Student Success at Antioch University and COVID-19 Update

Dear Students,

We know this is an unsettling time for you and your loved ones and we want you to know that we are singularly focused on ensuring that there is no disruption to your studies during the COVID-19 crisis. We are here for you today and we will be here to celebrate with you when it’s time for you to graduate!

Many of you in quarter programs will be preparing to start courses, and those on other schedules are already settled into your courses. Your instructors have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that your courses and residencies remain, as always, engaging and rigorous, even with a complete shift to remote instruction. Our dedicated student service teams are finding new and innovative ways to connect with you while our campuses are temporarily closed. Some great examples include offering a virtual front desk/office/help desk, Zoom advisement/check-ins, and even “Zoom happy hours.” We hope you will take advantage of these great opportunities – staying engaged and connected is critical to your success!

We also wanted to let you know that we’ve taken a number of steps to ensure your continued success at Antioch. University leaders and campus provosts are working in consultation with department and program chairs and faculty to ensure that our policies are flexible and student-centered during the COVID-19 crisis.

Steps we’ve taken thus far:

  • We are not and we will not cancel any courses currently underway.
  • We will take all measures allowable under federal regulations to minimize harm to you for any interruption or interference with your studies for this term and the upcoming term.
  • We are making short-term adjustments to our grading policy to allow you more time to finish incomplete coursework if you have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
  • We will not withdraw you for failure to attend classes due to the COVID-19 precautions or limitations.

Additionally, we are pleased to offer you an incentive if you are a continuing student (registered or on leave for the spring) and register for at least three credits in one of our summer terms as a certificate or degree-seeking student:

a) A reduction of your summer term bill by $250;

or

b) You may choose to direct your $250 incentive to our Emergency Access Fund to support Antioch students in need. This is a great way to advance the Antiochian spirit if you are in a position to support your fellow students.

As a reminder, you can find important university and campus updates via our COVID-19 webpage and starting this week, we have expanded this page to also include student success resources to help you navigate your studies and stay on course through the crisis.

Finally, we are thinking about ways to remain Antiochian during the COVID-19 crisis. Our commitment to advancing social, environmental, and economic justice remains steadfast and we encourage you to consider the core attributes that embody the Antiochian vision: self, community, and action. How is your Antiochian education helping you to frame this crisis in terms of your current and future personal and professional development? In what ways, have you or could you support your community at this time? What actions have you taken or thought about taking that may advance justice and lead to positive change?

In light of our mission and to help us stay focused on the values that make us Antioch, we will be sharing our stories in the coming days and weeks on the Antioch University Facebook page. Stay connected to our Facebook page to learn more and please consider sharing your stories and tagging @antiochuniversity in your Facebook post – we want to know how you are remaining true to our vision and Antiochian to the Core!

Stay safe and healthy and keep on moving forward!

Melissa A. Kirk
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success