cover the direct cost of attending the College cannot be refunded. We will offset the pro-rated room and board credit adjustment against the institutional aid and the institutional aid amount awarded to the student for attending the Spring Semester of 2020 will be adjusted accordingly.
5. Returning students who do not have a balance due to the College and did not receive institutional aid to cover the direct costs of attendance will have the following options regarding their credit balance:

• refunded to the student or the parent (if the parent has a PLUS Loan)
• refunded to the student and then applied towards summer school tuition (if they are planning to attend)
• refunded to the student and then applied towards the next academic semester balance.

If the student is a graduating senior, the credit amount on his/her account will be remitted via check after Steps 1-4 noted above and provided the student has returned his/her textbooks.

The College will begin applying credit adjustments to graduating seniors the week of May 4, 2020. The College will begin applying credit adjustments to returning students the week of May 11, 2020. If you are eligible to receive a remittance, refunds will be processed weekly.*

• Textbooks must be returned before refunds will be issued.

The College will begin applying credit adjustments to graduating seniors the week of May 4, 2020. The College will begin applying credit adjustments to returning students the week of May 11, 2020. If you are eligible to receive a remittance, refunds will be processed weekly.*

• Textbooks must be returned before refunds will be issued.

• If a student or their parent(s) has questions or comments regarding refunds, please contact the Business Office by email at jennifer.davis@philander.edu or uellis@philander.edu.
• If a student or their parent(s) has questions or comments regarding adjustments to their financial aid package, please contact the Office of Financial Aid by email at financialaid@philander.edu.

As of Monday, March 23rd, the PSC Residential Facilities will be closed. Students currently on campus must have their items removed by Sunday, March 22nd. Students who did not remain on campus through Spring Break may retrieve their items following the predetermined schedule (click here for schedule).

Should these times not work, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Housing and Residential Life to request alternative arrangements. Each request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are currently on campus but are unable to remove all of their items by March 22nd should contact the Interim Director of Housing, Mr. Paul Crawford at pcrawford@philander.edu to discuss the situation and determine what arrangements can be made.

We are aware that some of our students face varied circumstances and challenges that may make returning home extremely difficult. We are working to accommodate students as best we can during this transition. Students who face financial hardship in returning home or are unable to secure other residence should contact Dr. Gregory Hudson at gahudson@philander.edu with details regarding their situation. Each situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Emails sent to covid19info@philander.edu regarding individual needs will be routed to the appropriate staff person who can provide assistance.

Students will utilize the Jenzabar eLearning System to access their online classroom. The portal is accessible through JICS (My Panther Login). Tips for students using eLearning will be provided by Academic Affairs. Video tutorials are also available on YouTube. Please diligently check your PSC email for these tips and further instructions! If you need technical assistance with your student email account or accessing your MyPanther portal, please contact cis@philander.edu.

As we transition to remote instruction, to fully engage in online learning students will need the internet. We understand that some students may not have broadband access once they leave campus.

In preparation for these needs, CIS has compiled a list of resources and internet service providers that are providing internet at little or no cost during the COVID-19 crisis. The list of providers can be found at philander.edu/coronavirus-resources.

If you do not have access to a device (computer, laptop, etc), please contact the office of Computer Information Services at cis@philander.edu. CIS is working to identify resources to potentially connect students with equipment.

The College will pay you the minimum of 12 hours per week through March 31st. The hours will be entered for you by the Office of Human Resources.

Mail services will be available as long as the Campus remains open. If you have decided to go home or remain home, please consider forwarding all mail, packages, delivery services, etc., to your current address. If you expect a critical package (i.e. medication) while away from the College, please contact Mr. Alvin Harris, Bookstore Manager, at alvin.harris@philander.edu to assist with delivery to your current address. Please note that UPS and FedEx delivery addresses can generally be updated through each service’s website by utilizing the tracking number provided.