COVID-19 Updates

Grace Schools CRRSAA HEERF II and ARP HEERF III Reporting – July 10, 2022

Dated 07/10/2022

Grace Schools received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The CRRSAA funding was received on January 19, 2021. Subsequent to the CRRSAA funding, Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The ARP funding was received on May 14, 2021.

For the HEERF funding received under CRRSAA, Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,851, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 as required.

For the HEERF funding received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grace Schools is required to provide $2,117,895 in emergency financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools intends to provide the full amount of financial aid grants to students as required.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Applications are reviewed by a committee and awards are being granted to students based upon exceptional need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 06/30/2022, $775,851 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to 268 students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 and has $0 remaining to distribute to students. Grace Schools has disbursed 602 financial aid grants to students totaling $2,117,895 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and has $0 remaining to distribute to students.

HEERF Quarterly Reporting

Grace Schools CRRSAA HEERF II and ARP HEERF III Reporting – April 10, 2022

Dated 04/10/2022

Grace Schools received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The CRRSAA funding was received on January 19, 2021. Subsequent to the CRRSAA funding, Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The ARP funding was received on May 14, 2021.

For the HEERF funding received under CRRSAA, Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,851, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 as required.

For the HEERF funding received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grace Schools is required to provide $2,117,895 in emergency financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools intends to provide the full amount of financial aid grants to students as required.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Applications are reviewed by a committee and awards are being granted to students based upon exceptional need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 03/31/2022, $775,851 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to 268 students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 and has $0 remaining to distribute to students. Grace Schools has disbursed 525 financial aid grants to students totaling $1,914,949 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and has $202,946 remaining to distribute to students.

HEERF Quarterly Reporting

Grace Students,

It has been so good to see so many of you return to campus this week – and so exciting to welcome 35 new Lancers to the Grace Family! We hope you enjoyed your break and are ready to learn and grow this semester. We missed you!

On behalf of the President’s Cabinet, I wanted to update you about COVID-19 in our area and how the Omicron Wave of this persistent pandemic is impacting our campus. As we have the past 22 months, we are committed to keeping the Grace community updated.

This week on the State of Indiana’s map, Kosciusko County’s advisory level moved from orange to red, the highest of four advisory levels. (The state assigns each county a color to indicate the advisory level, based on the average number of weekly cases and seven-day positivity rates.) Most of our state is now at the red level.

Simultaneously, we already see new cases on campus – among students and employees. Thankfully, over 50 of you delayed your return to campus because you were a direct contact, tested positive, or were experiencing symptoms. Thank you for protecting others in this way and communicating with our health center!

Because Omicron seems to be more contagious than previous strains, we anticipate more cases in the next week or so. Today, we are not adding additional restrictions. Still, we are appealing to the entire Grace community to help slow the spread of the virus to ensure we can continue campus life and learning.

Here are some ways you can contribute to keeping Grace healthy and in-person:

Check your symptoms daily and report any illness to the campus nurse by emailing healthcenter@grace.edu or calling extension 6472 during the hours of 9a-3p Monday through Friday. Please contact the RD-on-Call (574-635-5737) if outside of these hours.
Diligently engage in healthy practices: personal hygiene – especially washing your hands and not touching your face – keep your living spaces sanitized and clean, get plenty of sleep, etc.
If you haven’t already, consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine or a booster (if it has been more than six months since you had the Pfizer/Moderna shot or two months since the J&J shot). There are many vaccine sites in Warsaw; you can find one and register at the CDC website. Also, this Monday (January 17), there is a free vaccination clinic (Pfizer vaccine & booster) at the Bowen Health Clinic.
If you haven’t already, consider getting the flu vaccine. Seasonal influenza activity, mostly Influenza A (H3N2), hospitalizations in the US is increasing, especially among children and young adults.

Consider wearing a face mask that completely and tightly covers your mouth and nose – especially in group settings where you cannot distance 3 – 6 feet from others. The CDC recommends multilayer cloth or disposable face coverings.
Consider social distancing or conducting meetings or advising virtually to reduce the likelihood of contact tracing and quarantine.

At this time, we are not adding new requirements or restrictions to our current COVID-19 protocols. However, we want you to be aware of some of our plans if this resurgence continues:

IF our number of student and employee cases increase and we are experiencing significant student or employee absences, uncontrolled spread, or reach capacity in our quarantine/isolation spaces and our county remains at the red advisory level, we will add new guidelines.
These additional guidelines could include required indoor masking or required masking in large groups, limited visitation and programming in residence halls, and capacity limits for indoor events.
We want to reemphasize our support for those who choose to wear a mask and ask each of you to wear a mask indoors whenever requested in a particular meeting or classroom.
We continue to be in regular consultation with the Kosciusko County Health Department, and will communicate updates to the campus community.

Thank you for your attention to these updates. While there are many different perspectives about COVID and how best to respond to the pandemic, we are united in our desire to be on campus and experience Grace’s Christ-centered community together. Please be praying for those who are currently sick and an end to this wave. Continue doing your part to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Following Christ Together,

Aaron

Grace Schools CRRSAA HEERF II and ARP HEERF III Reporting – January 10, 2022

Dated 01/10/2022

Grace Schools received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The CRRSAA funding was received on January 19, 2021. Subsequent to the CRRSAA funding, Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The ARP funding was received on May 14, 2021.

For the HEERF funding received under CRRSAA, Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,851, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 as required.

For the HEERF funding received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grace Schools is required to provide $2,117,895 in emergency financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools intends to provide the full amount of financial aid grants to students as required.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Applications are reviewed by a committee and awards are being granted to students based upon exceptional need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 12/31/2021, $775,851 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to 268 students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 and has $0 remaining to distribute to students. Grace Schools has disbursed 473 financial aid grants to students totaling $1,779,049 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and has $338,846 remaining to distribute to students.

HEERF Quarterly Reporting

Grace Schools CRRSAA HEERF II and ARP HEERF III Reporting – October 10, 2021

Dated 10/10/2021

Grace Schools received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The CRRSAA funding was received on January 19, 2021. Subsequent to the CRRSAA funding, Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The ARP funding was received on May 14, 2021.

For the HEERF funding received under CRRSAA, Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,851, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 as required.

For the HEERF funding received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grace Schools is required to provide $2,117,895 in emergency financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools intends to provide the full amount of financial aid grants to students as required.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Applications are reviewed by a committee and awards are being granted to students based upon exceptional need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 09/30/2021, $775,851 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to 268 students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 and has $0 remaining to distribute to students. Grace Schools has disbursed 447 financial aid grants to students totaling $1,715,299 under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and has $402,596 remaining to distribute to students.

HEERF Quarterly Reporting

Students,

We hope this finds you enjoying this early fall weather and engaged in your classwork and interactions on campus. Dr. Katip returned to work this week (following a one-month medical leave) and is energetically catching up on campus happenings and meeting new students.

As promised, the president’s cabinet is meeting weekly to review our COVID protocols. We look at the status of our campus, community, and county as well as current guidance from the CDC and State of Indiana.

Current status

On-campus, we have continued to see multiple positive cases of COVID-19 each day. As of this morning, we have 31 active student cases. We are over capacity in our campus isolation and quarantine locations. Multiple students are quarantined at home or in local hotels.
In Kosciusko County, the spread has continued – we are still at the orange alert level, though our metric score increased from a 2 to a 2.5 due to our county’s increasing positivity rate. Locally, Warsaw Community Schools are implementing a mask mandate for all students and employees beginning tomorrow.

This week, in addition to our consultations with the campus nurse, board members, and the health department, we have also been in conversations with many employees and students.

Voluntary vaccine clinic

In cooperation with the Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Department and the Kosciusko County Health Department, Grace will be offering a voluntary vaccine clinic on campus next week for students and employees. The first of two Moderna immunizations will be administered on Tuesday, September 14 from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm in the aerobics room of the Gordon Health and Recreation Center. You will be asked to complete a registration form (available in English and Spanish) when you arrive. The second dose will be administered on October 19.

The following guidelines will be effective from tomorrow (Friday, September 10) at 5:00 pm until at least the following Friday (September 17). The President’s Cabinet will continue to review our plans weekly and communicate changes via this weekly email.

Continued measures

For the next week, many of the adjustments we announced last week will stay in place another week.

Classes – All classes are being recorded or on Zoom for students in isolation/quarantine. All other students are required to attend classes in person. Faculty may request that students wear masks in a particular classroom – we ask that you respect their wishes if this is the case.
Residence Halls – We will continue the policy of no overnight guests (including commuter students). We will not have coed visitation (aka “open hours”) in residence halls for another week.
Dining – Alpha Dining Commons will continue to offer a takeout option in addition to the grab-and-go for all students. This should allow students to better distance themselves while eating in the dining hall or outdoors.

Adjusted measures

Chapel – Chapel on Friday, September 10 (tomorrow) with Kings Kaleidoscope will be held outdoors, in and around the Indiana Hall tent. There will also be a virtual option (different content) for those desiring to receive chapel credit virtually. Next week, we will return to in-person chapels with masks required, per the new measure below.

New measures

Large indoor gatherings – Masks will be required for all attendees to indoor gatherings of 250 or larger. For the next week, this requirement will affect chapel, indoor athletic events, and some special events. We understand that masks are not desired by most students and employees, however, we must control the spread of this highly contagious virus – especially in large gatherings. We feel this measure has the potential to control large outbreaks while causing the least inconvenience. At this time, we are not mandating masks in classrooms, dining halls, or residence halls.

Reminders

The CDC and the Indiana Department of Health recommend that college students, faculty, and staff wear masks in all indoor spaces, social distance 3-6 feet, and become vaccinated.

This pandemic has been difficult and all of us wish COVID was not our current reality. If you are interested in speaking with someone to process difficult emotions, our counseling center, Campus Chaplain, and Resident Directors are available to students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the many support resources across campus.

Also, remember these healthy practices:

Grace continues to encourage vaccination. To arrange a ride to a vaccination site, email residence life.
Check your symptoms daily and report any illness to the campus nurse by emailing healthcenter@grace.edu or calling extension 6472 during the hours of 9a-3p Monday through Friday. Please contact the RD-on-Call (574-635-5737) if outside of these hours.
Diligently practice good hygiene, especially washing your hands, not touching your face, and limiting physical contact with others.
Keep your living spaces sanitized and clean; socialize outdoors whenever possible.

Thank you for reading these updates and doing your part to keep Grace healthy!

Following Christ Together,

Aaron

Students,

Thank you for reading the following update about Grace’s response to the recent rise in COVID cases on campus. Thank you also for continuing to be mindful of your own health and wellness practices that protect both you and others on our campus who may have concerns about their own health situation or those of family members at home.

Current status:

On campus, we have experienced a consistent rise in positive cases and quarantines throughout the week. As of this afternoon, we have had 29 confirmed student cases of COVID-19.
In Kosciusko County, the spread has continued but not increased – we are still at the orange alert level. As you know, we had been preparing for a change to red status, so remaining at the orange level was very good news as the county tries to manage the public health situation in the community!

At this time, we are announcing some temporary adjustments to our fall COVID-19 plan. The following measures will take effect tomorrow (Friday, September 3) at 5:00 PM and will continue at least until the following Friday (September 10). For the next few weeks (or longer, if needed) the President’s Cabinet will review these guidelines weekly and communicate adjustments via a weekly email update.

Classes – Because of the significant number of individuals in quarantine and isolation right now, all classes will be recorded or on Zoom starting Tuesday, September 7 for students in isolation/quarantine. All other students are required to attend classes in person.
Residence Halls – Beginning Friday, September 3rd, there can be no overnight guests and we will not hold coed visitation (aka “open hours”) in residence halls.
Chapel – Chapels next week will be virtual, students will attend and receive chapel credit via the iAttended app. Any adjustments to chapel beyond next week will be announced next week; we fully intend to continue in-person chapels as soon as possible.
Admissions – Sibs Weekend (scheduled September 9-10) is canceled, we will notify those who registered. Grace will still host the outdoor concert with Kings Kaleidoscope on Friday, Sept. 10.
Dining – Starting Friday for dinner Alpha Dining Commons will offer a takeout option in addition to the grab-and-go for all students. This should allow students to better distance themselves while eating in the dining hall or outdoors.

At this time, we are not mandating masks on campus. The CDC and the Indiana Department of Health recommends that college students, faculty, and staff wear masks in indoor spaces, social distance, and are vaccinated.

It is more important than ever that we continue these healthy practices:

We continue to encourage vaccination.
Check your symptoms daily and report any illness to the campus nurse by emailing healthcenter@grace.edu or calling extension 6472 during the hours of 9a-3p Monday through Friday. Please contact the RD-on-Call (574-635-5737) if outside of these hours.
Diligently practice good hygiene, especially washing your hands, not touching your face, and limiting physical contact with others.
Keep your living spaces sanitized and clean; socialize outdoors whenever possible.

Enjoy your extended weekend and continue to pray for an end to this resurgence.

Following Christ Together,

Aaron

Grace Students,

It has been a wonderful week seeing so many of you arrive or return to campus, and we have loved meeting so many new Lancers! Grace isn’t the same without you!

On behalf of the Cabinet, I wanted to give an update about COVID-19 in our area and how this persistent pandemic continues to impact our campus. We are committed to keeping the Grace community regularly updated as we receive new information and respond to this situation.

The State of Indiana maintains a map that assigns each county a color to indicate the advisory level. The color is based on the average of scores assigned for the number of weekly cases per 100,000 and its seven-day positivity rate. For much of the summer, our county was rated blue or yellow, the lowest two levels. Yesterday, we learned that our county’s advisory level moved from yellow to orange, the third highest level of four advisory levels.

To date, we have not seen an increase in cases on campus – among students or employees; however, the significant increase in cases in our county should cause us each to increase our efforts to keep ourselves and others from this highly contagious virus. Please be aware of your health and healthy practices:

Check your symptoms daily
Report any illness to the campus nurse by emailing healthcenter@grace.edu or calling extension 6472 during the hours of 9a-3p Monday through Friday. Please contact the RD-on-Call (574-635-5737) if outside of these hours.
Diligently practice good hygiene, especially washing your hands and not touching your face
Keep your living spaces sanitized and clean.

We recommend students consider getting the vaccine. On Monday, the Pfizer vaccine was given full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

There are many vaccine sites in Warsaw; you can find one and register at the CDC website.
This Saturday, there is a free “drive-through” vaccination clinic (with the Pfizer vaccine) at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 225 N. Gilliam Drive, Warsaw.
Under our current protocols, when contact traced, fully vaccinated students and employees have different requirements for quarantine and testing than those unvaccinated.

At this time we are not adding new requirements or restrictions to our current COVID-19 protocols. We want you to be aware of some of our plans if this “uptick” continues:

IF our county status increases again (to advisory level red) or campus cases and positivity rates increase to the point we are seeing significant absences or reaching capacity in our quarantine/isolation spaces, we will add new guidelines.
IF the local situation continues to worsen, additional guidelines could include required indoor masking, social distanced seating in chapel and athletic events, limited visitation and programming in residence halls, and capacity limits for indoor events.
At this time, we are reemphasizing our support for those who choose to wear a mask and encouraging you to wear a mask indoors whenever requested in a particular meeting or classroom.
We continue to be in regular consultation with the Kosciusko County Health Department, and we will communicate any updates to the campus community.

Thank you for your attention to these updates. While there are many different perspectives about COVID and how best to respond to the pandemic, we are united in our desire to be on campus and experience Grace’s Christ-centered community together. Please be praying for an end to this resurgence, and may we each do our part to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Following Christ Together,

Aaron

Lancers,

I hope your summer is going great! We are excited to share with you some updated information as you prepare for the fall semester:

New students arrive on campus for Welcome Weekend on Saturday, August 21… be watching your inbox near the end of the month for an invitation to complete the virtual registration process before coming to campus.
Returning students arrive on Tuesday, August 24
Classes begin on Wednesday, August 25. (See complete 21-22 Academic Calendar here.)

We are happy to share with you that it is still our plan to return to pre-COVID normal on campus this fall! Positivity rates in our county have been low and manageable, and we are hopeful this will still be the case on campus when we all return in a few weeks!

We look forward to a semester without many of the precautions we had in place last semester. For example, we removed the plexi barriers in the dining room, social distancing in the classroom, and mask requirements and have closed our on-campus testing center. We anticipate a campus experience in which you can be fully involved, engaged, and participate in all parts of campus life!

REMINDERS

To avoid a resurgence though, we’d like to remind you of some important health practices so that we all continue to do our part to stay healthy and protect those we care about:

Monitor your symptoms daily and contact the Health Center at x6472 to get guidance about whether you should stay home from class or work.
Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.
Consider maintaining at least a 3 ft. distance when you are in social settings and groups.
Wear a mask at any time you’d like to if you feel more comfortable doing that.
Be flexible and understanding if the conditions of our campus or county change and we need to make some adjustments to our health practices or restrictions.

VACCINATIONS

Many of you have already chosen to get vaccinated and we are very supportive of this. Although we encourage you to get vaccinated before you come to campus, we do not plan to require students or employees to be vaccinated unless the State of Indiana requires that we do so. If you would like to have your vaccination status on record, you may provide that information to the Health Center, but this is not required at this time. If the health conditions of the campus or community change, we will consider regularly testing those who are unvaccinated. There are several local vaccination sites if you would like this option.

It is very likely that international Go Encounter trips (not domestic trips) planned by Grace’s Global Institute will require a pre-departure COVID vaccination. Decisions about vaccinations and Go Encounters trips will be announced by the Global Institute in early September.

TESTING

We are not planning to conduct re-entry testing or weekly surveillance testing for the fall semester unless the health conditions of our campus or county change. We have rapid tests in the Health Center for testing students with symptoms in the fall or if needed for other situations such as athletics or travel. Testing is also available in the community.

QUARANTINE

We will have quarantine space available on campus if you become ill and choose to quarantine or isolate there. We will do contact tracing as we did last spring for those with symptoms or positive tests.

We don’t want a resurgence, so we are asking you to do your part to engage in responsible health and social practices. We are so thankful for all that the Grace community did last year to be flexible, selfless, and understanding in the midst of this pandemic.

We look forward to a great fall semester, living and learning together in community, and we can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!

Following Christ Together,

Aaron

Grace Students,

We are incredibly excited to welcome you back on campus in less than two weeks! There are many campus updates you can look forward to when you return, including a new Grace College entrance sign, additional outdoor hangout spaces, and a completely renovated Alpha Dining Hall!

Most of all, we look forward to experiencing our Christ-centered community together. We will resume normal chapel capacity, residence life programming, athletic events, and campus activities.

While we fully intend to return to pre-pandemic operations for the 2021-22 school year, we must remain adaptable and intentional. Due to the localized impact of COVID-19, our protocols are based on Indiana state health recommendations and in consultation with the Kosciusko County Health Department. Recognizing the changing nature of COVID-19, we will review these plans regularly and communicate any updates to the campus community.

As we begin the school year, we ask all members of the Grace family to commit to the following:

Check Your Symptoms
Practice Good Hygiene.
Sanitize and Clean Your Living Space

Beyond these three commitments, we allow you to make your own decisions about additional precautions against the virus. Masks (or other face coverings), social distancing, and vaccines are recommended by the CDC and Grace College, but they will not be required at this time. We encourage you to pack hand sanitizer, surface disinfectant, and at least a few masks as you prepare to return to Grace. Because there are varying convictions about how to navigate these decisions, we ask that you respect the choices of others and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39) in all situations.

If you start to feel sick, we do have testing, quarantine, and isolation protocols in place. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our new Covid Plan Website.

Thank you for doing your part to keep Grace College safe and healthy. We are optimistic that our community will thrive in the year ahead as we live by the ways of grace!

Following Christ together,

Aaron Crabtree

Dated 07/10/2021

Grace Schools received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The CRRSAA funding was received on January 19, 2021. Subsequent to the CRRSAA funding, Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The ARP funding was received on May 14, 2021.

For the HEERF funding received under CRRSAA, Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,871, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021 as required.

For the HEERF funding received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grace Schools is required to provide $2,117,895 in emergency financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools intends to provide the full amount of financial aid grants to students as required.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Applications are reviewed by a committee and awards are being granted to students based upon exceptional need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 06/30/2021, $715,800 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to 251 students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021. Grace Schools has $60,051 remaining under the CRRSAA funding to distribute to students. Grace Schools has not disbursed any funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and has $2,117,895 remaining to distribute to students.

HEERF Quarterly Reporting

Dated 04/10/2021

Grace Schools received additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021. Funding was received on January 19, 2021.

Grace Schools is required to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Grace Schools received $775,851 in funding from the Department of Education to award as Emergency Financial Aid grants to students under sections 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. Our institution intends to provide the same amount, $775,871, in financial aid grants to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act, 2021.

Grace Schools used an application process available to our entire eligible student body and reviewed requests made by students to determine who demonstrated exceptional need. Awards are being granted to students based upon that need in alignment with the requirements of the Department of Education.

Students were given the option to have the financial aid grant sent directly to them or apply the financial aid grant to outstanding charges on their account. Active confirmation was required to apply the financial aid grant to a student’s account balance.

As of 04/10/2021, $284,850 has been disbursed in financial aid grants to students. Grace Schools has retained $491,001 of said funding to continue to assist students with additional need requests.

CRRSAA HEERF II Reporting

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

This will be our final notice regarding funds received for HEERF 1. Grace will continue to comply with all DOE reporting requirements.

Students,

I hope this email finds you well as we move into the second half of February and the second half of Spring A. I’m hesitant to get too excited about Spring in the middle of a snowstorm, but this cold wave won’t last forever! I wanted to share a few brief items: our severe weather policy, a COVID testing update, and information on applying for emergency hardship aid funds.

COVID Testing

Thank you for your attention to the weekly testing process! After three weeks of testing, we are pleased to report that we have conducted over 2800 tests with only a 0.4% positivity rate. This is a phenomenally low rate! Currently, we have only 4 active cases among students and faculty. Thank you for continuing to follow our campus commitment and participating in the weekly testing. Your efforts and attention to our prevention guidelines are making a difference!

A couple of clarifications and encouragements related to testing:

The weekly surveillance testing in the GHAWC testing center is only for asymptomatic people who have not been exposed to COVID. For those who have had any symptoms or have reason to think you’ve been exposed to someone who is sick, we want you to make an appointment to go to the health center (located at the west end of the GHAWC) for your COVID test, where you will wait for your result and can discuss your symptoms with the nurse. To make an appointment, call 574-372-5100 ext. 6472.
The iAttended app has worked well for testing sign-ups and chapel sign-ups. However, we have discovered a small glitch with using the same app for both purposes. According to the app, you cannot keep two “appointments” at the same time (e.g. the system won’t let you keep both a 10:00-11:00 a.m. testing time and a 10:30-11:20 a.m. chapel time – it will release your “seat” when you do this.) If this happens to you, no worries! You simply need to stop by the sound booth after chapel or stop by the testing coordinator’s desk to get an override code.
Remember to try to schedule your COVID test on or around the same day every week to ensure that you are tested every 6-8 days.

Financial Hardship/Emergency Aid Grants

As Dr. Katip announced two weeks ago, Grace received assistance from the federal government from the second round of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). A portion of those funds is to be distributed directly to students as emergency financial aid grants. This round of HEERF financial aid requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need in awarding financial aid grants to students. This may include, but is not limited to, students who are currently eligible for Pell grants. Students may use this emergency financial aid for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care.

Grace desires to come alongside students and families who have been impacted by the pandemic and are experiencing financial hardship. We have compiled a simple application for requesting a grant from these funds. We plan to begin awarding some initial grants as early as March 1, 2021.

Winter Weather Impact

Grace has a severe weather policy that states, “In the case of a county-wide travel warning, severe inclement weather, extraordinary snowfall totals, unusually dangerous wind chills, or another weather-related crisis, Grace College may close campus or delay classes.”

Decisions about closing or delaying classes (as well as other events like chapel and athletics) are made in consultation with local agencies and various campus entities (academics, res life, physical plant, safety, etc).
IF campus officials feel it is necessary to cancel or delay classes, this information will be communicated to you via email and GraceAlert. If you are not subscribed to GraceAlert text messages, you may sign up through the portal at this link.
Commuters…
- Because commuters may be traveling various distances and from various locations, we advise you to check the conditions where you live and use discernment before traveling to campus. Please exercise caution in travel, especially if traveling from outside Warsaw/Winona Lake. If you feel it is unsafe to attend class, please email your professor(s) directly and plan to join the class remotely through the Moodle Zoom link. Note: this is not an option for students living on campus. If classes are meeting, you are expected to participate in-person.
- If you are a commuter with a Tuesday COVID test (especially Tuesday morning) it would be wise to reschedule your appointment now for later in the week.

Thank you for reading these important announcements. Stay warm, safe, and healthy, Lancers!

Aaron

Students,

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and administration of Grace, I hope this finds you well and starting to anticipate your return to campus in just over a week! This email contains important reminders about the semester ahead as well as some clarifications and announcements about the start of the semester.

Note that all of the important communications related to Grace’s response to COVID are archived here if you need to review them.

Calendar: As communicated in December, our Spring calendar was adjusted to delay the start of the semester. Under this revised calendar, classes will begin Monday, January 25. Unlike the Fall semester when we condensed the semester by one week and had no breaks, holidays, or special dates (like Day of Worship), the Spring semester includes a mini-spring break, Good Friday, Advising Day, and Day of Worship/Communitas. While we will continue to discourage travel, especially to areas where COVID cases are high, we hope these mini-breaks will provide some rest in the midst of your classes and coursework

Re-Entry Test: COVID cases and hospitalizations remain high across the country, including our state and county, therefore all students living on campus or taking in-person classes are required to upload COVID test documentation (digital file, screenshot, or photo) to THIS LINK prior to returning to campus. Please note that you will need to log into the portal before you can fill out the form. You have two options for completing this requirement:

Upload proof of a negative COVID test result that is dated 5-7 days prior to your return.
Upload proof of a positive COVID test result within the last 90 days.

Those who do not upload their results in advance of their arrival will not be able to enter their residence hall or scan for meals. In those cases, your RA or RD will immediately direct you to the campus nurse who will assist you in obtaining a test locally, at your own cost. Until re-entry test results show safe return to campus is possible, quarantine or isolation off-campus, at your own expense, will be required. Questions about this policy can be directed to the appropriate email address below.

ResHall Move-in: Our ResLife Team is excited to welcome you home after a two-month winter break! Please return to campus between 1:00 and 4:00 pm on your assigned date:

Students with last names beginning with M – Z return on Saturday, January 23
Students with last names A – L return on Sunday, January 24.

Part of our safety protocol is to limit off-campus visitors, therefore, please have no more than two adults assist you during move-in. There will be no central check-in process. Hall staff will verify that those moving in match the list of those who completed the re-entry COVID test. Anyone changing residence halls may pick up their new key at the Student Affairs Office (Indiana Hall, first floor) between 1:00 and 4:00 pm on their respective assigned move-in day.

Counseling: The Counseling Center resumed virtual counseling services on January 11. Face-to-face counseling options will start the week of January 25, 2021. If you are interested in meeting with a counselor during the forthcoming semester, the first step is to complete the counseling pre-registration form. If you have any questions, please contact them at counselingcenter@grace.edu.

Employment Opportunities: There are a number of student employment opportunities open on campus this Spring, including student workers assisting with registering students in the COVID testing center.

Weekly Testing: As communicated last week, Grace will be requiring all students to be tested weekly throughout the Spring semester. Federal health officials have demonstrated that this approach will result in fewer cases, fewer quarantines, and fewer class absences.

Specific instructions about the testing process (sign-ups, accountability measures, and reporting results) will be sent out next week; however, we’ve received some initial questions for which we would like to provide some clarification:

At this point, those who have received an antibody test or the vaccine are not exempt from weekly testing. The vaccine takes some time to reach full effectiveness, and therefore continued diligence remains necessary.
The tests we are using are rapid, antigen tests. They are self-administered:you will collect the sample using a nasal swab that is inserted less than an inch into your nose. These are different than the PCR nasal swabs that are inserted deep into the nasal cavity.
Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days are exempt from both the re-entry test and weekly testing until the 90 days have passed; however, in oder to be exempt, you must submit proof of your positive test result to the health center at the link,
Weekly testing will be supervised by Grace staff. It will be conducted in the GHAWC at no cost to the student. We anticipate testing to take less than 10 minutes of your time each week.

Other COVID-related information: As you prepare for the semester ahead please keep the following considerations in mind:

To minimize the spread of COVID on and off Grace campus, students are discouraged from leaving campus – both on a daily basis and overnights/weekends. We understand the necessities of groceries, hygiene items, internships, jobs etc., but students should limit their departures from campus as much as possible.
In order to ensure the safety of the campus community, for time being, following move-in day, no guests outside of Grace community and official campus visitors (through admissions) are permitted to visit the campus.
Residential students are encouraged to think through their “quarantine plan.” If you test positive or are contract-traced, will you quarantine at home or in designated rooms at Grace? Last semester, we found that students who weren’t prepared for the possibility of quarantine took much longer to decide what to do and prepare for the temporary move.
Most of the campus protocols from the Fall semester are still in place for the fall. These guidelines will continue to be listed in the COVID section of the Student Handbook and the FAQs on the website.

Any Questions? We understand that there are several new processes and many of you are navigating unique situations. Depending on the nature of your question, please direct them to the appropriate email address:

Questions about housing or Spring New Student Orientation: housing@grace.edu
Questions about Grace’s testing strategy or other COVID policies: crabtrat@grace.edu or katipwj@grace.edu
Questions about your personal health or re-entry test situation: healthcenter.covid@grace.edu
Questions about your courses or remote learning: jacobskr@grace.edu

Thank you for your attention to all of this information and for helping to keep Grace College healthy! I am excited to continue our JOURNEY through the 2020-2021 school year!

Together,

Aaron

AARON T. CRABTREE

Associate VP & Dean | Student Affairs

E: crabtrat@grace.edu | W: 574.372.5100 ext. 6464.

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

Grace Students and Parents,

Happy New Year, Lancers! As promised in my December 18 email about the change to the Spring semester start date, this email is to clarify details about our COVID-testing strategy for this semester. We believe that a testing strategy will help us reduce the number of cases and increase the potential of more in-person activities and events.

In that previous email, I announced “we will also be relying more on testing to control the spread of COVID and keep our campus safe.” There are two aspects of our testing strategy:

a “re-entry” test prior to coming back to campus for class or housing
regular (weekly) surveillance testing of all students throughout the spring semester.

Both processes are described below. Note that some of the details are still coming together.

RE-ENTRY TEST REQUIREMENT

As we first communicated in November, all new and returning students must:

Get a COVID test (on your own) within 5-7 days of the day you return to campus, and
Upload the results of a negative test before returning to campus to this link. Note that you will need to log into the portal before you can fill out the form.

It is very important for the safe opening of the campus that every student is tested and uploads a negative result. You can visit your state or local health department’s website to look for the latest local information on testing. Both PCR and Antigen tests are acceptable for re-entry testing.

If your result is positive, you must contact Laura Green, our campus nurse (574-372-5100 ext. 6472 or healthcenter.covid@grace.edu), and remain home until cleared to return.

A vaccine does not exempt you from re-entry testing. The only exception to re-entry testing is proof of a positive test result in the 90-days prior to your return.

Note the following guidelines for those not complying with this requirement:

Students may not attend classes or chapel until proof of a negative test result or proof of positive in the last 90-days. Unexcused absence policies may apply.
Students will be unable to access their residence hall or meal plan until a negative test result or proof of positive in the last 90-days is uploaded. There will be no meal refunds.
Students must pay for testing upon arrival if they return to campus without having uploaded a negative test result or proof of positive in the last 90-days. Testing positive at re-entry will require isolation at your own expense off-campus and you will receive no room and board refund.

WEEKLY SURVEILLANCE TESTING

All students taking any in-person classes on the Winona Lake campus, both undergraduate and graduate, are required to be tested weekly beginning the week of January 25 (week 1 of the Spring A session). Here are some preliminary instructions. More information will be sent closer to the opening of campus regarding specific testing hours, process, and consequences for missed appointments.

Weekly surveillance tests on campus will be conducted at no cost to students and families.
A testing site will be established in the GHAWC. We are using a rapid, antigen test that is a non-invasive, self-administered (but professionally monitored) nose swab.
Students will have the ability to sign up for times each week that work within their schedules. Most varsity athletic teams will be tested at the same time.
Testing will be quick – we estimate the check-in and test to take less than 10 minutes – and students will not have to wait for results. Those testing positive for COVID-19 will be notified within 1 hour.
Students who feel their positive test result was inaccurate will have the option to be retested with a second rapid test and a PCR test (higher sensitivity) but will need to quarantine while awaiting that test result. A free, drive-through testing site is available at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, which may take 5 or more days for results. Other area locations may also provide PCR testing, but fees and insurance may apply.
Those who do not comply with weekly testing will first be fined; students with repeated noncompliance risk losing the privilege of being on campus.

RATIONALE FOR A TESTING STRATEGY

As most of you are aware, this pandemic has required constant adaptability as we learn the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID and treat those who are infected or in direct contact with those infected. It was a challenging semester with approximately 10% of our students contacting COVID-19 and over 50% of our students spending time in isolation or quarantine due to direct contact tracing. Tragically, as you know, one of our own students died from COVID complications. We have been continuously evaluating our procedures, learning from other campuses, and preparing and praying for this upcoming spring semester. Knowing that most of our campus community won’t be eligible for the vaccine until this summer, much of the conversation has been about doing more testing for COVID to keep our campus safe this spring.

This strategy developed following direct recommendations from Dr. Deborah Birx, Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the National Coronavirus Task Force. In a December call with a number of Christian colleges across the country, Dr. Birx gave a sobering presentation of the current status of the pandemic and projected that the current surge in cases and hospitalizations will last at least a month following Christmas. Dr. Birx strongly recommended colleges delay the start of their spring semesters and pursue a program of routine testing of all students. Schools that took this approach (weekly surveillance testing) in the fall experienced, on average, a 1% infection rate and significantly fewer quarantines than schools that only tested symptomatic people and experienced, on average, a 10% infection rate.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our campus safe and surrounding community safe. We continue to believe that a layered public health strategy – masks, social distancing, de-densifying classrooms, frequent handwashing, daily symptom self-monitoring, surveillance testing, contact tracing, quarantine/isolation, and limited group events – is a responsible approach to slowing and stopping the spread of this virus, to maintaining a healthy living and learning environment, and maintaining healthy operations. We believe that our combined efforts have the potential of moving us back toward a more traditional campus experience and restoring the reasons that drew many of you to Grace in the first place.

What Do You Need To Do?

If you have any questions about these policies or procedures contact Aaron Crabtree or me.
Check your email regularly for updates before you return to campus.
If you have questions about your test results or where to seek testing, contact the Health Center Nurse at (574-372-5100 ext. 6472 or covid@grace.edu).
Get tested 5-7 days before you return to campus and upload your test results.

We look forward to a great spring semester of living and learning together in Christ-centered community, striving for character, competence, and service!

In His service,

Bill Katip

President

HEERF Reporting PDF

Grace Students:

As you are likely aware, recent weeks have brought on a significant outbreak of COVID cases and a large number of hospitalizations in our state and county. At Grace, the number of cases peaked in mid-October; at that time, we made adjustments that successfully slowed the spread, but we have experienced a new rise in cases this week.

This week, Governor Holcombe, in response to a statewide surge, announced some additional steps for “red” and “orange” counties, including Kosciusko County, beginning this weekend and lasting for the next month.

Like the state, Grace needs to respond to this recent outbreak, so we are making the following adjustments to the final week of the session beginning Saturday, November 14th.

We are canceling all in-person campus events and activities starting Saturday, November 14. This includes Saturday’s Christmas Dodgeball and men’s basketball game.
SAB will be hosting virtual bingo, Saturday night at 8 pm. Join us for fun Christmas-filled Bingo with prizes and a raffle! Use this link to join the google meet. Please fill out this Google form if you are interested in participating!
Next week, students may still enjoy a grab-n-go study break on Monday and attend the “ThanksMas Dinner” in Alpha Dining on Tuesday (assigned times by res hall, takeout encouraged).
We ask that you restrict your time off-campus to essential activities only such as work, groceries, or to seek medical care.
If you have not been sick with or tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days, we strongly recommend that you get tested before you leave campus to go home (click here for local testing sites). Using the free Bowen Center testing site in Warsaw will require a 4-5 day turnaround time for your results, so you will need to take into consideration your departure date.

Our primary goals for the next week are to enable you to finish your current classes and then send you home as healthy as possible. Note that as you leave Grace for home, you may be entering an area with even more cases than we are experiencing here, so please consider being tested.

Of course, we must all continue to be diligent about wearing masks, washing hands, distancing, and checking and reporting our symptoms during this final week. Thank you for your attention and compliance with our Campus Commitment this semester.

Together,

Aaron

Grace students,

As we continue to process the unexpected and painful passing of Bethany Nesbitt, I wanted to make you aware of some opportunities and options for care and support. Right now, our two central concerns are working with Bethany’s family to honor their daughter and caring for our students.
This Thursday during the chapel hour, we will be holding a memorial service for Bethany. This will be a time of remembering and celebrating her, thanking God for Bethany’s twenty years of life on earth. This service will be live-streamed on YouTube so the entire Grace family can participate along with the Nesbitt family and friends. We will have additional seating on the floor to safely accommodate more attendees than our usual chapel set up. We won’t take attendance, but hope you will honor Bethany and her family by participating in person or online.Students, we want you to know that we are here for you and that we want to care for you. We all process grief and pain in different ways and at different times, so, support may take different forms. Here are a few ideas and options:

If you would like to process with someone, there are many at Grace who would count it a privilege to talk with you. Perhaps Bethany’s passing has resurfaced another loss in your life, or maybe you just need someone to listen. Anyone from Student Affairs or the faculty would be happy to set up a time to meet, in person or virtually – email them directly. If you would like to process with someone but don’t have anyone particular in mind, let me know.
If you’d like to meet with a counselor – either for a one-time processing session or to meet regularly – email counselingcenter@grace.edu to set up an appointment.
If you and your family feel you’d like to explore the possibility of finishing your classes remotely this session, please email Katie Jacobson, in Academic Affairs, who can guide you through that process.
If you don’t know what you need – that’s okay. There is a lot going on, grief is complicated, and death is unnatural. What may be most helpful is to make space and take time to feel those feelings – take a walk, check-in with a friend or mentor, or spend time in prayer or silence.

As you grieve, stay mindful that you are not alone; scripture promises that God’s Spirit is with you (Psalm 34:17-18, Isaiah 41:10, Romans 8:38-39). Further, God has brought us as a community together to experience his love and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-7, John 13:34-35, Galatians 6:10). So, over these last few weeks of the session and into our long holiday break, take care of one another, reach out when you need help, and remember God’s goodness, his nearness, and his peace.

Together,

Aaron

Dear Grace Family,

As we continue to mourn the tragic loss of Grace student Bethany Nesbitt, I want to provide you – our students, faculty, staff and parents – more information. As Bethany’s family has stated publicly, Bethany was being treated as presumptive positive for COVID-19.

Grace College has detailed protocol and procedures in place to care for students, to prevent the spread of COVID on campus, and to treat anyone on campus with COVID symptoms. These procedures were followed in the care of Bethany.

As we await the results of her autopsy, please continue to pray for Bethany’s family and loved ones. I have been in regular contact with the family and the loss they are experiencing is unfathomable. We continue to hear stories of Bethany’s joyful spirit, love for the Lord and others, and positive impact on campus.

One-on-one counseling is available to all students, faculty and staff both in-person or online. Please do not hesitate to contact the Grace College Health and Counseling Center if this would be helpful to you. Email counselingcenter@grace.edu to schedule an appointment.

The health, safety, and well-being of Grace students, faculty and staff is our top priority. If you have any questions about our procedures specific to COVID-19 or otherwise, please contact me directly.

Finally, an on-campus Memorial Service is planned for this Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10:30 a.m. and will be streamed live. Further details will follow.

Thank you for the support and prayer you have been offering for Bethany’s family and friends.

In His Service,

Bill Katip

President

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

Dear Grace Family,

It has been approximately two weeks since we implemented some additional restrictions on campus as a result of increased cases of COVID-19 and the need to quarantine and isolate many members of our campus community. The health, safety, and well-being of our students, employees, and broader community is of utmost importance, and these steps were necessary to slow the spread of the virus on campus.

We are very pleased to see some positive results of these measures. The number of confirmed cases has declined over the past four days and the number in isolation has been decreasing – very positive signs that some of the restrictions were both necessary and helpful. Unfortunately, the number in quarantine has been increasing.

Although there are some good indications we made the right decision to suspend some campus activities a couple weeks ago, we are not out of the woods yet as our county rates continue to climb.

Most troubling is an all time high of 472 active cases in the community, including 200 cases in the last five days. With increased cases come increased hospitalizations and deaths.

I tell you these things not to cause fear, worry, or anxiety, but as a reminder to stay diligent and committed to caring for yourself, your friends, and our community. Please continue your safe health practices on campus and off – this is not time to let up on all our efforts to remain open and together through November.

We are not planning toward a campus shut-down, but do have plans in place if our campus public health situation worsens and we need to make a change. We fervently pray that remote teaching and learning will not be necessary. We want to finish as strong and healthy as possible as you plan to go home for the holidays.

Thank you for the part you play in caring for our campus community and for your ongoing willingness to be gracious and flexible even in undesirable circumstances.

In His service,

Bill Katip

President

Grace College,

Thank you for letting me share another campus update related to COVID-19 on behalf of the leadership at Grace College.

As you know, this week we temporarily paused all athletic activity and allowed students to self-quarantine if desired for personal health and safety reasons. Throughout the week, we continued to see a rise in cases – both students and employees. We currently have 38 active cases (students and employees). We are hopeful our combined efforts have had some effect in slowing this outbreak, but it is too early to say for certain.

This weekend, we are slowly resuming some athletic activity and holding some social-distanced campus events (see the Weekend Update for details). As a precaution, we will not have open hours this weekend in the residence halls and we will not resume intramurals for another week. Staff and faculty will continue to enforce our guidelines and we are investigating incidents that may have contributed to our recent outbreak. We continue to urge every member of the Grace family to abide by our Campus Commitment, practice healthy guidelines, avoid unnecessary travel away from campus, and daily self-assess for symptoms. Beyond the basic guidelines (mask, distancing, hand-hygiene) we remind you to:

Wear a face covering when riding in a vehicle or walking closely with others.
Be attentive to distancing or wearing a mask during outdoor activities (like disc golf).
In the dining hall, put on your mask when you are done eating.

If you think you may be experiencing COVID-symptoms, contact the health center (M-F, 9 am-3 pm), HR (for employees), or RD on-call (after 3 pm and on weekends).

In light of the seriousness of this pandemic and the number of questions we have been hearing, we wanted to provide more clarity about our planning as we continue to navigate this situation.

First, let us explain what we are NOT planning or anticipating. We are not moving toward a campus shut-down – as we experienced in March. We now know much more about this virus than we did in the spring and we are much better prepared to protect ourselves and others (PPE, plexiglass, distanced classrooms, quarantine protocols, policies, etc.) Your flexibility, cooperation, and diligence in our safety practices will go a long way in helping us remain open. Our county health officials have also not recommended a campus shut-down.

Second, let us share some of our plans and thoughts about how Grace would operate IF cases continue to rise. If the measures we took this week do not sufficiently slow the spread of COVID-19, it might be necessary to move to a temporary “remote-learning and minimal group gatherings” status for 7-14 days. In this scenario, the campus would remain open, but most classes would meet remotely and synchronously (during the current class times), chapels would be virtual, campus activities/meetings would be remote, campus dining would be take-out only, spectators would not be permitted at athletic events, and students would be encouraged to stay in or near their residence halls as much as possible. This would be similar to the strategy other schools (such as Notre Dame and Butler) have used this fall to slow outbreaks on their campuses. Again, IF we were to move to this status, we believe it would be a temporary measure for only 1-2 weeks.

Third, we want to acknowledge the difficulty of living in the midst of such uncertainty. These are difficult times and we are all tired of this pandemic (Can you upperclassmen and employees believe it was seven months ago that we closed the campus!?!) For some, hearing that we are not planning to shut down again will bring some sense of relief. Others may feel significant anxiety as you think about attending your classes remotely for a couple of weeks. All these responses are understandable. So while your response to living in these COVID times is uniquely experienced, here are some ideas that can be helpful to navigating the various thoughts and feelings experienced in a given day:

Validate your feelings: Before you can figure out what to do with your emotions, it’s important to accept that they exist. When things are upside down around us, we are impacted and that is okay. Let others know how you’re really doing and seek support if those feelings worsen to the point that you aren’t functioning.
Make and keep a routine: While a routine does not eradicate distress, it can provide stability when other aspects of life are changing. Don’t forget to take care of your body by taking in the nutrition your body needs, practice good sleep hygiene, and remember that moving your body is a way to help yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Don’t do this alone: Research indicates that one of the most challenging aspects of the pandemic is the amount of seclusion and/or loneliness that people are experiencing. The truth is, carrying so much, even when around others, can lead to many of us feeling very alone. Whether you need 1 person close by or 20, reach out to others and let others reach out to you. Speak what you need. Connect and be connected to. Ask. While these things certainly apply to your relationship with other people, don’t forget the same applies to your relationship with God.
Take a break… and then return: Pay attention to your body and practice good self-care by stepping away from the to-do list, your desk, or the endless stream of ever-changing news in order to breathe and/or decompress and/or rejuvenate. And then return to the many urgent things knowing that you can take a break when you need to again.
Know your resources: Students have 24/7 access to the RD-on-Call (574.635.5737), can seek counseling services; and can access suggested resources.

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates and for continuing to do your part to keep yourself and others healthy and safe.

Together,

Aaron Crabtree

P.S. Remember, you can view our current number of cases (updated throughout the week) and revised spring semester at this link.

Grace Family,

On behalf of the cabinet and health center, I wanted to update you again about the current COVID-19 outbreak at Grace. The number of positive cases has continued to increase since Friday. We currently have 29 active cases among students and employees. All persons who have tested positive are recovering at home or in other isolation locations. Many others who were contacts of those testing positive are quarantining at home or in quarantine locations. We are thankful that most who have tested positive are showing only mild symptoms.

A significant majority of our cases have been connected to athletic teams. This is not surprising to us since student-athletes have their symptoms checked daily and are in close proximity to each other during practice and games. The few cases not related to athletics do not appear to be connected to a single event or location. In light of the current situation, the following decisions were recently enacted:

On Sunday evening, all Lancer athletic activities were put on hold – meaning no games, practices, training, team meetings, or conditioning -for this week (at least until Saturday, October 17).
Intramurals (specifically, hall volleyball and the football skills event) were canceled this week.
The fieldhouse in the GHAWC will not be open for group activities (basketball, volleyball, etc.)
In residence halls, Growth Groups will be virtual this week and open hours this Friday and Saturday are canceled.

Several students have inquired about “self-quarantine” options. It is important to note that, to date, we have seen zero positive cases that trace back to a classroom or chapel. However, if you feel you have been in contact with a positive case or feel unsafe being around others, self-quarantine for the rest of this week is an option. If you choose to self-quarantine, please pay attention to the following guidelines:

Self-quarantining would be done in your current campus room or apartment or at home. An alternative quarantine location will not be provided.
Grace views this as an informal quarantine.
- The health center and disability services office will not be able to manage your situation. You are personally responsible to communicate with your faculty, employers, and others regarding any commitments you have. It is also expected that you will attempt to connect synchronously with your courses whenever possible.
- It is your responsibility to arrange for food – ideally takeout or to-go options from Sodexo.
- No refunds will be issued for room or board.
If you are self-quarantining and attending your classes remotely for the rest of the week, it is expected that you will remain in your room or at home at all times and not attend campus events or go off campus for activities.
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, contact the health center (M-F, 9am-3pm), HR (for employees), or RD on call (after 3pm and on weekends), per our Campus Commitment.
This arrangement is intended to be temporary – at this point for the remainder of the week. If you have a health-related reason to quarantine beyond this week, please contact the health center.

It is our hope that the current surge in cases can be addressed through intentional and limited restrictions. These decisions were made in consultation with our local health department and, at this point, we are not anticipating a campus-wide shutdown. We believe there are several interim steps we can take before needing to do something that drastic. That said, it is more important than ever to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands, and self-assess your own health.

Thank you for doing your part to slow this outbreak and ensure that we finish this semester together!

Aaron Crabtree

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

Grace Family,

We wanted to make you aware – if you are not already – that there has been a recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus, as well as in our community, county, and state.

Data for our county and state, as well as statistical comparisons with neighboring counties and states, are regularly updated by Grace professor Ryan Johnson here. A weekly report of cases (total and current) among Grace students and employees is available here. We anticipate at least ten new cases being added to that report next Monday. All known cases are either off-campus or in isolation.

We believe our Campus Commitment and current guidelines remain the best approach to minimizing infections and continuing on-campus and in-person. We are imploring everyone in the Grace community to be even more diligent to follow guidelines, monitor your own health, wear masks, and socially distance.

Students: Please continue to monitor your health and report any symptoms to the campus nurse or RD on call. For any student gatherings or events we must strictly follow our campus guidelines. Specifically, this weekend, be attentive to the following if you attend events:

Movie on the Lawn: Hocus Pocus, Friday @ 8pm As always students should plan to wear a mask at this event until they have sat down at a flag that is separating them 6ft from those around them.

Back in Five: Friday (technically Saturday morning) @ Midnight in Winona Heritage Room Masks must be worn and students must sit in seats six ft apart.

Open Mic Night, Indiana Hall Tent, Saturday @ 9:30pm Students will need to wear a mask when sitting at the tables with plexiglass unless they are separated by 6ft. Other chairs will be separated by 6ft. Students are encouraging to bring a blank or chair to place outside of the tent if desired for extra space.

Employees: Please continue to enforce COVID guidelines within your sphere of influence while also monitoring your own health. Report any symptoms or exposure by emailing covid.hr@grace.edu. Additional information is available on the portal, specifically following the policy linked here.

Our goal is to be transparent about this ongoing situation while trusting everyone to do their part to help mitigate the current spread of Covid-19. We must slow this spread on campus. If the number of cases continues to rise we will need to enact more safety restrictions and minimize non-essential campus gatherings.

Please consider not only what is best for you but what is best for our entire campus community. We have faith we can see these numbers move in the right direction. We can and must do this together.

Aaron Crabtree

Dear Students,

As Dr. Katip mentioned in chapel this morning, we are sending this email to explain revised conduct and sanctioning procedures for non-compliance with the Grace Campus Commitment guidelines.

First of all, THANK YOU to those of you who continue to be vigilant in honoring the campus commitment you signed. We have noticed your integrity and care for others. We also thank those who have reported their symptoms to the health center, those who contact trace willingly, and those who have quarantined for the health of our campus community.

We have also noticed those who have not been abiding by your agreement to the campus commitment. We have seen students comply when they are asked by an RA or a professor to wear a mask or social distance, only to return to their previous state as soon as they are no longer in sight. Others are wearing masks incorrectly or only when on campus. These choices are putting our campus at risk.

We urge you to vigilantly adhere to the guidelines set in place for our campus community. We call on each of you to take ownership of this opportunity to be together on campus. As we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, let’s embrace our shared values of love for others, relational accountability, and integrity to our commitments.

The leadership of Grace desperately desires to provide a healthy environment where we can all continue to live and learn together on campus. To that end, we are committing to increased enforcement of these important guidelines. Thus far, our method of enforcement has mainly been in the form of verbal reminders — reminding you to wear a mask when you’re walking across campus and reminding you to remain 6 feet apart when indoors or sitting outside. However, we have concluded that these verbal reminders are not effective enough to keep our campus safe, nor are they compelling many of you to take personal ownership of full compliance.

Therefore, effective immediately, Grace College is implementing a formal sanctioning process for cases involving non-compliance and disregard for our campus COVID-19 policies. The full policy is attached and has been added to the 2020-2021 Student Handbook. In brief, this policy gives three levels of response to those not following the guidelines: a notice, a meeting, and a hearing. In instances of egregious violations, an immediate, interim suspension may be warranted.

This policy is not formed out of a desire to control students or blame you for the pandemic. Nor does it represent a departure from our values of relationship and connection. And it certainly is not an attempt to turn leaders into a police force. However, with this new policy, we are boldly asking every student to endure inconvenience for the sake of something greater.

It is our sincere hope that these added measures will enable us to remain in-person for the rest of the semester. Thank you for doing your part on this journey.

Together,

Aaron Crabtree

Emily Brenneman

This morning in chapel, Dr. Katip briefly addressed our student body with an announcement about our ongoing efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on campus. For those interested, his announcement begins around the 19:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3WVnk5Bkpk

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

Students,

I hope this email finds you well. As you prepare for your fall semester at Grace College, we are also preparing for a ‘new normal’ here on campus. This email will help you understand this ‘new normal’ and prepare you for the differences to expect when you return. In the face of many changes, take comfort in knowing that some things at Grace — our mission and Christ-centered community — just don’t change.

Please take the time to read through these questions and answers carefully. If we walk through these changes TOGETHER, the JOURNEY forward will be worth it!

How did Grace come to create this ‘new normal’?

First, did you know that Grace’s plans to open our campus for in-person classes and residential living and learning puts us among the minority of colleges in the U.S.? According to data from Davidson College and the Chronicle of Higher education, only 35% of colleges have announced plans to be entirely or primarily in-person this fall.

Second, while we execute a responsible reopening of campus, we are aware of the risks of in-person, residential learning. Our Campus Preparation Implementation Team (CPIT) meet twice each week all summer to refine and develop safety protocols and sensible guidelines for operations this fall. Future decisions will continue to be informed by available data, including the Indiana COVID-19 Data Report and Professor Ryan Johnson’s COVID19 Data Visualizations which focus on the regions surrounding Kosciusko County. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with this data also.

Third, we are working closely with local hospital systems, the K-12 school system, the mayor’s office, and the Kosciusko County health officer and communicable disease nurse in order to align our plans with those designated to keep our community safe. We are taking this virus seriously. We will not “go-it-alone” and put our community at risk.

What can I expect when I return to campus?

Expect to see a lot of evidence that we have been preparing for you to return since May. This includes new signage, plexiglass barriers, rearranged classrooms, tents for outdoor gatherings, hand sanitizer dispensers, etc.
Expect to be held responsible for doing your part. You’ll be required to wear a face-covering (currently, by state mandate) in most indoor settings, and encouraged to wear one in your res-hall floor and outdoors. You’ll also be asked to regularly wash your hands, to use hand sanitizer, to reduce unessential travel away from campus, and to physically distance whenever possible.
Expect to engage this moment intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. Your faculty and staff are eager to bring the events of the past six months – especially those related to the pandemic, racial tensions, the economy, and the upcoming election – into class discussions and campus programming. It is a historic time to be learning and growing in college!

For more details about what to expect, visit our frequently asked questions pages.

What can I do now to prepare and contribute to a successful opening of campus?

Prepare yourself for change. College life is going to feel different, and some of those differences are going to be difficult. Acknowledge any disappointment you are feeling and attempt to reframe your thinking by focusing on the bigger picture and keeping a positive perspective. (We are in the midst of a global pandemic, but we get to be at college together!)
Prepare yourself to follow the guidelines successfully; pack a thermometer, cleaning supplies, and hand soap. Ensure that you have properly-fitting face coverings. If you are concerned about wearing a face covering for hours at a time, practice while you are still at home. If you are anxious about wearing a mask in public, practice wearing one in settings where you are comfortable.
Make decisions now to minimize the possibility of bringing COVID-19 to Grace. Avoid large gatherings, practice distancing, wear a face covering, and exercise hand hygiene now. Unlike many colleges, we are not requiring you to quarantine for two weeks before you come, but it is a good idea to exercise extra caution now. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in direct contact with someone who tested positive, please do not come to campus until you’ve spoken with our campus nurse. (Don’t worry, if you need to delay your movie-in and quarantine at home, your faculty will work with you to begin your classes remotely until you are cleared to arrive!)
Finally, check-in at the MOCC on your assigned date and time, unless you’ve made other arrangements with the Office of Student Affairs. At check-in, you will receive a welcome bag, sign the Campus Commitment (copy attached), and receive your room key. We are eagerly awaiting your arrival.

While this ‘new normal’ will continue to change, you can count on the fact that these things won’t change. Our caring professors are still committed to mentorship and excellent academics. Chapel and growth groups will remain central to our Christ-centered community. And more than ever, we are dedicated to launching graduates who lead lives of purpose in a world that needs Christ.

The ways of Grace remain.

Let’s journey through this semester of change together!

Aaron Crabtree, Dean of Students

PS – I’ll be emailing your parents early next week with some similar updates, but please remind them that they will also need to follow Grace’s face covering and distancing guidelines when they are on campus for Welcome Weekend or helping you move in. Thanks.

Grace College Campus Commitment

CDC Back to College Tips

Returning Lancers,

I hope you are doing well here at the midpoint of summer. I recognize that this summer is unusual and many of you are facing new and varied challenges. At Grace we are regularly praying for you and desire to help – if there is anything we can do to provide support during this time, please let us know by emailing studentaffairs@grace.edu. Additionally, the Health and Counseling Center has put together an excellent website of resources relevant for this time.

As we look ahead to the fall semester, we are excited to welcome you back to campus in a safe and organized way. While many details of our reopening are still in process, we are trying to communicate what we can, as soon as we can. The following information may be of interest to you as you make your preparations to return to Grace in August.

Registration and Housing: If you haven’t registered for classes yet please do so as soon as possible. Contact your academic advisor or email registrar@grace.edu if you have any questions. Additionally, if you haven’t secured housing for the fall (or permission to commute if you qualify), please contact housing@grace.edu to ensure you get a placement.

Withdrawing: If your plan to transfer or withdraw from Grace College (i.e. you do not plan to take classes in Fall 2020), please complete the withdrawal form to begin the official withdrawal process.

Returning to Campus: As you anticipate returning to campus, you likely have questions about what the Grace experience will look like in light of the pandemic. We have put together a special Reopening Grace College webpage to address some of these questions and help you prepare. This webpage will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

This year, all students are asked to go through a formal (but brief) “check-in” process upon returning to campus. This process will include a health orientation, welcome pack, and your room key. Check-in/move-in for returning students will be held over two days, August 17-18, 2020, from 1-4 pm in the MOCC. Please plan your arrival to correlate with the designated check-in times.

Students with last names beginning with A-L are invited to come on Monday, August 17.
Students with last names beginning with M-Z are invited to come on Tuesday, August 18.
Some students (fall athletes, student leaders, student teachers, and some nursing students) will return on Friday, August 7 or Tuesday, August 11, as required by their supervisor, faculty, or coach. These students will also check-in at the MOCC and will receive additional information and instructions via email.

We recognize that some students and their families may be unable to move in on the assigned dates and are prepared to approve a limited number of exceptions. If this is the case for you, please request an alternative move-in date here.

As always, please email me or contact the Student Affairs Office (574-372-5100 ext. 6488) with any additional questions or concerns.

Together,

Aaron

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

Dear Grace Community,

After two-and-a-half months of campus closure, we are excited to start the deliberate reopening process. On June 1, the Admissions Office resumed campus visits with proper social distancing protocols in place. In the following weeks, employees in the remaining offices will gradually return to campus as well, leading up to the highly anticipated return of students and welcoming of new students.

We understand that there are trade-offs in order to prioritize safety. A revised fall calendar is one of these trade-offs. To mitigate the risk of student exposure to infectious agents during breaks, we will begin classes one week early on August 19, forgo a fall break, and conclude the semester before students leave for Thanksgiving.

The Revised Fall Schedule:

August 14-18 — Move-in / Orientation (Return Schedule TBA)

August 19 — Fall Semester Courses Begin

November 20 — Fall Semester Courses End

November 21 — Residence Halls Close

*We will hold classes on Labor Day, Day of Worship, and Advising Day.

As a result of the shortened semester, all residential students will be given a one-week credit of their room and board costs.

More information will be shared with you regarding the revised calendar and safety protocol in the coming weeks. We realize, of course, that these adjustments will create inconveniences for many and we will all need to be flexible.

We thank you in advance for your patience, understanding, and grace.

Carrie Yocum

Co-Chair, Campus Preparedness Implementation Team

P.S. While our semester together will be a week shorter, we are whole-heartedly committed to providing the complete Grace experience. We are still committed to providing memorable and meaningful opportunities to engage with friends and faculty and to being the type of community you chose when you picked Grace College. While our methods will adapt, our mission will remain, and your return will be worth it!

Grace Schools – Department of Education – CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Section 18004 Reporting Disclosure

As provided for by the Department of Education (DOE) as a provision of the CARES Act, Grace Schools (Grace) has received funds and distributed those funds directly to students to assist them with emergency financial relief related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. These grants are intended to be used by students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Grace received a total of $1,551,701 from the DOE under this program. The DOE has required institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the total funds received from Section 18004 provisions to go directly to students to provide emergency relief as described above. Grace chose to distribute 100% of these grants directly to students.

Grace signed the Certification and Agreement for the first 50% of these funds provided for under Section 18004(a)(1) on April 11, 2020 and these funds were allocated to Grace from the DOE on April 23, 2020.

On May 5, 2020, Grace sent checks or direct deposits directly to 918 eligible students with notification to each student that a grant was being distributed. Eligible students are those who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The amount of individual grants was based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved off campus with additional funding provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients. The individual additional amount provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. The average total grant to each student was just over $1,800.

To the Grace community,

Over the past several months, we have made hard decisions — including the decision to close campus — in order to keep our students, faculty, staff and community safe. A few weeks ago a Scenario Planning Task Force was commissioned, comprised of faculty and staff from across campus. This group has worked tirelessly to consider all of the effects of COVID-19 on our campus and developed plans to respond responsibly to each scenario. After much prayerful consideration and planning, I am pleased to announce that:

Grace College & Seminary fully intends to reopen this fall.

Faculty and staff from each area of campus — including residence life, academic affairs, food service, athletics and student life — are working on detailed plans to operate safely and effectively upon reopening. We will communicate those details with you in the coming weeks and months. We ask for your continued prayers for wisdom and discernment to guide our work.

As we look forward to reopening campus, we are driven by the unique, dynamic community that defines our campus. Like our mission statement says, we are first and foremost a community — a “Christian community of higher education.” It is in and through this community that we excel academically, grow spiritually and serve selflessly. While we have done our best to maintain community by virtual means this spring, we know that face-to-face instruction, dorm room camaraderie, and dining hall conversations are all essential to who we are and what we achieve.

Therefore, these things will remain central in our planning for the fall semester, because “community” is not just a buzzword for us — it is indeed our way of life and a way of Grace.

We praise God that others appreciate our distinctive community as well. On April 22, Grace supporters demonstrated amazing care through our annual Day of Giving “Bring them Back” campaign. We chose this theme as a rallying cry to bring students back to campus for the 2020-2021 school year. Alumni, community members, faculty, staff, parents, and students locked arms and gave generously to do just that. We were humbled and greatly encouraged to far surpass our $80,000 goal and raise more than $110,000 to assist students and bring them back to campus!

And so, we will continue to plan and prepare to bring students back this fall. As we work to this end, our focus is three-fold:

Prioritize the safety and well-being of our students and community.
Respect and abide by government regulations and guidance.
Further the mission of Grace College as a Christian community of higher education which applies biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service.

Thank you in advance for praying with us. As we seek the Lord together, I believe that He will guide us to develop creative solutions and employ new methods to pave the best path forward for Grace.

In His service together,

Bill Katip

President

How will Grace disperse the CARES Act money it received?

Grace received funds from the federal government as a part of the CARES Act. The first half of the funding we received totaled $775,851 and was to be distributed directly to students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care. The second half of the funding Grace received is considered the “institutional portion” of the CARES Act funding and may be used by the institution for COVID-19 related expenses it has incurred. The institutional portion Grace is receiving totals $775,850. While only required to distribute the first half of the CARES Act funding to students, Grace has decided to pass along the entire amount of the CARES Act funding to its students—both the student portion and the institutional portion— to help address the disruption to our students. More information regarding how Grace is distributing CARES Act funding to individual students is provided in FAQ 3 and 4. This is the most equitable way we know to ensure that we provide additional help for our students, who have the most financial need.

How will Grace help students to cover transitional costs related to COVID-19?

In order to best support students who have been displaced from campus, Grace has sent cash payments (via direct deposit or check) to residential students, as well as commuter students who are Pell or state grant eligible to help with expenses incurred as a result of this displacement. The goal of these funds is to help pay for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and other expenses incurred as a result of this transition away from campus. By sending cash directly to students, rather than just crediting their student accounts, students are able to use these funds immediately for any needed living expenses.

How did Grace determine how much money to send to residential students?

The amounts of individual grants were based on a pro-rata schedule of the date when a student moved out of the dorms, with the average grant per student totaling $1,800. As described below, additional funding was provided to students who are Pell and/or State Grant recipients.

How did Grace determine how much money to send to students who are Pell grant eligible or receive state aid?

In addition to any grant provided to students who were displaced from campus, Grace provided a CARES Act grant via a direct deposit or check to any undergraduate student (Residential or Commuter) who has received a Pell or state grant this semester. The individual amounts provided to Pell eligible students and State Grant recipients was $150 and $100, respectively. If a student is both Pell eligible and a State Grant recipient, he or she received the greater of the two amounts, or $150. This was the most equitable way we knew to ensure that we provided additional help for our students who have the most financial need. This approach was in keeping with the recently published guidance from the U.S. Department of Education emphasizing the advisability of taking into account individual student needs in disbursing these funds.

What will happen to my unused flex dollars?

Grace issued credits to student accounts for their unused flex dollars.
Account credits can remain and be applied to future charges. If there is a credit balance on your account, you can request a distribution.
For graduating seniors, any credit balance on their accounts will be returned to the student.

As a student, if I don’t believe I will be able to return to Grace in fall 2020 because of financial need, what should I do?

Thanks to the generous support of donors, Grace has established a “Bring Them Back” fund to help new and returning students with financial aid for attending Grace. It is our desire to meet the most critical needs of our students during this time and to ensure they can continue and finish their education at Grace College. In order for Grace to best distribute these funds, returning students should complete this simple Financial Hardship Application and new students should contact their admissions counselor.

Dear Campus Community,

Yesterday was our first day of remote instruction and learning. I’m so thankful for our faculty who have been working overtime to move classes to virtual environments.

We continue to monitor campus and make any necessary adjustments. We now have fewer than 40 students currently living on campus. Meals are no longer being served in Alpha Dining but offered “carry-out-style” to ensure we abide by foodservice guidelines from our Governor. Some students are getting pretty creative with microwave meals too! Most employees are working remotely and meeting together through Google Meet and Zoom.

Updates continue to be posted to our website and on our social media sites. We are receiving reports daily about various students and families being impacted by COVID-19. As we are notified of individuals who have contracted COVID-19 while potentially in contact with students and employees, either on-campus or at campus-related activities, we are notifying those individuals. We are also advising them to contact their local health department to decide how they should proceed. Please let us know of any such cases so we can continue to be proactive.

We want to continue to be the Christ-centered environment we all love at Grace so we are creating new ways for us all to connect. Online chapels will be starting this week via YouTube, Residence Life is finding virtual ways to connect with residents, and Student Involvement is planning virtual events for students. I hope you will stay engaged and stay in contact with your friends, classmates, and professors. It’s more important than ever that we be “Together.”

I want to encourage you to follow CDC Guidelines as it relates to how each of us can help “flatten the curve.” This is an important way we can love our neighbors. If you or your family are being affected, let us know so we can pray with you and for you. We love you and miss you!

In His Service,

Bill Katip, President

Dear Grace Family,

Three days ago, we were informed that the COVID-19 tests for one of our students were negative. We are praising the Lord after being notified this morning that the COVID-19 test results for the second student were also negative. As of this writing, we are not aware of any confirmed cases of COVID-19 on campus and no tests pending for any students, faculty, or staff. Please continue praying for our college, community, state, nation, and world.

Employees Advised to Work From Home

For the purpose of social distancing and to do our part in “flattening the curve” and mitigating the spread of COVID-19, we are advising campus employees that starting Wednesday, March 18th, if they can work from home, they should. This decision is an additional cautionary step in line with guidance from our state and federal governments. We are currently unaware of any COVID-19 cases amongst our faculty and staff.

Thank you to our amazing faculty and staff who have displayed courage, patience, flexibility, and innovation as we together face these unprecedented circumstances. Please continue praying for our college, community, state, nation, and world.

In His Service,

Bill Katip, President

Dear Grace Family,

As previously indicated, two Grace students have been tested for COVID-19. We received notice today from the Kosciusko County Health Department the test results of one of the students came back negative. We praise the Lord for this outcome!

We have not yet received the results of the second student’s test. We do know the second student does not live on campus and has not been to campus in over two weeks. Please be praying for this student and their family as they await results.

In His Service,

Bill Katip, President

Dear Campus Community:

Please know that we take your welfare and safety very seriously. As we’ve communicated previously, we have been monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on our campus and in our community. Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a global pandemic. Additionally, we have had two students who have been tested for COVID-19, though neither of those cases, or any others, have been confirmed on campus.

After having multiple conversations with state officials, local health authorities, community leaders, and other college presidents; hearing concerns from parents and students; and an extended meeting with our Board of Trustees this evening, we have reluctantly come to the decision to cancel on-campus classes and to temporarily close the residence halls for the next four weeks.

We are not trying to act out of a spirit of fear, but to act responsibly and out of love and compassion for those around us. We know this will be difficult for each of you in a variety of ways and we lament with you that this semester at Grace will not go as planned or desired; however, this didn’t surprise our Lord: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8). By being proactive—taking a thoughtful, faithful approach—we have an opportunity to care well for people even when we aren’t together.

You will have questions, but below is some initial guidance for implementation of these decisions. The situation is very fluid and more communication will be forthcoming.

In His service,

Bill Katip, President

Grace College’s highest priority is safeguarding the health and wellness of its students, faculty, and staff. Thus, we are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and are committed to keeping the community informed as developments warrant.

As we continue to assess the situation and its impact, we are implementing preventive measures related to student gatherings to safeguard your health and wellness.

As we work on a revised group gathering protocol, we have decided that chapel gatherings this week are canceled.

Our campus response team and cabinet will continue to meet throughout the week to assess this unfolding situation.

Classes are not canceled at this time.

This decision is made out of an abundance of caution. There are NO known cases of coronavirus at Grace College or in Kosciusko County, to our knowledge.

Aaron Crabtree

Dear Campus Community,

Please know that we take your welfare and safety very seriously. We are monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) closely and will continue to send timely updates to campus.

We would urge you to continue to be vigilant in following the guidelines we’ve sent out previously:

If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms, please stay home until you have been fever-free without medications for 24 hours or have seen a health care provider. If you will be returning after classes start due to illness, please notify the health center (nurse@grace.edu), your Spring B professors, and your resident director (if a residential student).
If you have traveled to areas with COVID-19 outbreaks monitor your health closely for the next 14 days.
Bring your own thermometer so you can monitor your temperature if you become ill.
Purchase hand sanitizer that you can carry with you when hand washing is not an option.
Purchase antiseptic wipes that you could use to wipe down surfaces such as door handles and desks.
Try to avoid touching your face unless you have just washed your hands.
Practice good hand washing frequently.

Please be praying for those affected and for the Lord’s protection for our students, campus, and community.

Bill Katip

President

Dear Grace Faculty, Staff, and Board Members,

Just a few days ago, the Indiana State Department of Health announced that Indiana had its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Marion County resident. Since that time, there are reports of two cases in Hendricks County and one in Noble County.

There is no emergency on the Grace campus. To date, no case of COVID-19 has been reported among Grace students, faculty, staff or the local community. Should a case be positively identified, appropriate communications as guided by the Indiana Department of Health will occur.

I want to assure you that Grace has been monitoring this situation for several weeks, a process that eventually led to the cancellation of four Go Encounters spring break trips. The escalation of this situation and deep concern for our campus, however, may mean making additional difficult decisions in the future.

The health, safety, and well-being of students and employees is our top priority. We are actively engaged in preparing for the eventuality of more regional and local reports.

We remain in regular contact with the local and state health departments and have been monitoring the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with careful attention to how the COVID-16 virus may impact our campus. In addition, we regularly review guidance from national organizations such as the NAIA and from other federal agencies like the Department of Education.

A group has been convened to coordinate the campus communication and response, assess the situation, and develop plans for possible scenarios in order to prepare for situations that may disrupt campus operations such as those related to classroom instruction, employee and student travel, athletics, and special events. This group is comprised of representatives from across campus including Laurie Owen (academics), Mark Pohl (admissions), Chad Briscoe (athletics), Paul Blair (business and operations), Norm Bakhit (human resources), Randy Kleinhans (facilities), James Bloemendaal (food service), Laura Green (campus health and health department), Amanda Banks (public relations), Olivia Kmieciak (special events), Aaron Crabtree (student and residence life), Debora Wilhite (travel), Connie Burkholder (disabilities services), Deb Musser (health and counseling center), and Lindsey Richter (Global Institute). Carrie Yocum (Chief of Staff) will serve as the point person.

Although this situation is rapidly evolving, at this time our campus operations, including classes, events, and student activities, will continue as normal. We will vigilantly monitor this situation and respond and update you as promptly and clearly as possible.

If you have recently traveled to a high- or medium-risk area (or see Travel Notices), or plan to, we ask that you voluntarily notify the campus nurse.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Carrie Yocum at yocumca@grace.edu or x6491.

Please pray for wisdom and good judgment by all those involved in decision making. I also ask that you be flexible and understanding if a member of our community needs to take time away. Thank you for helping us create a campus community that is safe, inclusive, and compassionate for everyone, and where all are treated with respect and dignity by speaking out against misinformation and negative statements that might be hurtful to groups of people.

Bill Katip, President

Grace College Parents,

We hope this email finds you well, and that many of you have had the opportunity to see and enjoy time with your student during spring break. As students are returning to campus this week, we wanted to update you on our efforts to promote health and safety and prevent infectious disease on campus in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Grace College Administration and our Health Center Nurse have been actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Indiana has now confirmed six cases of COVID-19. The patients are currently in isolation and others they may have had contact with are undergoing testing. Although we are aware of some students who are currently sick, we are monitoring these closely and currently have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Grace campus. If there is any change, we will alert the campus and students immediately and take the appropriate action as recommended by our local health department and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

As many of our students traveled to various locations during Spring Break, we are asking students to follow the following guidelines as they return for the spring B session. These were communicated directly to students in an email yesterday:

If experiencing a fever or flu-like symptoms, please stay home until you have been fever-free without medications for 24 hours or have seen a health care provider. If you will be returning after classes start due to illness, please notify the health center (nurse@grace.edu), your Spring B professors, and your resident director (if a residential student).
If you have traveled to areas with COVID-19 outbreaks monitor your health closely for the next 14 days.
Bring your own thermometer so you can monitor your temperature if you become ill.
Purchase hand sanitizer that you can carry with you when hand washing is not an option.
Purchase antiseptic wipes that you could use to wipe down surfaces such as door handles and desks.
Try to avoid touching your face unless you have just washed your hands.
Practice good hand washing frequently.

We are encouraging students who are ill to follow the following protocol for seeking care and communicating their condition back to Grace:

If you become ill with cold or flu symptoms after returning to campus, please call the Health Center (574.372.5100 ext 6472) in advance so the nurse can direct you how to proceed. Health Center hours are Monday – Friday between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm.
If you become ill over the weekend, or evening, please call urgent care (574.372.7637) to arrange for medical care and possible testing for influenza.
If you do contact or visit urgent care please also call/email the health center to inform the nurse of any diagnoses the following day. We are asking you to take these precautionary steps to safeguard your health and the health of the Grace College community.

The Grace College Administration and Health Center Nurse are preparing to respond as necessary to ensure the health and safety of the Grace community in accordance with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health officials. We have a response team on campus that is talking through responses to possible situations we may face; any decisions or changes affecting students’ health and safety or academics will be communicated promptly. If cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed in the community around us or at Grace College, additional steps may be taken to further safeguard your students’ health and wellbeing, including the cancellation or postponement of public events, or moving classes to an online forum.

For the most up to date information on Covid-19, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or https://www.in.gov/isdh/28470.htm

If you have further questions about how Grace is managing this situation, please feel invited to contact me directly. You can also address questions to Dr. Carrie Yocum, VP Administration and Compliance, who is leading our campus response team.

Thank you.

Aaron Crabtree, Associate VP & Dean of Student Affairs

Grace College Students,

We hope you have been enjoying break and we look forward to seeing you back on campus soon! The Grace College Administration and our Health Center Nurse have been actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation while you have been away. Indiana has now confirmed two cases of COVID-19 in the Indianapolis region, with a third case being investigated. The patients are currently in isolation and others they may have had contact with are undergoing testing. It is believed that these persons contacted COVID-19 on trips outside of Indiana.

As many of you have traveled to various locations during Spring Break we are asking you to consider the following as you return for the spring B session:

If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms, please stay home until you have been fever-free without medications for 24 hours or have seen a health care provider. If you will be returning after classes start due to illness, please notify the health center (nurse@grace.edu), your Spring B professors, and your resident director (if a residential student).
If you have traveled to areas with COVID-19 outbreaks monitor your health closely for the next 14 days.
Bring your own thermometer so you can monitor your temperature if you become ill.
Purchase hand sanitizer that you can carry with you when hand washing is not an option.
Purchase antiseptic wipes that you could use to wipe down surfaces such as door handles and desks.
Try to avoid touching your face unless you have just washed your hands.
Practice good hand washing frequently.

If you become ill with cold or flu symptoms after returning to campus, please call the Health Center (574)372-5100 ext 6472 in advance so the nurse can direct you how to proceed. Health Center hours are Monday – Friday between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. If you become ill over the weekend, or evening, please visit urgent care. If you do visit the urgent care please call the health center to inform the nurse of any diagnoses the following day. We are asking you to take these precautionary steps to safeguard your health and the health of the Grace College community.

The Grace College Administration and Health Center Nurse are preparing to respond as necessary to ensure the health and safety of the Grace community in accordance with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health officials. If cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed in the community around us or at Grace College, additional steps may be taken to further safeguard your health and wellbeing, including the cancellation or postponement of public events, or moving classes to an online forum.

For the most up to date information on Covid-19, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or https://www.in.gov/isdh/28470.htm

Thank you

Aaron Crabtree, Associate VP & Dean of Student Affairs

Dear Grace College Community,

Infectious disease experts are learning new information every day about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that began in December, 2019. As world health officials respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, Grace College is committed to keeping our students, faculty and staff well-informed. The Grace College Administration and Health Center Nurse are actively monitoring the situation and preparing to respond as necessary to ensure the health and safety of the Grace community in accordance with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health officials.

As of February 24, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 14 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Limited person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected, but only accounts for 2 cases in the U.S. There are currently no known cases of COVID-19 in the state of Indiana and the risk to the American public remains low. However, the seasonal flu has sickened many in our area and remains a higher risk than Covid-19 in our country. Students and staff can protect themselves and others from the spread of illness by practicing these healthy habits:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
Avoid contact with people who are sick, especially if they are exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms.
Stay home if you are sick. Avoid contact with others except when seeking medical care.
Contact your medical provider if you have any questions or health concerns.
For students, the Health Center nurse is available daily from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, no appointments necessary.

Spring Break Travel

As spring break quickly approaches, students and employees are advised to keep in mind the CDC travel advisories (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html) and to be informed before traveling to locations outside of the United States. As you may have heard, four of our nine spring break GoEncounter trips were canceled due to concerns about the number of cases in those areas and associated travel advisories.

Students and employees are encouraged to closely evaluate non-essential travel to areas with increased COVID-19 activity. Any student or employee currently making plans to travel outside of the United States during spring break, unless traveling as part of a GoEncounter trip, please email the health center with your itinerary (healthcenter@grace.edu). All travel information will be kept private and follow-up with you will only occur if there is increased concern about COVID-19 exposure.

If you are going to be traveling outside of the United States:

Consider purchasing travel insurance that covers medical care.
Consider the possibility that countries you are visiting may decide to implement restrictions while you are outside the U.S., the potential cancellation of flights and the possibility of quarantine measures or restrictions to re-entry into the U.S.

Coronavirus Health Facts

Symptoms: Fever, cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

For the majority of confirmed cases, symptoms have been mild and resolved after several days.

When to contact a healthcare professional:

If you have traveled to China or an area with outbreaks of COVID-19, in the last 14 days and are experiencing a fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, chest pain)
If you have had recent contact with a coronavirus case and are experiencing a fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, chest pain)
If seeking medical care and you suspect coronavirus, call ahead and let the medical office or emergency room know about your symptoms and any recent travel. Recent travel with cold symptoms should not trigger significant concern. Symptoms that seem to be worse, including cough and fever, are more likely to represent flu than coronavirus at this time.

Thank you

Aaron Crabtree

Grace Community,

As you are most likely aware, there is a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan City, China the end of 2019. Grace College administration and health center staff are actively monitoring the situation and preparing to respond, as necessary, to ensure the health and safety of the Grace community in accordance with the guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health officials.

As of February 3, 2020, the CDC reports 11 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Limited person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected, but it is unclear how easily this happens. At this time, coronavirus is NOT spreading in communities in the United States., so the likelihood of someone in the U.S. getting sick with this virus is very low, at this time.

The CDC identifies influenza (flu) as a far greater threat at this time than coronavirus, especially for college campuses. Students and staff can protect themselves and others from the spread of illness by practicing these healthy habits:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
Avoid contact with people who are sick, especially if they are exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms.
Stay home if you are sick. Avoid contact with others except when seeking medical care.
Contact your medical provider if you have any questions or health concerns.
For Grace College undergraduate students, the Health Center nurse is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, no appointments necessary.

Coronavirus Health Facts

Symptoms: Fever, cough, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

For the majority of confirmed cases, symptoms have been mild and resolved after several days.

When to contact a healthcare professional:

If you have traveled to Wuhan, China, within 14 days and are experiencing a fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, chest pain)
If you have had recent contact with a coronavirus case and are experiencing a fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, chest pain)
If seeking medical care and you suspect coronavirus, call ahead and let the medical office or emergency room know about your symptoms and any recent travel. Recent travel with cold symptoms should not trigger significant concern. Symptoms that seem to be worse, including cough and fever, are more likely to represent flu than coronavirus at this time.

Aaron Crabtree, Associate VP & Dean of Student Affairs

Academic Programs

Undergraduate

Student Resources

Seminary

Online

Grace: A Place Where Life Matters

Undergraduate Admissions

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Seminary

Online

Offering a Diverse Learning Experience

Grace College

Campus

Grace Updates

Grace Community

Upcoming Events

Strengthening Character, Sharpening Competence, and Preparing for Service

Alumni

Upcoming Events

At Grace, You're Not Just a Former Student...

COVID-19 Updates

Campus Community Updates