Commencement is a rite of passage for students who spend years studying, interning and researching their way to the graduation stage, but this spring, UB will not hold its scheduled commencement ceremonies for the class of 2020.
UB will allow students to resign classes and elect to have their grading changed from a letter grade to satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) through the last day of spring 2020 exams, the university announced Saturday.
Student Association elections will take place 10 a.m. Tuesday until 5 p.m. Thursday through UBLinked, according to members of the elections committee. While elections usually take place at a physical polling location in the Student Union, this year’s move to online voting comes after UB’s switch to a “distance-learning” model and SA’s cancellation of all other SA events.
UB ordered students to not return to on-campus dorms and apartments Wednesday night, hours after UB President Satish Tripathi announced that a community member tested positive for COVID-19.
A UB community member tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday and is currently in mandatory isolation in their off-campus residence, according to an email from UB President Satish Tripathi.
UB Provost A. Scott Weber recognizes this “changing” situation (before our interview, the housing refund news was hours away). He talked to The Spectrum via phone Tuesday as UB adjusts to a new reality: the coronavirus/COVID-19 global health pandemic has caused UB to shift to a “distance-learning” model effective March 23.
After university officials announced Wednesday that “dining will be open for students who remain on campus” given a “distance-learning” shift at UB, students woke up to the contrary on Saturday. Security gates shut down popular on-campus food establishments Saturday and the only places open on campus were in The Commons, which does not accept student dining plans.
As UB canceled everything, Daymond John was the maestro for a crowd of over 50 people as they defied social-distancing regulations so he could talk about a TV show. Daymond John said he saw “future” and “current sharks” in the audience of UB students who were taking notes during his speech Wednesday.
The Mid-American Conference canceled all remaining regular season and championship competitions for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year, commissioner Jon Steinbrecher announced Thursday. “During this unprecedented health crisis that continues to evolve daily, we fully support the decision made today by the Mid-American Conference and the NCAA,” UB Athletics Director Mark Alnutt said in a press release. “While we are disappointed for our student-athletes, coaches and staff who have worked diligently to prepare this spring and have had their seasons cut short, their health, safety and well-being will always be our top priority.”
Cybercriminals are using phishing attacks to take advantage of COVID-19 worries, according to UB Information Technology. The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization warned that cybercriminals are using the organnizations’ names and images for phishing attacks –– when cybercriminals pose as reputable organizations to convince people to share personal information. The University of Michigan warned students to beware of scams including: promotion of products that claim to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19; requests for money from fraudulent charities; misinformation; phishing; and links to malicious websites disguised as COVID-19 maps. UBIT wrote in a news release that “phishing emails will likely include alerts and warnings about the coronavirus outbreak, along with a link.”
All School of Engineering and Applied Sciences courses, including labs and tests, will be taught online beginning March 23, following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandatory “distance-learning model.”
UB’s chemistry department will not hold in-person lab sessions during Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mandatory “distance-learning model” for SUNY and CUNY schools.
Students in UB’s Theatre and Dance department sent letters to the department chair, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, provost and president asking for an exception to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s newly implemented “distance-learning” class model.
Students were confused Wednesday as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and UB announced a move to a “distance-learning” model on March 23 for the rest of the spring semester.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced all SUNY and CUNY schools will transition to online classes starting March 19 during a press conference Wednesday at 1:45 p.m.
The Spectrum’s editorial board elected Senior News Editor Alexandra Moyen, a sophomore English major, as editor-in-chief for the 2020-21 academic year. Moyen ran unopposed and won the election in a 16-1 vote. Her campaign platform emphasized the importance of minority voices and building upon The Spectrum’s web-based news coverage, with an emphasis on social media engagement.
Students found a live bat in the fountain beverage machine tray in C3 Thursday evening. Campus Dining and Shops suspects the bat entered from an outside hallway or an open door and that it was an isolated incident, according to Marketing Manager Ray Kohl. Kohl said the bat did not come into contact with guests, staff or food. CDS called a local exterminator to assess the situation and advise whether or not CDS needs further extermination services.
Student Association executive board elections will take place from Tuesday, March 24 through Thursday, March 26. Current students who want to run for the 2020-21 e-board must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average and a petition with at least 200 signatures from undergraduate students.
Salaah Khan says she feels sick and helpless watching the news about her home country, India. She says she is horrified by the lynch mobs, the burning neighborhoods and the religious intolerance that has spread across the country in recent weeks. In the country’s capital of Delhi, at least 53 people, mostly Muslim, were killed and 200 were injured during street riots initiated by Hindu nationalist mobs.
Student Association President Yousouf Amolegbe has waited for a follow-up decision on his now five-plus-week suspension, as the SA Board of Directors continues to vote to keep it in place. The BOD met Thursday as SA Treasurer Kendra Harris motioned to reopen the discussion of Amolgebe’s suspension.
Solutions by The State News
