March 26, 2020

Dallas International University remains open for class.  Classes and office work continue through remote access, using Zoom accounts set up for each classroom, and used by each instructor and student.   

Dallas International University is closed for Spring Break.  We will re-open for instruction, starting March 30 teaching remotely as before.

Senior staff at Dallas International University are:

  • Following CDC and local health authority guidelines.
  • Staying in touch with the Dallas County Health Authority.
  • Working closely with the ILC leadership and the ILC Medical Clinic.

We are now under SHELTER IN PLACE AT HOME by order of Judge Clay Jenkins of Dallas County.   Dallas County now has the strictest policies in the state.  Mark Kull, Center Director, announced that after much discussion with DIU and SIL, it seems that these are the steps we should take before a complete lockdown of the Campus. A complete lockdown would come if we had a person diagnosed COVID-19 positive, living on campus.

 The western-most car gate near Mahler/Pike will be closed with cones until further notice.

  • On work days, the eastern-most gate near Hunt will have a person allowing access between 8 am and 5 pm. Any driver will soon need to be listed on a master list of those allowed in for essential business.  The VP Operations of DIU will keep this list for DIU staff and faculty.
  • The driver of the entering vehicle will need to have a current badge AND a current ILC sticker properly displayed. (Exceptions will allow for mail and package delivery.)  Outside of these hours the gate will need badge access.
  • The Boutique is closed both for shopping and donating. The same is true for the Warehouse.
  • There will be no Campus mail delivery. Most departments will be issued a keyed mailbox in the mail room. (Department managers will receive a separate email.)
  • Soccer and team frisbee are not allowed.

“Shelter in Place” is taken by the ILC to mean the following: those whose living address is 7500 West Camp Wisdom Road, Dallas TX  75236.  Those who live on campus, have access to the entire campus.  This means that buildings and outdoor spaces are closed to everyone else.  Therefore, if you live on campus, all buildings and outdoor facilities on the grounds are open to your individual use.  No gatherings however and keep your social distance.

“Shelter in Place at Home” also means that off-campus students or faculty or staff cannot come to the ILC.   Having said that, if any off-campus staff or faculty need to come for an essential reason, such as retrieving textbooks, please contact your supervisor or the VP of Operations VP-Operations@diu.edu.   Off-campus students who have such a need, please contact the Dean of Students dean-students@diu.edu 

 

CLASSES

DIU will continue to hold classes remotely through the end of the term (April 30) and through the May term. The summer term will operate but its modality is not yet decided.

 

VIRUS

We have NO reports of anyone living on or visiting campus who has tested positive for COVID-19 virus.  If you feel ill, please contact the Clinic or if closed, contact them at this email address: emergencycontact@diu.edu 

 

STAFF

Staff are working remotely from now on.  Call or email as you need to- are all on duty during normal workdays and hours.

 

WORKING STUDENTS

If you are a work-study student or have another DIU job on campus, we will ensure that you do not suffer financially because of this situation.  Continue to work as possible. If you cannot work your regular hours, submit a timesheet anyway with the scheduled but unworked hours changed to ‘COVID-19’. Make sure your supervisor approves and submits the timesheet.

Time missed from work if reported as illness cautionary to the virus, will not count against sick or vacation time, nor will it impact income from DIU.   If you have questions about this, contact emergencycontact@diu.edu 

 

FACULTY

Operate your class virtually, from home or from your classroom. Continue your regularly scheduled classes. Any deviation from the schedule should be reported to the Dean’s office along with a plan to make up any missed instructional time.

If you have course readings in the library, please make them available through DIU Online. Contact the library if help is needed.

Students, please email faculty as needed.

 

COMPUTER LAB

If you need to access the Computer Lab, contact helpdesk@diu.edu if you live on campus

 

LIBRARY

The DIU Library in Pike is open only by appointment with the Library staff at library@diu.edu

 

TRANSFORM

We will continue to meet as a community for Transform online,  M-W-F at 10:10-11:00 each weekday while in session.  Please check your email the morning of each chapel service for instructions. 

  • Monday – Community Groups
  • Wednesday – Teaching time
  • Friday – Worship services

 

GUEST HOUSING

If you would like to discontinue your lease, please let Housing know via email.  Housing_Dallas@sil.org

You can remain in Guest Housing if you are there now, and they will charge you only for the nights you are here in April.   There will be no early termination fine, due to our present situation.

 

COMMENCEMENT
We will celebrate our graduates’ commencement this April 30th in a Zoom platform. This will be a “once in a lifetime” experience that we think you and your family will enjoy. We will ‘Zoom in’ our stage participants and the guest speaker from our DIU campus.  There will be no guests or audience in the room, just the needed staff and faculty on stage, in their regalia.  You will receive your diploma covers by snail mail and you will be recognized during the ceremony just as if it were a live event. Be looking for your e-invitations soon!

 

ILC

  • The Dining Hall remains open for lunch, for those living on campus, but all meals are take-out.
  • Until April 30, the Clinic will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Please call the Clinic at 972-708-7408 and leave a message, and they will return your call on the next open day.

 

SECURITY

Our on-campus security agency, Tier One, is on duty and working on campus all through this situation.  They are monitoring our campus borders and buildings for any questionable activities: https://securecampuses.com/ 

 

Other Resources:

CDC

Coronavirus Disease 2019 – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html

International Travel and Study Abroad Guidance – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/student-foreign-travel.html

Preventing Community Spread – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html

Travel Information – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

Protecting Yourself and Your Family – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/protect/index.html