Author Archive: EDL Web

The Engelstad Foundation Scholarship for Veterans

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The Engelstad Foundation Scholarship for Veterans was recently established at USC because of a generous gift from the Engelstad Family Foundation. This is the first central gift that gives scholarships to student veterans from all schools within the University.

 

Eligibility:

Undergraduate and graduate student veterans are both eligible. Preference will go first towards undergraduate student veterans, with need, completing bachelor degrees, who:

  • Have exhausted all of their VA benefits prior to USC or while at USC
  • Will exhaust their benefits while at USC and will have remaining need
  • Have a less than 100% eligibility for their VA benefits
  • Have a less than 100% GI Bill that makes them ineligible for Yellow Ribbon scholarships

We welcome you to apply for the 2020-2021 year. This scholarship is an ongoing award, which is why we are asking for your academic plan. We’d like to give you continued support as an Engelstad Foundation Scholar while you are a student at USC.

Please answer the supplementary questions and upload:

  • Your VA ebenefits remaining (you can access them from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/)
  • Your academic plan (that you and your academic advisor have agreed upon)

For the Fall 2020 term, please apply ASAP. We also welcome applications for the Spring 2021 term.

Note: If you are being considered for this award, you will be required to apply for financial aid if you haven’t done so already. This is one of the conditions of the scholarship.

 

Please instruct your students to go to https://usc.academicworks.com/opportunities/13675 and “Sign In” to complete application. 

Please direct questions to military@usc.edu. 

 

Get noticed by employers – include your resume in a resume book!

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The USC Career Center has developed industry-specific resume books for employers recruiting for full-time and internship opportunities. Industries include: Banking/Finance, Computer Science/Software, Consulting, Digital Media, Education K-12, Health and Hospital Administration, Medical Technology, Non-Profit, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, and Sales and Business Development. Full-time resume books will be open to 12/2019 – 08/2021 graduates and the internship resume book will be open to 12/2021 – 08/2023 graduates. View details on how to be included in the resume book of your choice – https://careers.usc.edu/students/find-a-job/participate-in-a-resume-book/

USC’s New Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation

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August 14, 2020

Dear Trojan Community,

I write to share USC’s new Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation , which is effective immediately.  The Policy incorporates the required Title IX regulations, as well as a University-wide approach to preventing and responding to discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, retaliation, and specific forms of harassment based on sex: sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and related forms of conduct.  The Policy provides resources, supportive measures, and care to all USC community members – students, faculty, and staff – who make a report under the Policy, as well as fair and equitable resolution processes in response to a formal complaint of conduct prohibited under the Policy.

Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX
Reports of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct under the Policy will be addressed by the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX Office) under the leadership of Catherine Spear, our new Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX who will onboard at the end of this month.  The EEO-TIX Office combines the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) and the Title IX Office to provide a centralized resource for all community members.  Similarly, the Policy coordinates and replaces USC’s existing student, faculty, and staff policies to streamline access to reporting options, resources, and procedural options.

Final Title IX Regulations
The changes to our policies and processes were required by the May 19, 2020 release of the final Title IX regulations by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), as well as the terms of Resolution Agreements between the University and OCR in 2018 and 2020.  The Title IX regulations provide detailed requirements for processes related to reporting, supportive measures, informal resolution, and formal resolution that must be implemented by August 14, 2020.

The regulations, which have the force of law, have been in development since the fall of 2017 when OCR rescinded prior guidance from 2011 and 2014.  Proposed regulations were released for public comment in November 2018, with more than 120,000 individual commenters responding.  The final regulations, spanning 2033 pages, are complex, voluminous, and not without controversy.  Multiple lawsuits have been filed seeking to prevent their implementation, including by attorneys general on behalf of 18 states, and similar lawsuits by civil liberties groups seeking to enforce implementation are expected.  We are tracking each of these developments, as well as concerns that have been raised by community members and advocacy groups across the country.

Importantly, while the regulations include many required elements, colleges and universities can continue to prohibit discrimination and harassment and respond in a way that is consistent with institutional values.  We want to reassure our USC community that the revised Policy and processes maintain core elements of care, equity, and fair process for all.  Please see the FAQ for more information.  While we are obligated to comply with federal law, we will continue to prioritize our efforts to foster a climate free from discrimination and harassment, to seek to reduce barriers to reporting, and to hold individuals accountable for conduct that violates University policy.

Inclusive Process
The Policy was developed through an inclusive process that involved consultation with University administrators and staff in OED and Title IX, the incoming Vice President for EEO-TIX, external subject matter experts, and a newly-created internal committee that includes student, faculty, and staff representation.  Although the timing of the release of the regulations was unfortunate, in light of the pandemic, the compressed time frame, and the window for action occurring when most of our community are on summer break, the University convened a Policy and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) to receive education and information about Title IX and the new regulations, and to provide inputs about support measures, care, reporting, and equity in the development of the Policy.  PCAC includes faculty and staff from schools and departments across the University, as well as the presidents of the Academic Senate and Staff Assembly, and representatives from Graduate and Undergraduate Student Government.  We are grateful to this committee that has been meeting since June to engage in dialogue about Title IX, harassment and discrimination, and the impacts of the new regulations for University stakeholders and constituents.  PCAC is an ongoing committee that will continue to provide a forum for community engagement.

Annual Review
The Policy builds in an annual review, which will permit the University to amend the Policy and resolution processes as necessary or appropriate in light of legal developments and feedback from implementers and University community members. During the course of the fall and spring semesters, we will be providing multiple opportunities for community input and feedback as part of this process.  Those opportunities will include continued engagement by PCAC, virtual meetings (or webinars), and an online survey where University community members can submit comments about the Policy and processes.  We encourage all University community members to review the Policy and processes carefully and to submit any comments, observations, feedback or questions here.

Overview of Policy Provisions
The Policy includes the University’s Notice of Non-discrimination, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, military status, medical condition, pregnancy, disability, political belief or affiliation, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law.  Members of the University community can find information in the Policy about scope and jurisdiction, confidential resources, reporting options, supportive measures, the definitions of prohibited conduct, affirmative consent, incapacitation, employee reporting responsibilities, and how the University protects privacy and confidentiality.

Overview of Resolution Processes
The Policy is accompanied by two sets of resolution processes, one that applies to all forms of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation, and one that applies to all other forms of prohibited discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics.  Both sets of resolution processes follow a parallel process for intake and outreach, initial assessment, the provision of supportive measures, investigations, and informal resolution.  The parties can be accompanied at any meeting or proceeding under both resolution processes by an advisor of their choice. The investigation procedures are robust, including an opportunity to present witnesses and information, review all of the evidence at the end of the investigation, submit written comments, review a written investigation report, and submit written comments in response to the investigation report.

As required by the Title IX regulations, the resolution process for sexual misconduct includes a live hearing (may be virtual) in front of a neutral and impartial decision-maker where a party’s advisor has the right to pose relevant questions of the other party or witnesses.  Any statements that are not subject to this questioning (cross-examination) cannot be considered by the decision-maker.  The University will provide an advisor for any individual who does not have an advisor at the hearing.  The resolution process for other forms of discrimination and harassment is the same as that for sexual misconduct, except that the investigator, in consultation with the delegate of the VP for EEO-TIX, makes the determination of responsibility and no live hearing with cross examination is required.

Additional Resources
Additional information is available on the University’s updated EEO-TIX website, including links to an infographic with information about the new Policy, supportive measures, and options for reporting and filing a formal complaint; the Policy and the resolution processes ; a flow chart to guide the parties through each process; and an FAQ document.

While the Policy and processes are important components for combatting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, our work does not stop here. We must hold ourselves accountable to USC’s mission of fostering a diverse community where all members can be safe and thrive. Through education, awareness, and focused attention on treating every individual with elevated respect, we can prevent discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

I thank you for sharing in the commitment, effort, and partnership to promote a healthy, safe, and enriching environment at USC for all of our community members.

Sincerely,

 

 

Felicia A. Washington
Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Memo to incoming students re: Prevention Education Online Modules

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MEMORANDUM

To: Incoming USC Undergraduate and Graduate Students
 
From: Charles F. Zukoski
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
 
Sarah Van Orman, M.D.,
Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health
 
Winston B. Crisp
Vice President for Student Affairs
 
Date: July 28, 2020
 
Subject:   Prevention Education Online Modules

We are excited to have you join us this Fall for a productive and engaging academic year. At USC, we are dedicated to creating a campus culture driven by student wellbeing and setting you up for greater success both as a student and as a member of the Trojan Family here and beyond.

This is supported by a learning environment that fosters safe and healthy relationships among our students in online and on-campus settings. Safe and healthy relationships are created when we develop personal skills related to complex aspects of student life. At USC, one of the ways we do this is to require the completion of prevention education through the following online modules: AlcoholEdu for College, Sexual Assault Prevention, Staying Safe, and the Trojans Respect Consent workshop. In the following months, we will be adding a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion online module.

Additionally, USC has an online module called Mental Well-being for Students that we encourage all students to take and become familiar with as a way to manage stress, anxiety, and other common experiences in academic life.

The table below displays all prevention education offerings:

Required Course/Workshop For Undergraduate Students For Graduate Students Launch Date Due Date
AlcoholEdu for College (Part 1)
online		 Yes No July 20, 2020 August 17, 2020
AlcoholEdu for College (Part 2)
online		 Yes No September 28, 2020 October 2, 2020
Sexual Assault Prevention
online		 Yes Yes August 14, 2020 October 2, 2020
Staying Safe online Yes Yes* July 20, 2020 October 2, 2020
Trojans Respect Consent Workshop (live session via Zoom, register for a session at usc.edu/myshr) Yes No August 17, 2020 Prior to registration for Spring 2021
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion online Yes Yes Fall 2020 First day of classes (Spring 2021)

*Incoming students enrolled in an online graduate degree program are not required to complete the Staying Safe education course.

Noncompliance with these requirements can result in a registration hold for the following semester.

All of these learning opportunities are designed to help you with:

  • Supporting your peers and yourself when faced with tough situations
  • Reflecting on your knowledge, attitudes, and experiences related to these issues
  • Developing critical skills to make thoughtful choices inside and outside the classroom

Access to these course(s) are available in MyUSC through TrojanLearn. Your completion of these prevention education requirements creates a common knowledge and shared expectation for our campus communities.

Thank you for your support in maintaining a safe, healthy, and supportive community for members of the Trojan Family at USC as we live, work, and learn all over the world.

Fall 2020 Semester on USC Campuses: Health, Safety and Well-being

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MEMORANDUM
To: USC Students and Families

From: 

Sarah Van Orman, Chief Health Officer for USC Student Health
Winston B. Crisp, Vice President for Student Affairs

cc: USC Faculty, USC Staff

Date: June 29, 2020

Subject: Fall 2020 Semester on USC Campuses: Health, Safety and Well-being

 

 

We hope you are staying safe and well during this intense and universally challenging summer. Our teams are thinking of you every day as we plan for fall.

Our decisions for the fall semester require we remain nimble especially as COVID-19 cases in Southern California continue to rise. Reducing on-campus density in buildings, outdoors and during activities, will be needed to ensure your safety and to comply with L.A. County Department of Health guidelines. We will update you frequently. Here is what we know now about how our campus will look when classes resume in August.

PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES

  • Physical distancing markers, reconfiguration of pedestrian traffic flow, and timed entrances for appointments to facilities will be used to prevent close contact between individuals. Signage and hand sanitizing stations will be prominent on campus.
  • Face coverings will be required on campus. In most cases, this means cloth face coverings, in specialized settings these may be more specialized masks (that will be supplied by the University).
  • A daily symptom check, available online through trojancheck.usc.edu, will be required each time you enter any campus and daily for students residing in USC Housing. The Trojan Check system will generate an automatic scannable code (on your phone, or downloadable) that you will use to gain entry.
  • Campus housing is being reconfigured for appropriate distancing between students residing on campus. All rooms will be single occupancy this year. Details will be available from USC Housing in the near future.
  • A contact tracing team of health professionals in USC Student Health has been working to identify, notify, trace and isolate positive cases since the emergence of cases in L.A. earlier this spring. The team is prepared to quickly identify exposed individuals and implement quarantine.
  • Regular testing for COVID-19 will be part of our public health strategy. This includes clinical testing for symptomatic and exposed students, faculty and staff on campuses; as well as randomized community testing for virus prevalence to help determine “hot spots” among populations, locations and interactions (people, place and time).
  • Classes held in person will be limited in size so that students can maintain 6 feet of physical distance during instruction.

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

  • Cases and outbreaks are expected to occur. All students should have honest and thoughtful conversations about their personal health and well-being with their families and/or personal support networks in order to decide whether any sort of campus-return is right for them.
  • Isolation and quarantine procedures will be available and required. When the inevitable cases of COVID-19 occur, individuals who are exposed will be required to quarantine for 14 days and those who are ill will be required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days and sometimes longer. While USC is prepared to provide support through dedicated accommodations and regular check-ins, quarantine and isolation may be difficult for many students. Students should consider this impact when deciding to return.
  • Students with high risk medical conditions, such as underlying medical conditions (e.g., immunocompromised, pregnancy, diabetes, heart or lung conditions) should discuss their health with their current provider. Students should consider whether being in a campus environment in the city of Los Angeles is right for them this semester. If you decide to access campus this fall and have a chronic medical condition, contact USC Student Health; please make sure you have a continuity of care plan with campus providers.

INSTRUCTIONAL AND STUDENT LIFE CONSIDERATIONS

  • Most courses will be available through online instruction. Courses classified as in-person, hybrid, or online will be available for viewing through WebReg in the next couple of weeks. Faculty in all schools have been working all summer to create exciting opportunities for remote learning and engagement. You will be able to continue your progress toward degree while remaining geographically remote. Leaves of absence for continuing students will be available in specific circumstances; discuss this with your academic advisor for guidance.
  • Campus life will be different this fall. Safe, physically distanced outdoor activities, as well as some in-person dining and meetings will be permitted through University and L.A. County guidelines. We are currently working on a number of exciting extracurricular, professional, and cultural programs, initiatives and events to keep students engaged and thriving — intellectually, socially and emotionally. Through the USC Welcome Experience, students will make connections to peers through programs designed to support student needs and build relationships. More information will follow.
  • Students will need to limit the number of close contact exposures and avoid congregating with many friends at a time. Person-to-person contact poses the greatest risk of spreading infection. Large social gatherings will be strictly prohibited. 

RETURNING TO CAMPUS

  • Complete your required immunizations in advance. For most students (non-health professions related) these requirements include measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease and varicella (“chicken pox”). For many international students, a tuberculosis test is also required. Upload accompanying documents to usc.edu/myshr for early verification. Additional health information is explained in videos from USC Student Health.
  • NOTE: All travelers from international destinations are required by the L.A. County Dept. of Public Health to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the United States before arriving on campus or to campus housing. This requirement, combined with other U.S. government travel restrictions for non-U.S. citizens, pose difficulties for arrival and in-person attendance for our international students this semester; the University and academic programs will be sharing guidance on navigating this situation very soon.
  • Make a commitment to getting a flu shot. This fall season’s flu season is expected to coincide with COVID-19 cases. Reducing flu cases will relieve potential surge at health care centers and hospitals throughout the region and reduce the chance for required isolation in the event you become sick. Flu vaccines are generally available in late September/early October.
  • Complete the “Health, Hygiene and Safety for Students” online training – launching July 1 through Trojanlean.usc.edu (requires flash-compatible browser) — and check University guidelines often as they may evolve over the course of the pandemic. Stay up to date by also checking your USC email regularly.
  • Update your current address in OASIS: Students will receive information based on their current location (whether in the Los Angeles region or elsewhere in the world). Please keep this information updated every semester. 
  • Create a support and resiliency plan. Make plans for regular check-ins with friends, family and your support networks. Be honest about how you are doing. Campus support resources are available through Campus Activities; Student Equity and Inclusion Programs; Office of Religious and Spiritual Life; Trojans Care for Trojans; USC Student Health, Counseling and Mental Health Services (all providers are professional licensed clinicians and faculty in the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Keck School of Medicine of USC); and the many student support offices and programs in the academic schools and units. The virtual counseling outreach drop-in program, “Let’s Talk,” is available to all students regardless of location.

COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS
Compliance with public health measures is mandatory. To prevent widespread infections and possible campus closure, all students must play a role and take these measures seriously. Students who put others at risk by violating these expectations will be subject to action that may lead to removal from campus.

Coming to campus this fall is a community social contract, built on the trust and expectation that you and all other students, will make the health and safety of your fellow Trojans your top priority in all your actions – every member of our community, their families and loved ones, are counting on each of us to keep them safe as we interact on campus.
We are stronger together when we keep each other safe. We are the USC Trojan Family, lifelong and worldwide, and we Fight On together and always.

 

The health, safety, and well-being of our community is the highest priority of the University of Southern California. Visit coronavirus.usc.edu for current information; send questions to covid19@usc.edu.

To notify the University about a positive case of COVID-19 or exposure to a positive case, call 213-740-6291. To arrange for testing due to exposure or symptoms, call USC Student Health at 213-740-9355 (WELL).

Mourning George Floyd

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Dear USC Rossier Faculty, Staff, and Students,

 

All of humankind currently lives each day with a global pandemic. We assume it will end at some point, and that we all will return to some semblance of our pre-COVID-19 existence.

 

All of Black America lives each day with an unending plague of racism and police brutality. This scourge continues on, generation after generation. And it’s on top of the social, educational, economic, geographic, healthcare, and criminal justice inequities that people of color experience in this country.

 

President Folt said Friday: …As Trojans, we must redouble our efforts to build a truly just and welcoming community. And our hearts and voices must fight racism and injustice now and always. I want to join her and others at USC who are decrying the police action that took George Floyd’s life last week and the systems that enable and perpetuate such acts. It’s hard to find the words to match the outrage we feel in seeing these repeated, senseless killings of Black men and women – of Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade and Ahmaud Arbery and so many others.

 

USC Rossier’s mission is to identify, interrogate, and prepare leaders to counter the negative effects of these systems on the education of individuals and communities. And our school, with its focus on urban education, is especially attuned to the pain and frustration of the Black community.

 

So much of the work of USC Rossier’s faculty and research centers is focused on identifying racism and providing solutions for educators, schools, and organizations. We are so weary of the setbacks and new barriers we see occurring around our mission of social equity. But at this difficult, disappointing, and maddening time, I hope we can take heart in doing work that addresses the very issues that are again playing out in our nation – work that can and does improve equity across our country.

 

To repeat the words of James Baldwin I included in my first Rossier@Home faculty-staff letter: The paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. We have to address the ever-growing issues around hatred, bigotry, and violence as we prepare and train the next generation of researchers, practitioners, and teachers.

 

I am proud that you, our faculty, staff, and students, are committed to this education, whether through research or the preparation of new leaders. And I know also that many may feel anger, confusion, and defensiveness at the suggestion of being anything less than equity-minded. It is on us to learn how inequities grow in the systems we support. Some suggestions on where to start:

May you and your families stay safe and remain hopeful this week.

 

Fight On.

 

Sincerely,

Karen Symms Gallagher, Ph.D.
Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean

Memo: Introducing Pedro Noguera as Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education

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MEMORANDUM

To: USC Rossier School of Education Faculty, Staff, and Students
From:
Charles F. Zukoski
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Date: April 27, 2020
Subject:   Introducing Pedro Noguera as Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education

On behalf of President Folt, I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Pedro Noguera will be joining our community as dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, effective July 1, 2020.

Dr. Noguera comes to us from UCLA where he is Distinguished Professor of Education at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. He also directs the Center for the Transformation of Schools. Dr. Noguera’s research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional, and global contexts. He is the author, co-author, or editor of 13 books, and he has published over 250 research articles, book chapters, research reports, and editorials.

In service to his field, he sits on the boards of many national and local organizations, including the Economic Policy Institute, the National Equity Institute, The Nation Magazine, and City Year Los Angeles. He is a frequently called upon commentator on education.

Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA, Dr. Noguera served as a tenured professor and holder of endowed chairs at New York University, Harvard University, and UC Berkeley. He was recently appointed to serve as a special advisor to the Governor of New Mexico on education policy, and he also advises the state departments of education in Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. From 2009-2012, he served as a governor-appointed Trustee for the State University of New York. In 2014, he was elected to the National Academy of Education and the Phi Delta Kappa honor society, and just last week, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Noguera has received seven honorary doctorates, and he recently received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study of the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, from the National Association of Secondary Principals, and from the McSilver Institute at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty.

Dr. Noguera, who will be the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of Rossier, joins USC as the school and university community together chart a safe path toward a post-COVID recovery. He will draw on his deep experience to hold the school’s mission paramount – to prepare leaders to achieve educational equity through practice, research, and policy. We are eager to support Dr. Noguera as he hits the ground running.

Dr. Noguera will lead an exceptional school of education. Over the past 20 years, under Dr. Karen Symms Gallagher’s strong leadership, USC Rossier has stepped onto the national and international stage to be recognized as developing the nation’s finest education leaders. Dr. Noguera will build on this foundation to chart new paths as we take on the challenges of education that must be resolved to advance our society. We are delighted that, after a sabbatical, Dr. Gallagher will return to Rossier as a member of our senior research faculty and holder of the Veronica and David Hagen Endowed Chair in Women’s Leadership.

We would like to thank the Dean Search Committee, co-chaired by Willow Bay, Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and John Matsusaka, Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, for their service and dedication to the Rossier community. We were additionally privileged to have the advice of a Special Advisory Board comprised of leaders from across the field of education.

President Folt and I very much look forward to Dr. Noguera’s partnership with our senior leadership team. We know he will bring intellect, enthusiasm, and creative ideas to our team. Please help us welcome Pedro, and his spouse Allyson Pimentel, to the Trojan Family.

cc: Office of the President
Academic Deans
President’s Senior Leadership Team
Provost’s Leadership Team
Academic Senate
Staff Assembly
GSG President
USG President

Connecting with the USC Community

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Dear Trojans,

We hope you are staying healthy and well amid all the disruptions from COVID-19. We know this is not an easy time for any of our students. When I think of everything that is vibrant and joyful during spring, all of it centers around the energy and activities of our students. Our community is our strength, and we share ours with you as we face the next weeks ahead.

Our medical services continue through TeleHealth, and in-person visits when required, as well as ongoing public health information for the campus communities. The monitoring, testing and notifications process continues, and we are hopeful for the continuing “flattening” of coronavirus fatalities that we have seen in California. Your sacrifices have made a huge difference and undoubtedly saved lives. Stay the course with us, don’t give up on this effort or yourselves. How we endure – and the people we become as we emerge from hardship – becomes part of us for years to come.

Finding Support

There are no right or wrong ways to have reactions to world we find ourselves in. We may find that disappointment and grief color our days, and it’s very normal to feel anxious about the things we have little control over right now. Finding ways to talk about these emotions can empower us to navigate our reactions and help us move forward.

Know that you never have to struggle on your own. Counseling and Mental Health Services is continuing to be available through TeleHealth counseling visits; distance offerings include workshops on strategies to cope with sleeping issues and anxiety; therapy groups; Let’s Talk drop-ins (30 minutes with a counselor, no appointment necessary, available to all students in any part of the world); support through Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services. We’re here for you, even when we’re not in the same room.

We have also worked with The Jed Foundation to develop content for a Mental Well-Being for Students online module, available to all USC students, that guides you through some of the ways to enhance your emotional and mental well-being.

Additionally, campus partners are also offering a world of services to support you:

If you need additional help navigating the university during these disrupted times, call or email the COVID-19 response team, at 213-740-6291, or email covid19@usc.edu, to get connected to a university resource office.

Summer Months — Operations

As we move into the summer months, Student Health services will continue to be in operation for all our services, including all the TeleHealth care that has recently been launched — primary care, injury/illness care, mental health services, and continuing public health monitoring, prevention, and care for COVID-19 patients. For continuing students, USC Student Health (Counseling and Mental Health Services, Medical Services) can continue to be your provider from May 23 through August 14, 2020; sign up for summer coverage . Students residing in California who are enrolled in summer courses are automatically charged the summer health fee. The 2020 summer health fee is $180 and includes access to all services.

All matriculated students are eligible to sign up whether or not they are taking classes this summer. Students residing near campus are especially encouraged to sign up; all students in California can receive care from our medical and counseling providers.

Graduating Students: Class of 2020

You are especially in our thoughts during these upheavals, and we want to make sure you have as smooth a transition to post-graduate life as can be possible in these difficult days, and so are sharing these important reminders.

  • Eligibility for Services: please note that your last eligible day for services is May 22, 2020, including providing prescriptions. Please be sure to contact us if you need to see a provider before that day. Please note providers cannot refill medications 1) for controlled substances; 2) that have not been prescribed by a Student Health provider in the past 12 months; or 3) that require a clinical exam before a renewal. If you would like to extend services at Student Health, please sign up for the summer health fee.
  • Health Insurance: We wanted to make sure you are aware of your options for health care after you graduate. If you are enrolled in the USC Student Health Insurance Plan (through Aetna Health Insurance) for the Spring 2020 semester, your insurance coverage will end on August 18, 2020. We recommend beginning to look for new a health insurance plan at least 6 weeks prior (the end of June/beginning of July) to avoid any lapses in coverage. Aetna Student Health can provide proof of coverage (termination letter) by calling (877) 626-2299. Insurance options for California residents through state exchanges can be researched on coveredca.com.
  • Medical Records: We will be happy to transfer your medical records to a new medical provider upon receipt of a signed authorization to do so. You can do this by contacting the Health Information Management team at (213) 740-0206.

Bridging the Gap

As our time this year has ended without a chance to continue some of our in-person work, I’d like to share with you a guide on Mindfulness Skills for Daily Living from Dr. Yong Park on our Counseling and Mental Health team. Although nothing can quite replace the warm presence our providers express in person, we hope this extension of their work helps bridge the gap until we can be together again.

We will continue to work together with our students and campus partners, through turbulent and unexpected times, to build toward better days. We are the Trojan Family, and we fight on together, always.

Sincerely,

 

Sarah Van Orman, MD
Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health
Broderick Leaks, PhD
Director of Counseling and Mental Health Services, USC Student Health

Spoken Justice: 10/22/20

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Rossier’s Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice will be hosting our first virtual Spoken Justice on October 22 at 6:30pm PST! They have created a Facebook event (available here). Anyone who is interested in attending and/or performing can register at bit.ly/OctoberSpokenJustice and the zoom link along with additional information will be emailed a few days before the event to all registered attendees.

Notice of Extended Period of Remote Instruction

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MEMORANDUM

To: USC Community

From: Charles F. Zukoski, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Date: March 11, 2020

Subject: Notice of Extended Period of Remote Instruction

 

USC is now extending our period of remote instruction until Tuesday, April 14. This is an extension of our previous March 30 deadline. Students who are leaving campus for Spring Recess, may not return until at least Monday, April 13. This is in step with evolving national health guidelines designed to slow potential transmission of the coronavirus by those who may have been exposed either while traveling or at home.

All of our decisions are intended to ensure the health and safety of our USC and broader community, especially in light of the World Health Organization’s announcement today classifying COVID-19 as a worldwide pandemic. Please note that these dates may be adjusted again as circumstances change and if so, we will do everything we can to give you as much notice as possible.

In the next 24 hours we will be issuing further information for students, faculty and staff. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this very difficult period.
University of Southern California

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uscprovost@usc.edu • www.provost.usc.edu