Coronavirus Updates

Dear APU Students,

Quyana (thank you) for your patience and flexibility during the past several months as you waited to learn what the Fall semester would look like. We have been busy assessing all of our campus programs and, with input from public health experts, we are ready to announce that APU plans to open campus for instruction through both face-to-face and distance delivery for the Fall semester. Our goal is to make our educational programs accessible and to make working and living on campus as safe as possible. This is a shared responsibility.

The Campus Reopening plan outlines the activities and protocols we will employ to mitigate risk. We recognize that some members of the APU community will not be able to come to campus because those in their homes or communities are at high risk; we will work with individual students to accommodate remote learning when necessary and possible. We believe we can safely restart activities on campus through comprehensive planning and individual effort. Please take the time to inform yourself and others about our new campus protocols.

You may review the full plan by clicking on the link below. This is a working document; we will update and revise it as we learn more about the pandemic and our campus needs. I will be hosting a Zoom information session for students and their families on Friday, July 10 from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. AKDT to answer questions you may have about our plans for the semester. More details to follow. There will be other communications as we step up operations and there are several resources, including the full plan and Frequently Asked Questions available on APU’s Campus Reopening/Coronavirus website beginning tomorrow. If you have questions, you will be able to submit a question through the website.

Being informed and engaged allows our campus community to face the unknown challenges together. We have a shared responsibility to keep each other safe, and that includes washing your hands, staying home when you are sick, distancing and masking, and understanding our campus recommendations and policies.

We have heard that many of you are excited to return to campus and that some of you are a little anxious. This plan is designed to allow for renewed engagement on campus while protecting one another and our families. We are grateful to reconnect and move forward together through these challenging times. We are a creative, caring and resilient community, and I am confident that we will be able to implement our plan and have a strong Fall semester.

Quyana for all you do for APU,

Val 

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

Dena’inaq ełnen’aq’ gheshtnu ch’q’u yeshdu.
I live and work on the land of the Dena’ina.

APU Staff and Faculty, 

All employees who are telecommuting under our previous approval forms until June 19^th  will be extended through August 2^nd.

Please work with your supervisor if you have any questions.

Quyana (thank you) for your incredible work on behalf of APU.

Val
Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

Dear APU Students,

Quyana (thank you) for your incredible dedication and flexibility as we continue to move through uncharted territory. We all wish we could see into the future to understand how and when we will get back to “normal,” but we recognize that we have to move forward making the best decisions we can with the information we have now. Whether we are on campus this fall or taking classes from home, we want to ensure the student experience is exceptional, supportive, communal, and safe. 

With regard to Fall courses and programs, we have appointed several faculty and staff to committees to evaluate various scenarios for the semester. We are looking at all our campus services to ensure alignment with expert guidance and safety protocols. We have also conducted a walkthrough of campus buildings with public health engineers to assess our facilities, classrooms, and other common spaces. This process supports ongoing efforts to address any risks related to the pandemic. We are gathering as much information as possible in order to make an informed decision by July 1^st.  

It’s a beautiful time of the year and we are fortunate to have great weather right now in Alaska. Wherever this email finds you, I am sure there are many options for healthy outdoor activities that include social distancing. While you enjoy the summer season, I encourage you to follow best practices of hygiene, physical distancing, and masking so that we can continue to stay safe and see each other on campus again.

At APU, our strength is our community, and we understand it has been challenging to adapt to this new college experience. Quyana (thank you) again for your patience and understanding. We hope that you and your families are safe and healthy and that our APU community can join together again soon.

Val

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

APU Staff and Faculty,

Quyana (thank you) for your incredible efforts and for your dedication to APU as we continue to move through unchartered territory. Your extra measures have ensured that our critical work continues in a safe, responsible manner. We hope that our collective commitment to COVID-19 mitigation has helped to ensure the health and safety of you and your families.

We recognize that some have embraced working from home while others are ready to come back to the office. We all wish we could see into the future to understand how and when we will get back to “normal”, but we recognize that we have to move forward making the best decisions we can with the information we have now. To that end, we are working on a plan to safely return to our campuses over the summer and for the fall semester. Three subcommittees are actively meeting to address the multi-faceted issues: 1) Instruction & Technology chaired by Dr. Hilton Hallock, 2) Campus Operations chaired by Ben Hahn, and 3) Employee/HR chaired by Sheila King. These committees have representation from diverse campus stakeholders and welcome input shared with the chairs or with the Faculty and Staff Assembly chairs and ASAPU president.

We are also in the process of collecting data regarding office workspaces. This information will help us determine specific adjustments needed to bring employees safely back to work and comply with COVID-19 safety precautions and mandates. We will be conducting a walkthrough of campus buildings with public health engineers to assess our facilities, classrooms, and other common spaces to evaluate various scenarios for the Fall semester and ongoing efforts to address risks related to the pandemic.

In the meantime, our current telecommuting agreement is through June 19th. We recognize the uncertainty that is inherent with returning back to work during this time. We have committed to providing a two week notice prior to returning to allow you to make accommodations in your personal lives, and we will keep you updated.

With regard to Fall courses and programs, we are gathering as much information as possible in order to make an informed decision by July 1st.

It’s a beautiful time of the year and we are fortunate to have great weather right now. Alaska provides so many options for healthy outdoor activities that include social distancing. While you enjoy the summer season, I encourage you to follow best practices of hygiene, physical distancing, and masking so that we can continue to stay safe and see each other on campus again soon.

Quyana (thank you) again for your incredible work on behalf of APU.

Val

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

APU Staff and Faculty,

All employees who are telecommuting under our previous approval forms until May 31st will be extended through June 19th. Please work with your supervisor if you have any questions.

Quyana (thank you) for your incredible work on behalf of APU.

Val

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

Dear Students,

A significant amount of CARES Act grant money remains available. APU encourages you to apply for emergency financial assistance if you qualify, whether for Spring, Summer, or Fall 2020 semester expenses. We are still accepting applications for the Spring semester if you had expenses during that time, but have not applied yet. Prior applicants can also submit new claims that might have been missed on their first application. This grant money does not need to be paid back.

You should apply for a grant IF you have “expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).”

• You have not yet applied for spring expenses
• You adjusted your summer enrollment from on-campus to online or an alternate method
• You bought or will buy new computer technology to adjust your summer or fall on-campus enrollment to accommodate online education

Please review previous grant announcements at https://www.alaskapacific.edu/category/coronavirus/ for additional eligibility details.  Questions about the funding can be directed to financialaid@alaskapacific.edu.

Submit completed applications with supporting documents to financialaid@alaskapacific.edu. Applications will be reviewed until funds are expended.

Download Application

As always, we appreciate all you are doing to take care of yourselves and stay connected to your classmates and APU. Do not hesitate to reach out to your faculty advisor, the Campus Life team or others at APU for assistance as we continue to navigate our response to the pandemic. Enjoy the summer weather, wash your hands, and stay well!

Take care!

Hilton

Hilton Hallock, Ph.D.
Provost
Professor of Education
Alaska Pacific University

APU Staff and Faculty,

All employees who are telecommuting under our previous approval forms until April 30th will be extended through May 31st.

Please work with your supervisor if you have any questions.

Quyana (thank you) for your incredible work on behalf of APU.

Val

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson
President
Alaska Pacific University

Dear Students, 

APU received additional guidance from the Department of Education regarding distribution and usage of the CARES Act relief funds (the original announcement is below).  The updated application is attached.  If you have already applied, you are not required to apply again; however the new guidance may affect the eligibility of your request.  The changes to the original email below are summarized here: 

• Expenses are as of March 13, not March 12
• Student worker lost wages are NOT eligible expenses
• Applicants must be eligible to apply for and receive federal student aid  (FAFSA completion or being a financial aid recipient is not required).  As such, international students and some others are ineligible. 
• Spring 2020 students continuing to enroll Summer 2020 may also request summer expenses.  Future summer expenses must still be “expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).” 
• Supporting documentation can include receipts, estimates, or typed explanations or justifications for the expense 

We know it continues to be a challenging time for you and your families. We are here to celebrate your graduation or continue to support your enrollment.  Please do not hesitate to ask for financial or other assistance if you need it.

Download Application

Take care!

Hilton

Hilton Hallock, Ph.D.
Provost
Professor of Education
Alaska Pacific University

Dear Students,

APU anticipates receiving federal CARES Act funds to provide emergency financial assistance to qualifying students.  This grant money does not need to be paid back.

You should apply for a grant IF you incurred unanticipated “expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).”

This means that if you have had added or unmet expenses since March 12 because of the changes APU made in response to coronavirus, you should apply.

Example 1: You changed your flight home and it was $300 more expensive

Example 2: You had to add or increase your internet service (set up fees, monthly fee)

Example 3: Your housing costs more than your on-campus room (above and beyond a room and board refund from APU)

APU will review all applications.  There are no guarantees that you will be given a grant or your request will be fully funded.

How to Apply

To apply, meet the eligibility requirements below and submit a complete application with supporting documents to financialaid@alaskapacific.edu.by April 24, 2020. Requests received after April 24, 2020 will be considered if funds are available. If you need to, you can submit more than one application.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a full or part-time APU student as of Spring 2020 and
• Enrolled in at least one campus-based course or course with an on-campus intensive

Terms and Conditions

Awards are contingent on receipt of funds from the CARES Act.

Complete the attached application and provide supporting documentation of the expenses for which you are applying for reimbursement. Submit completed application and supporting documentation.

• Supporting documentation examples include, but are not limited to, scans or pictures of receipts and credit card or bank statements with related expenses highlighted. 
• If an individual other than the student applicant covered the expense, the student applicant’s name should be clearly written on the supporting documentation.
• Questions about appropriate documentation should be sent to financialaid@alaskapacific.edu

To verify the address(s) you have on file with APU go to your student web portal (myAPU > student web portal > my address). 

To update your address(s) send an email from your APU student email account to regoff@alaskapacific.edu with your updated address.

Award of Funds

Funds will be awarded by check to the student applicant only. Please note that we may not be able to fund each request fully, but we encourage students to apply for all eligible expenses so that we can provide as much financial assistance as possible.

Download Application

We know that these are challenging times for you and your families. Please do not hesitate to ask for financial or other assistance if you need it.

Take care!
Hilton

Hilton Hallock, Ph.D.
Provost
Professor of Education
Alaska Pacific University

APU Staff and Faculty,

All employees who are telecommuting under are previous approval forms until March 31st will be extended through April 30th.

Please work with your supervisor if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Bob

Robert Onders MD JD MPA
President
Alaska Pacific University