Dear USIU-Africa Community,

On Monday, June 20, 2022, the Ministry of Health announced revised COVID-19 mitigation measures. The announcement follows a resurgence of COVID-19 cases from a weekly average positivity rate of 0.6% at the beginning of May 2022 to a weekly average positivity rate of 10.74% by June 19, 2022. You are advised to take the following measures to prevent the slide into crisis like the one experienced in 2020 and 2021:

• Wear face masks in crowded and enclosed spaces such as meetings, events or lectures on campus;
• Wash your hands frequently and ensure good personal hygiene;
• Stay at home if you have a cold or have flu-like symptoms;
• Avoid crowded places and gatherings if possible;
• Seek medical attention at an authorized treatment facility upon development of difficulty in breathing and adhere to prescribed medication;
• Take extra care if you are more vulnerable to COVID-19. You are more vulnerable if you are aged 60 and above or at any age and with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, immune deficiency, renal disease, asthma, and others. Other conditions that increase vulnerability are being overweight and obese, smoking – current or former, pregnancy, and sickle cell disease.

In addition to being vaccinated you are urged to continue adhering to the public health and social measures as a personal responsibility.

With kind regards
Mrs. Night A. Nzovu | Director, Administration

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

We trust that you are keeping well. As we return to campus to begin yet another year of teaching and learning, you are all aware that there has been an upsurge in COVID-19 infections. It is therefore critical to promote a positive and safe learning and working environment. The University’s Occupational Health & Safety Administration Committee (OSHA) recommended the following to monitor USIU-Africa’s community preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Every time members of the USIU-Africa community meet or are in class, the chair of the meeting or Faculty, should take stock of the number of members or students wearing masks, and share a report highlighting those who are fully vaccinated, and/or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days prior to the gathering/class.
• Every division, department, section or unit is encouraged to monitor the number of members with proof of vaccination against COVID-19 virus.
• During on-campus vaccination drives, the number of persons vaccinated will be provided by category of students, faculty, staff and dependents (for both faculty and staff).
• Testing will be undertaken only for members of the University community who report that they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within their household in the last 14 days.

The OSHA Committee has suggested that the heads of divisions, departments, sections, units and faculty carry out this exercise as outlined above. In addition, the University’s digital platforms will be used in the monitoring of all the parameters listed above.
We would like to urge you to ensure that you adhere to the following protocols to ensure your safety while on campus to mitigate the spread of COVID-19:

• Proper wearing of masks at all times. Ensure that the masks are tight-fitting.
• Wash your hands and use sanitizers as frequently as possible.
• Observing respiratory etiquette - covering nose and mouth when coughing or coughing into your elbow.
• Maintaining social distance of at least 1.5 meters.
• Avoiding crowded places.
• Avoiding enclosed places.
• Ensure classroom windows are open to allow for air circulation.
• Getting vaccinated, including taking a booster dose (six months from the last vaccination).
• Temperature monitoring at designated places, starting from the gate and on entering buildings.
• Undertaking self-isolation when tested positive or when you show signs and symptoms of COVID-19 after exposure to someone with COVID-19.

In the meantime, please note that participation in any sports activities or use of the Gym facility will require proof of vaccination. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the return of the university community to campus is done as safely as possible to protect the health of our students, staff and faculty. Any amendments or changes to the current operations protocol will be communicated immediately through your emails and on the COVID-19 Updates page on our website.

Should you have any queries, please reach out to the Administration Department at hrteam@usiu.ac.ke

Signed,

Professor Freida A. Brown | Interim Vice Chancellor
United States International University - Africa

With the upsurge in COVID-19 infections, that we have witnessed recently it is critical to promote a positive and safe learning and working environment at the University. Because COVID-19 spreads mainly through exhaled aerosols produced through coughing, breathing and talking, face coverings and social distancing are essential to controlling the spread of the virus during certain situations especially when in an enclosed environment e.g. while students are in class. We recognize that adaptation to these new expectations and habits will take some time. It is therefore important to establish a culture of support and caring to ensure long-term behavioral change.

(a) Student Enforcement
The University community will first seek to work with students to help them adapt and provide supportive and educational opportunities to respond to a non-compliance. Faculty are encouraged to include a summary of the health and safety protocols in the course syllabus or to discuss these requirements on the first day of class to increase awareness in the University’s expectations and response. The following progressive measures will be administered to address student non-compliance:

1. Ask the student to comply with the requirement for which a violation has been observed.
2. Ask the student to leave the classroom and/or office and return when they are ready to follow the requirement.
3. Staff: If the student refuses or fails to follow the protocol, start by asking them to leave and if they refuse to leave call your supervisor for assistance, and submit a COVID-19 - specific incident report to the Dean for further action.
4. Faculty: If the student fails to follow the protocol, start by asking them to leave and if they refuse to leave inform the department head or Dean for assistance; end class early or reschedule class; and submit a COVID-specific incident report to the Dean providing details of the incident.

A student’s failure or refusal to follow the COVID-19 protocols as guided by the Ministry of Health may be considered a threat to the health and safety of the community and may result in a student’s temporary or permanent removal from the University. Additional outcomes may include building restrictions, removal from housing, additional trainings and additional interventions.

(b) Faculty and Staff Responsibility and Enforcement of COVID-19 Protocols
All employees are expected to carry out their duties honestly, in good faith, and with diligent care. The Occupational Health & Safety Act (OSHA) stipulates that employees have a duty to ensure their own safety, cooperate with their employer and or any other person in ensuring their safety and report any other dangers and COVID-19 is incorporated in this. Therefore, employees must adhere to all COVID-19 protocols with very limited exceptions, such as when the employee has provided supporting documentation that wearing a face covering inhibits the employee’s health.

Thus, the University will seek to work with employees to help them adapt to the Ministry of Health (MOH) protocols through support and educational opportunities to respond to a non-compliance. Supervisors are encouraged to refer employees to town halls to learn about the health and safety protocols and hold quarterly meetings to review current protocols and to promote transparency in the University’s expectations and response.

For employees who do not provide the necessary documentation for exemptions and/or willfully ignore COVID protocols, the following corrective actions could be taken:

1. Supervisor gives verbal warning and direction to follow protocol. Supervisor keeps documentation of the verbal warning.
2. If there are multiple instances of non-compliance, the supervisor may issue a written reprimand to the employee. The supervisor, after consultation with Human Resources, will provide the written reprimand to the employee, as per the provisions of the HR Policy & Procedures.
3. If the employee continues to refuse to comply with applicable protocols, the supervisor can contact the university security office to ask that the employee be denied access.
4. Continued non-compliance by the employee may lead to additional corrective action measures, up to and including termination of employment.

(c) Visitors Responsibility and Enforcement
Visitors will not be allowed to access the campus in principle except for suppliers. However, in cases where they have to, they must comply with all MOH protocols, including wearing a face covering at all times while on campus (inside buildings and outside) and maintaining 1.5m distancing to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The campus host will inform them of MOH/ university protocols and review key elements to provide transparency in the University’s expectations and response. The host must work with them to help them adapt and provide supportive and educational opportunities to respond to non-compliance. Visitors who do not comply with applicable protocols will be:

1. Asked by the campus host or campus host’s supervisor to immediately comply with the applicable protocols or leave campus.
2. If the visitor fails to comply with this directive, the internal security team may respond and request that the visitor leaves campus.
3. If the visitor continues to fail to comply, the security may contact the police and ask them to issue a citation for trespassing.

Dear USIU-Africa Community,
As indicated in previous communication to you, the University has been planning a partial return to campus, based on the success that was noted during the Spring and Summer 2021 semesters, when the University had students who were taking their practical classes on campus. This, combined with the stringent COVID-19 mitigation protocols that the University has put in place have given us the confidence to announce that the University will reopen in the Fall (September) Semester to first and second year students.
This announcement recognizes the continued efforts by the campus community to follow campus health and safety protocols and comes as the university continues to take a cautious and incremental approach to its protocols in order to discharge its core mandate of teaching and learning while adapting to the dynamic situation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of the key areas to note during the partial reopening include the following:
Class attendance:
The university will adopt a three pronged approach to learning in the Fall semester through a mix of face-to-face (for first and second year students), online and blended learning (a mix of both online and face-to-face delivery). To implement this, the University will take the following measures:

• The progressive implementation of face-to-face instruction will be continued. In this regard, all freshmen and sophomore (levels 1000 and 2000) courses as well as practical and lab-based courses will be offered face-to-face;
• Because of the Government mandated curfew which starts at 10:00 pm and ends at 4:00 am, all evening classes (those commencing from 5:00 pm) will be offered online;
• Appropriate provisions will be made to start co-curriculum activities commensurate to the number of students undertaking face-to-face learning.

Adherence to COVID-19 mitigation protocols:

The University continues to operate under the strictest adherence to all COVID-19 protocols. To support this, access to on campus activities will be done while keeping in mind the following:

• Entry to the library and other public places (auditorium, cafeteria, incubation center, offices, gym etc.) will be restricted to the approved capacity in line with COVID-19 protocols;
• The University will continue to strictly adhere to all Government health protocols issued through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and all institutional policies currently in place to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19. To this end, we encourage each one of you to ensure that you are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Updates regarding the reopening of the University will be shared frequently with you on your student emails, as well as on the University’s digital platforms, so ensure that you check them frequently and stay up to date. You can also contact your respective Deans for any additional information that you may require in regard to your studies in the Fall semester.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the planned reopening, please feel free to reach out to your respective School Dean, Chair of your Department and the Principal Academic Advisors in your School.

Prof. Munyae Mulinge,
Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs
Tel: +254 733 673 385 or 0716641619
Email: mmulinge@usiu.ac.ke

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

We trust that you are keeping well as we gear up to the start of a new semester. One of the things that has been most important to us over the course of the past year as we weather the pandemic, is how to safeguard our collective health and well-being even as we work towards ensuring that we discharge our core mandate of teaching and learning at the highest possible standards.

As stated in previous communication to you, we were able to roll out the first phase of the issuance of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards which replaced the Biometric control feature previously used at the gate and the Library pre-COVID-19. This has tremendously boosted the level of security on campus, in addition to helping us fulfill the Government regulation of putting in place a contact tracing system, as the card will collect up to the minute information on visitors, staff, students and faculty who access campus.

To this end, we would like to announce that we will be rolling out the second phase of RFID card issuance to coincide with the partial reopening of the University. The cards will be issued over a duration of two weeks, starting from Monday, May 10, 2021 as follows:

• Issuance and printing of RFID cards for employees and students – To be done at the Registrar’s Office.
• Registration of the RFID cards on the Automated Access Control System – To be done at the Library lobby area.

The process will be carried out daily, from 9am to 12pm until Monday, May 31, 2021.

In order to expedite the issuance process, students are requested to send a recent passport-size photograph (taken within the last 2 months) to idphoto@usiu.ac.ke. The subject of the email should be your six-digit student ID number.

Please ensure that you carry your current employee or student ID card (if you had been issued with one previously) which you will be expected to surrender in exchange for the new RFID card. Once you pick up the card, you can get it registered immediately at the Library. The process will be carried out with the utmost safety, ensuring that all COVID-19 protocols are observed.

Once you have the new RFID card, please carry it with you at all times to enable you access the campus via the gate as well as the Library.

Should you have any concerns that you may wish to have addressed, please reach out to Head of Security, Mr. Peter Omusula at pomusula@usiu.ac.ke.
Regards,
Mrs. Night A. Nzovu
Director, Administration

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

We trust that you have been keeping well. As we gear up towards the resumption of learning in the Summer semester, we continue with our commitment to monitoring closely the evolving dynamics of the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our community, in relation to the discharge of our teaching and research function.

Following the Government directive of May 1, 2021, the cessation of movement into and out of the counties of Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Kiambu and Nakuru was lifted. In addition, all educational institutions in all levels of learning have been directed to re-open.

In light of these developments, the university is happy to announce the partial reopening of the university in the Summer 2021 semester which commences on May 10, 2021. We will adopt a three pronged approach to learning through a mix of face to face, online and blended learning (a mix of both online and face to face delivery). Students are advised to consult their respective academic advisors to get more information on the class schedules.

For staff and faculty who have been working from home, you will be expected to get in touch with your respective supervisors to agree on the modalities of working during this semester.

At present, the University is operating under the strictest adherence to all COVID-19 prevention protocols, which will be the case even as the University plans to reopen. Entry to public places (auditorium, cafeteria, incubation center, offices, etc.) will be restricted to the approved capacity in line with COVID-19 prevention protocols.

Sports and other in-person events may resume, but only under strict compliance of COVID-19 prevention protocols set out by the Ministry of Health. The University will work closely with the Student Council and the Student Affairs Department to come up with protocols for any planned on-campus events and will communicate this in due course.

The library will be open for physical use from 8.15am to 6.00pm on weekdays, and up to 5.00pm over the weekend. However, online reference services will be offered from 8.15am to 9.00pm throughout the week.

The transportation of faculty, students and staff, using university-owned or outsourced vehicles must adhere to all COVID-19 guidelines applicable to public transport.

We acknowledge that adapting to the regulations and restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult. We thank each one of you for the mindfulness that you have shown towards the health and safety of each member of our campus community, and we urge you to uphold these measures even as we plan our return to campus.

Updates regarding the reopening of the University will be shared frequently with you on your emails, as well as on the University’s digital platforms, so ensure that you check them frequently and stay up to date.

Students are encouraged to contact their respective Deans for any additional information that they may require in regards to the Summer semester. The contact details for the respective Principal Academic Advisors have been provided below.

Regards,
Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza
Vice Chancellor

Principal Academic Advisors:

Dr. Ruth Njeri Mwai Kabiru
Chandaria School of Business (CSOB)
Email: rmwai@usiu.ac.ke
Tel: +254 730 116 418

Lynnette Nzioki
School of Humanities & Social Sciences (SHSS)
Email: lynzioki@usiu.ac.ke
Tel: +254 730 116 226

Isaac Chuma
School of Science & Technology (SST)
School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (SPHS)
School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCA)
Email: ichuma@usiu.ac.ke
Tel: +254 730 116 729

Dear All,

In light of the recent developments regarding the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country, we are committed to monitoring closely the evolving dynamics of the outbreak and its impact on our community.

According to the latest information released by the Government on March 26, 2021, Nairobi County has been identified as one of the counties with the highest number of Coronavirus cases, alongside Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru Counties, and as such, the Government has declared a cessation of movement, to try and mitigate the spread of the virus.

In light of these developments, the University will restrict access to the university campus to all students, staff and faculty with effect from Monday, March 29 until further notice. In addition, the following measures will be undertaken to ensure business continuity during this period:

University Operations: All staff and faculty will be expected to work from home, however, some skeleton staff drawn from the departments and considered critical for the operation of the University may be maintained. Please contact your respective supervisors for further information on the modalities of working during this period, to ensure that the departmental deliverables are met.

Academic Continuity: The University will fully switch back to online learning, as has been the case in the past year. Teaching and learning will continue with the Blackboard platform as the default mode of interaction. However, faculty will also use other modes such as Skype, Zoom, BlueJeans, WhatsApp and e-mail for learning and communication with students.

For students who were accessing campus for practical and laboratory sessions, this will be suspended immediately with the exception of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as per the Government directive exempting students in medical training institutions from these measures until otherwise notified. Please reach out to your respective Deans and lecturers for further guidance.

The library which had been opened to allow students access critical materials will be closed immediately. However, online reference services will be offered from 8.15 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. throughout the week.

In-person events and sporting activities: All in-person activities including sporting events will remain suspended until further notice.
ICT Support: The IT team will continue working to ensure that our telecommuting platforms, Zoom and BlueJeans, are continuously available and stable. In the event that you may require any additional support, the University will be offering support for online instruction between 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. every weekday and between 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on Saturdays through the following channels:
Phone: +254 730 116333
WhatsApp: +254 735 000377
E-mail: helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke

For any assistance from the various Departments, you are encouraged to raise a ticket through the Helpdesk system. The contacts for the various Departments can be found here.

Please note that there will be no visitors allowed on campus during this duration of the lockdown. We urge each and every one of you to continue adhering to the safety measures laid out by the Ministry of Health, to ensure the utmost safety of yourself and your community.

The University Management will keep you updated on any developments in regard to the spread and mitigation measures against the virus. For any additional queries, please contact the Human Resources department through the Director of Administration, Night Nzovu on nnzovu@usiu.ac.ke

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza
Vice Chancellor

Dear All

This is to notify you that the library will be open every day this Spring to facilitate borrowing of reading materials, returning of borrowed items and use of the spaces for study. Owing to the ongoing pandemic, you are requested to adhere to the recommended safety and social distancing measures as per the COVID-19 government regulations. Thus, you are expected to:

1. Be a current USIU-Africa student, faculty, staff or registered alumni;

2. Have proof of your identity (USIU-Africa ID);

3. Wear your face mask correctly the entire time you are in the building;

4. Use your card not fingerprints to gain entry into the library building;

5. Use the provided hand sanitizers before handling library materials;

6. Leave any items you touch on the trolleys located throughout the library; and

7. Observe the recommended physical distance while queuing.

Note: Any library user who fails to observe social distancing and disregards the use of a face mask, will be asked to leave the building.

Library Opening Hours - Spring 2021

Monday to Friday: 8.15 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Saturday: 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Sunday: 11.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Public Holidays: CLOSED

Further, in an effort to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, kindly fill in this form so that we anticipate your visit USIU-Africa Library Attendance/Usage Form (google.com)

Various services will continue to be available online including access to eResources, scheduled training via Zoom, clearance, and response to your queries coming through askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke, libraryhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke, WhatsApp: 0782620858 and online/live chat services @ https://library.usiu.ac.ke

For regular updates on the status of library services, like and follow us on our social media pages – Facebook: USIULibrary and Twitter: @UsiuLibrary and your USIU-Africa email.

Download the complete library reopening plan here

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

Happy New Year to you all. I hope this message finds you and your families safe and healthy as we commence the Spring 2021 semester with great expectation to achieve your academic goals. I would like to particularly welcome all the new students to the USIU-Africa experience. You have joined a community of like-minded individuals on a similar quest of knowledge that will impact you, your environment and your society. I would also like to welcome back students who are returning after taking a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are delighted that you are back and looking forward to continue with your studies.

As you are aware, Spring 2021 classes will be offered online with select on-campus learning for students who require practical and laboratory sessions. The Library will also be open under strict guidelines to allow students to access materials critical to their research and study. This has been made possible due to the various health protocols that have been put in place to ensure your safety while on campus in line with the local and global Covid-19 mitigation measures. It is imperative that these guidelines are strictly adhered to at all times.

Based on this, I would like to emphasize the proper wearing of masks by all students, staff and faculty while on campus as well as social distancing (maintain at least 1.5 meters when interacting with others) to reduce the risk of contracting the virus by protecting yourself and others.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has been an upsetting time for all of us, but despite that, it has also been an opportunity for us to learn what the university can do differently, and where it can continue improving in the long run.

Once again, I thank you all for your resilience and adaptability during these unprecedented times. Your determination continues to be an inspiration to me because I know that if we continue working together like we always have, we will come back from this adversity stronger than before.

Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

As we prepare to close the 2020 academic year, it gives me great joy to express my immense gratitude to each one of you - Students, Staff, and Faculty - for all your resilience and hard work. I attribute what we have achieved together this year to the innate strength of each of you, and for keeping the faith as we continue to navigate what is surely the most unusual year we have ever faced.

The past few months have been the test of our ability to adjust to the extraordinary circumstances that have been occasioned by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused untold suffering not only across the globe, but also in our community. I would like to salute all of you for your efforts towards ensuring that USIU-Africa continues to discharge its core mandate of providing quality teaching and learning, even in the face of adversity.

The greatest milestone that we achieved this year was the seamless transition into remote learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Government mandated closure of all learning institutions in March 2020. The Spring, Summer and Fall semesters have been successfully completed online. This has been as a result of our continued investment in our ICT infrastructure and the commitment of the faculty and student to adjust accordingly. Through your perseverance and dedication, the University was able to proudly award over 1,000 degrees at our inaugural virtual Commencement ceremony in September, which included the first ever class of Bachelor of Pharmacy, evidence that when we decide to do things, not only do we do them, but we do them well.

During the year, USIU-Africa became the first Kenyan university to join the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program that committed USD 63.2 million over the next 10 years towards the education of 1,000 talented, yet economically disadvantaged young people from across Africa. The first cohort was admitted in September 2020 with subsequent intakes to follow in May and September annually. This December, USIU-Africa launched the first ever Online MBA program in Kenya and the region to be accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), as well as by our US accreditor, WASC. This is indeed a game-changer targeting busy executives to enable them acquire a globally recognized degree in a convenient and flexible learning environment that will allow them to advance their careers.

As we come to the end of this semester, we celebrate our successes and experiences that have deepened our knowledge of the world, expanded our horizons, and allowed us to make connections with others who have challenged our assumptions and often provided support as we ask ourselves these deep questions.

While many of us hope that the upcoming Spring semester will offer a return to our usual academic routine, the ravages and impact of COVID-19 cannot be overlooked, due to the worldwide disruption it continues to cause. This means that more uncertainty lies ahead, requiring us to draw upon the same flexibility, resilience, and collective sense of responsibility that have served us well during this year.

The university will proceed with the planned dates of instruction as highlighted in the academic calendar with classes being offered online during the Spring 2021 semester. Select on-campus learning will be offered for students who require practical and laboratory sessions to meet their course requirements, to enable them complete their studies on time with the least interruption possible. In addition, the Library will be open under strict guidelines as earlier communicated, to allow students to access materials critical to their research and study. These initiatives will help us test the measures that we have put in place for when we eventually resume face to face learning fully. Please continue to monitor your USIU-Africa email, as this is the best way for us to reach you with important updates and reminders.

Lastly, I wish to thank each and every one of you for the dedication you have shown this year. I am inspired by the way the USIU-Africa community has come together through this challenging time, to demonstrate what can be achieved when each of us works diligently towards a single cause.

I would like to extend my warmest wishes to you and your family for a restful and safe Christmas holiday, and a Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you reinvigorated in 2021!

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

We trust that you have been keeping well. As an institution, COVID-19 has taught us that we can respond with flexibility in the face of a crisis. Many of us have adjusted to this as our new normal and are working hard to ensure that our daily operations continue with as little disruption as possible.

As we continue adapting to this new way of life, we continue to urge each of you to adhere to the health protocols that have been put in place by the government, to ensure that we continue to play our part in curbing the spread COVID-19 virus, but also ensure that we prioritize our health, safety and well-being.

During the period that the University has been closed for face to face learning, we have learned several important lessons, which we will apply come 2021, since it is likely that the disruption as a result of COVID-19 will continue into next year. It is therefore upon us as an institution to remain proactive, and anticipate any changes that will require swift response from us.

To this end, starting from next semester (Spring 2021), we will be offering on-campus learning for students who require practical and laboratory requirements to meet their course requirements. This is to ensure that our students are on course to complete their studies on time with the least interruption possible, this will also help us test the measures that we have put in place for when we eventually resume face to face learning fully.

In addition to this, the Library will also be open during this time, to allow students to access materials critical to their research and study. However, all virtual library services will continue throughout the semester. To support the reopening of the Library, we have put in place extensive safety protocols to ensure that it remains a safe place for anyone who will visit it at this time, including sanitization procedures after every two hours of use. A detailed description of what we will implement to ensure your safety on campus is provided Here Please review this carefully to understand the library schedule and the limits in numbers.

We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and update our plans accordingly, to ensure that we maximize the USIU-Africa experience, while protecting the safety of our students, staff and faculty.

Should you wish to make an inquiry on the planned phased reopening, feel free to contact the Director, Operations on pwarui@usiu.ac.ke

Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear Students,

We trust that you are keeping well as you study virtually, following the closure of the University in line with the Government directive to close down institutions of learning to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Many of you have inquired about when we will go back to face to face learning, especially for the classes with practical components. To address this, we have conducted a review of the courses currently on offer, and have determined that while most of you will continue with virtual learning in the Spring 2021 Semester, some of you will learn through a blend of in-person and online learning, so as to be able to complete the practical aspects of your studies.

Your practical and laboratory sessions will be adjusted in order to adhere to social distancing and hygiene practices as stipulated by the Ministry of Health. All face to face delivery that will take place during the Spring 2021 semester is subject to an approved plan that will ensure all health and safety threats have been identified, assessed, and mitigated.

You will only be expected to come on campus on the days when you will have scheduled in-person teaching for your practical and laboratory sessions. This will be crucial as it will enable us to manage the capacity levels on campus, to ensure that we are operating in a COVID-19 secure manner.

For more information on which courses will be having on-campus classes for their practical and laboratory sessions, please refer to the university website, which has detailed information on the same. For your respective courses, please contact your respective Deans for further guidance. We will keep you updated on any changes that may come up in the course of the semester.

We would like to reassure each one of you that we are working on finalizing these plans, and that your health and well-being are our top priorities as we make preparations for the safe return to campus.

Prof. Amb. Ruthie Rono

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs

Dear USIU-Africa Students,

I have noted with sadness that many of you are unhappy about the fee structure that we have in place for the Summer semester. If our letter outlining our fee structure upset you, I am deeply regretful, as that was never our intention. I am writing to you today to give you more clarity on the situation and some insights into our operations in order for us to find a way forward together.

Before I go into that, I would like to start by giving thanks to all of you and the whole USIU-Africa community that have banded together in unity during the global Coronavirus pandemic. I am proud of how we have advised and partnered with the Government of Kenya on educational matters surrounding this national health crisis. I am proud of our faculty experts from infectious disease scientists, to business and innovation researchers, to mental health professionals all giving advice across the continent during these challenging times. I am especially proud of how seamlessly you and faculty moved all your learning online making use of Blackboard and multiple other leading technologies. I am proud of our many staff supporting students by still coming to campus and working remotely every day.

But during this global Covid-19 pandemic, we know a lot of families are faced not only with health emergencies, but also economic difficulty and the ensuing fear and uncertainty that these times have created. We understand your pain. We desperately want to help you.

However, here is our challenge. USIU-Africa is a non-profit university. We do not make extra margins for profits. In fact, your school fees alone do not cover all the costs of your education. We also rely on donors to fund the gap so we can bring you international quality education affordably. So, we do not have the necessary funds to cover costs if we were to just reduce or eliminate all your fees. The only way we could achieve this would be to terminate your faculty and staff, but then who would still teach you and support you? Of course, we do not want to harm our employees during this crisis who try so hard to instruct your classes and help you to achieve your academic goals.

We have spent hours reviewing and tweaking financial projections to see how we can support you while still delivering a robust academic curriculum and not abandoning your lecturers and staff. While we have seen that our electricity costs, internet costs, clinic medicine dispensing, and cleaning costs have significantly reduced and our security costs have also slightly lowered because we need less guards when we are not in session, but we still do need ample security on campus to protect your infrastructure for when we do indeed reopen. While some costs have lowered, we have also incurred other costs. These include library costs that have risen because we have to purchase e-textbooks for your course texts and pay for subscriptions that you can access online anywhere anytime through our library portal. Those international subscriptions and international software, like Blackboard and CX, are extremely expensive, but are crucial for your learning. In fact, it’s because we made such heavy investments in our electronic infrastructure that we were better placed than other universities to transition to remote teaching and learning at this time.

In addition to these costs, we are also losing about 7 percent of our revenue which comes from the provision of auxiliary services such as housing, laundry and cafeteria income. Even so, the vast majority of our operating costs are in our faculty and staff, who are the backbone of our institution. In our desire to help you, we do not in turn want to hurt them or compromise the quality of your education.

Already, it broke our hearts when we had to let some staff go who were casual workers and also not renew some staff contracts. But we also need to find ways of reducing your fees this summer.

Therefore, these cost reductions have enabled us to eliminate two of the three sets of fees mandated for every student. The medical center fee (Kshs. 2,000) and the student activities fee (Kshs.1, 000) will be waived. However, the library fee will be maintained for reasons explained above. IT and lab fees, which are specific to those programs, will be charged depending on the needs of the courses that will be offered during the Summer semester and will be communicated directly to the students in those programs.

I wish we could do more, but our lecturers and support staff continue to work to ensure that we provide a seamless experience during this time. We do applaud the many faculty who have volunteered to teach extra classes for free and staff who have volunteered to work extra hours for free because they are concerned about you, our students. But we still need to pay them their basic salaries and their health insurance during these uncertain times.

Additionally, we are still looking at other ways to help you. We have launched aggressive campaigns with our faculty and staff writing grant proposals to donors to appeal for funding that can indeed go towards even more scholarships than usual for those of you struggling during this time. If you are facing extreme hardship at this time, please reach out and we will work with you to see if there is any way in which we can use our limited resources to support you in your learning journey.

And if you have any great ideas on how we can make things better for you, from additional online support to funding support or community support, we would be delighted to hear from you and consider your thoughts and how we can implement them for you.

In conclusion, during the summer semester, it is our ambition to continue our robust industry-leading international learning online and move back to face-to-face classes when the Government of Kenya eases national crisis restrictions.

As a society and a university community, we will overcome this Covid-19 pandemic. We will thrive. We will continue to provide the best international education at the most affordable prices of any American accredited tertiary institution in the world. We are here for you. We exist for you. You are our mission, vision, heart, and soul. We look forward to May 11^th when we start the summer semester with you so your education can truly take you places.

United Together.

Prof. Paul Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Message to parents

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Dear Students,

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to create uncertainty in the country, not only due to the effects that it has had so far on our economy, but also because the recorded cases continue to grow in number.Following the closure of the University last month, we were able to move all our classes online and complete our coursework for the semester, including the examinations, which were successfully conducted online.

I would like to thank each one of you for working hard to adapt during these challenging times. Despite the distance from each other, the perseverance shown by all of you is a testament of your determination to succeed.The situation we are in as a result of the pandemic is dynamic and ever changing, and while there is hope of finally being able to beat the virus, the possibility of returning to our normal operations in the near future is still very uncertain. We remain committed to ensuring minimal disruption to the academic progress of our students while protecting the health of our entire community.

Please be advised that the Summer semester will run from Monday, May 11 through to Tuesday, August 4, 2020 as per the Academic Calendar, with all sessions being delivered online. You are therefore advised to register for the Summer semester, and consult with your academic advisors (advisors@usiu.ac.ke ), where need be.

Faculty are already in the process of preparing next semester’s coursework as they close off on the grading of last semester’s examinations. To further improve the delivery of online learning, we will continue with the trainings for both yourselves and faculty to strengthen your use of online platforms.

As a university we are seriously affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as are other universities in the country, across the continent, and around the world. While we understand that many students may face difficulties in paying their fees due to the state of the economy, we also continue to bear costs including salaries and paying for services and licenses that enable us to remain operational including offering teaching and learning remotely.

Like every university, we continue to monitor the situation closely, especially with our status as a private university that does not receive any subsidies from the Government. To ensure that we are able to continue providing the high quality of education which has been the hallmark of our university for over 50 years, our financial policies and charges for tuition will remain the same as per the 2019/2020 Fee Schedule, with only applicable charges being applied.

We are proud of your collective determination to make this work and we look forward to a time where we will be back on campus together. In the meantime, we would like to urge you to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations that have been set out to mitigate the spread of the virus.

A similar communique has been linked here for you to share with your parents and or guardians.

As we may be aware, COVID-19, caused by a novel coronavirus, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, leading to draconian measures to prevent its spread. These include social distancing -- staying at home and limiting contact with others. The uncertainty brought about by the virus, be it in terms of health, your financial situation or even the world as a whole, can have an impact on your mental well-being.

Below, we highlight some of the steps you can take to ensure that you promote mental well-being during this period

There are those typical (normal or natural) immediate reactions that people experience following a threatening situation among them fear, anxiety, denial, preoccupation with the repercussions of the epidemic, intrusive thoughts, feeling not in control, helpless or hopeless, blaming self or others and loneliness in this case due to social isolation. These if allowed to be overwhelming can be draining and we need to prevent or manage them from becoming a mental health and further physical health problem. To guard our mental health, and to ensure the above do not overwhelm us:

• Develop a positive mindset and take only credible sources of information. Don’t consume too much data and hold strongly on to the information from unreliable sources.
• Make a conscious choice not to allow the anxiety and all related negative emotions, thoughts and behaviors to consume us but focus more on overcoming the virus.

We have many cases of recovery; it is possible to have hope of managing the virus. This too will pass and we need to come out with better health, resilience, strengthened inner resources of confidence, courage, determination and the resolve to survive the virus. In case you feel overwhelmed, reach out for professional support.

Learn to relax and to convert your energy into other more valuable activities listed below:

• Read books, listen to audio books, do assignments, do research on different topics of interest to keep your mind active and engaged. Write a journal, take an online course, write letters to each other in the family.
• Play in-door games, such as board games. You can even create your own games e.g. naming all the things in the house starting with letter S, etc.
• Do general cleaning, go through old clothes for donation, clean your car, take care of your compound.
• Gardening for those with the opportunity, trim flowers.
• Learn a new language - for instance Google Playstore and Applestore have some free foreign language applications.
• Creative art: draw, coloring, write songs, poems, stories, play, paint or even model things out of clay. You could also play music or compose songs, sing together, do drama, write plays.
• Carry out simple exercises at home to keep yourself active. Ensure you alternate sitting and walking up and down.
• Have a spa/massage day in your house (facial cleaning, scrubbing your legs, cleaning your hair, etc.)
• As a family do the routine house chores and ensure basic hygiene (bathing, brushing teeth etc.) which can be ignored because you are home is done
• Bake or learn/cook a new recipe. You can also take the time to learn new skills, such as knitting, crocheting, decorations etc.
• Just rest, take some time away from the phone for those not working from home, take a nap, sleep.
• Talk to someone in case you feel terrified, empty, hopeless and worthless, or have any other negative emotions.

Take this time to:

• Rest and just focus on what you can do and have control over. For those of us who with a personality that is sensitive to trauma, be conscious of vicarious trauma caused by witnessing the overwhelming experiences of Covid- 19 and other disasters.
• Reflect: Reflection will help you to be in the present moment and remain sensitive to the demands and changes brought about by Covid-19 situation.
• Deeply connect with your inner soul and inner strength and resources to emerge from this situation a more empowered Individual.
• Re-energize and strengthen the body’s immune system; Eat nutritious food, drink water and limit sugar intake.
• Connect with family members with care, love, kindness, understanding, patience, compassion and flexibility.
• Prevent anger, violence or depression by managing frustrations be it with family members or neighbors. An internal locus of control, a solution focused mind set and high frustration tolerance levels will help keep the peace.
• Stay away from substances that are likely to affect your judgment, reaction time or would cause you to act irrationally, violently or cause brain damage e.g. misuse of prescription drugs, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of illegal and hard drugs.

Dealing with children

Actively listen to them by using the learning principle of moving from known to unknown. Be patient and have an understanding attitude with the children. Children may respond to difficult/unsettling situations in different ways: clinging to caregivers, feeling anxious, withdrawing, feeling angry or agitated, having nightmares, bed-wetting, frequent mood-changes, among others. Some of the tips that you can employ include:

• Provide facts about what is going on and give clear child-friendly information about how to reduce risk of infection and stay safe in words they can understand. Demonstrate to children and model how they can keep themselves safe (e.g., show them how to effectively and regularly and wash their hands ).
• Help children find positive ways to express disturbing feelings such as anger, fear and sadness. Respond calmly when their emotions are elevated.
• Encourage an increased sensitive and caring environment around your child. Children need adults’ love and more dedicated attention during difficult times. It is important for you to manage your emotions so that you can remain calm and listen to your children’s concerns.
• Keep regular routines and schedules as much as possible or help create new ones in a new environment, including learning, playing and relaxing. If possible, maintain schoolwork, study or other routine activities that don’t endanger them.

Be present and involved in their lives at this time when you can bond more with them.

Dealing with older relatives

Older adults are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 given their limited information sources, weaker immune systems, and the higher COVID-19 mortality rate found in the older population.

Share simple facts about what is going on and give clear information about how to reduce risk of infection in words older people with/without cognitive impairment can understand. Repeat the information whenever necessary.

• Provide older adults with accurate accessible information and facts about the COVID-19 outbreak, the progression, treatment, and effective strategies to prevent an infection.
• Maintain regular contact with your older relatives. Call them regularly, and if possible, have physical visits to check on them.
• Older people might not be familiar with the use of protective devices or prevention methods or refuse to use them. Communicate instructions on how they can use protective devices in a clear, concise, respectful and patient way.
• Older people tend not to exercise or not know the importance of physical fitness specially when confined to their home. Provide them with simple physical exercises to perform at their home/in quarantine to maintain mobility and reduce boredom.
• Older people are sometimes very good with their long-term memories and they enjoy relating repeatedly some of their past experiences. Be patient and encourage them to relate their pleasant “stories” by offering a listening ear.

Should you feel overwhelmed, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Counseling Center team listed below, who are on call to listen to any of your concerns and allay any fears you may have.

• Patrick Obel – +254 721 466526
• Noel Khayanje – +254 722 964832
• Lucy Kungu – +254 722 695414
• Lydia Winda - +254 799 588614

Counseling Center

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

As you are aware, we have successfully completed the Spring 2020 semester, which towards its end marked our first successful rollout of online learning at the University following the closure of all institutions of learning. This was done in order to slow the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after Kenya reported its first case early last month.

To ensure that the quality of online instruction remained uninterrupted during this period, the University partnered with Safaricom to launch a subsidized mobile data bundle dubbed ‘Remote learning Mobile Data Bundle Subsidy’ to students and faculty who enrolled online for the service when the announcement was made.

It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce that this service is now live. This means that you can now subscribe to the service, and begin the purchase of data bundles in preparation for the Summer semester. To access the service, simply follow the steps below:

• Dial *544*60# from your Safaricom line.
• Select option 1: “Buy 10GB @ Ksh 500 ”.
• You shall then be prompted to pay for the pass from your airtime or through MPESA.
• A message confirming successful purchase will be sent to you, including a link to the Educational Data Pass.
• When you click on the link, you will be redirected to the University’s E-Learning portal to begin using your Educational Data Pass.

Through the partnership, students and faculty will get a 10GB data bundle at a discounted cost of Kes. 500 for a period of 30 days to enhance their access to e-learning platforms. The same data bundle costs Kes. 1,800 in the market. In addition, students and faculty who may have challenges accessing a device could procure one via Safaricom’ s e-commerce platform, Masoko.

While using the bundle, please note that it only supports access to Blackboard, the CX system and the Library platform. In the event that it incorporates third party providers e.g. Zoom and BlueJeans, you will be updated accordingly. We will continue to keep you updated on any other new measures that we will take to ensure that our online instruction continues to remain as seamless as possible, while allowing you to continue enjoying rich and engaging learning experiences.

For any additional information, please refer to the Terms and Conditions of Service.

In light of the recent development regarding the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country, we continue to closely monitor the evolving dynamics of the outbreak and its impact on our community.

According to the latest information released by the Government on March 23, 2020, the country has recorded nine new cases of Coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 16. As such, we would like to urge you to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations that have been set out to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The University has put measures in place to ensure that the campus continues to be safe for our community. There are sanitization points across the campus and we have also introduced the use of thermal scanners at the gate, where we will also ask any incoming visitors a few relevant questions to ensure better screening and records of anyone coming onto the campus grounds.

As communicated to you earlier, the University is currently maintaining a skeleton staff drawn from the departments essential to the operation of the University, which include:

• Security (operational for 24 hours on a shift basis)
• Finance (operational daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
• The University Health Services (operational for 24 hours on a shift basis)
• Maintenance and Administration (operational daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
• Housing Services (operational for 24 hours on a shift basis)
• The Cafeteria (operational daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• The IT Department (operational daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• Transport (operational daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
• Academic and Student affairs. Faculty will continue to support academic continuity activities, teaching and learning online until the end of the semester. Academic advisors can be reached through advisors@usiu.ac.ke for academic advising and pre-registration support.

In addition to these departments, the Registrar’s Office will be open every day this week, with one member of staff for each day, to oversee the pre-registration process. The Admissions Department will also have three staff members available daily to handle admissions requests from prospective students. These departments will report from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Expect your managers to reach out to you if you are among the defined essential services above. In the event that you have any challenges in the execution of your duties, please contact your managers so that we can see how best to support each of you during this time.

We are also working to ensure that the International students who are currently on campus will be able to return to their respective homes as we await any further updates from the Government. Currently, no visitors are allowed on campus, except for essential staff.

We would like to urge you to avoid all non-essential travel in order to safeguard yourselves and your families from contracting the Coronavirus. Additionally, practice safe food handling/preparation and avoid packed take away foods and drinks as much as possible to safeguard your health from potential food poisoning due to contamination.

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

In the university’s efforts to mitigate against the unforeseen interruption that has been caused by the Coronavirus, it has become necessary to continue the delivery of instruction remotely until the end of the semester using channels such as Blackboard Learn, Learning Management System (LMS), along with other instructional tools and resources.

In order to ensure that learning continues until the end of the semester, the following measures have been put in place:

• Teaching and learning will continue with the Blackboard platform as the default mode of interaction. However, faculty will also use other modes such as Skype, Zoom, BlueJeans, WhatsApp and e-mail for learning and communication with you. The faculty will record class sessions where necessary for students who are not able to attend a synchronous class through the use of video conferencing applications.
• You will be required to attend online classes, submit assignments on time as instructed by their lecturers, and participate in and manage group work.
• Supervision of students undertaking their dissertations and theses will continue through email and online communication.
• Global trips planned for DBA and any other programs are postponed until further notice.
• Community service has been stopped as from March 17, 2020 as some involve students going to communities that may have heightened exposure to the coronavirus.
• The Internship Office will reach out to employers that have MOUs with USIU-Africa to work out modalities for the students to complete their programs online where possible.
• Online Pre-Registration for the 2020 Summer semester begins on Monday, March 23, 2020. All students registering for this semester can access the schedule on the website via this link resource/summer-2020-course-schedule

In the event that you may require any additional support, the University will be offering support for online instruction between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. every weekday and between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays through the following channels:

• Phone: +254 0730116333
• WhatsApp: +254 0735000377
• E-mail: helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke

We continue to encourage the USIU-Africa community on the need to practice good hygiene during this time. Should you develop flu like symptoms, contact the University Health Services Department on 0730116759 or extension 760/761/762/763 or 0780 334668 or tyamani@usiu.ac.ke and seek immediate medical attention.

The University is in touch with the Ministry of Health for further guidance with regards to access to isolation and treatment facilities, should the need arise.

For any additional information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and the University’s communication about it, please visit this page:communication-to-the-university-community-regarding-the-corona-virus-outbreak/

I wish to thank and commend you for embracing the continuation of instructional delivery remotely to ensure that we complete the Spring Semester with as little disruption as possible. We have the electronic facilities and highly dedicated faculty and support staff to achieve this. This is what it means to be a premier institution of academic excellence with a global perspective, the University that is committed to providing you education to take you places.

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Over the past few weeks, the University’s leadership and key stakeholders have been working to refine contingency plans in the event that the Coronavirus outbreak would necessitate a shutdown of the University.

Following the Government directive that all institutions of learning should close to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, and USIU-Africa’s compliance with the directive, we have put measures in place to ensure that the university continues to operate by providing and maintaining essential services on campus. Each department has developed rosters to ensure they continue running during the shutdown. It is important that the staff agree on how to meet deliverables and maintain productivity and efficiency.

The ICT Department is working closely with several vendors, including Zoom and BlueJeans to ensure that these telecommuting services are continuous and stable during this period of high demand from the campus community. We would like to encourage all staff members, where possible, to work remotely except for employees working in critical or essential services necessary for the operation of the University. These include:

• Management Board - Members will continue working as normal both online and where necessary come physically to campus. MB will hold regular virtual meetings every Tuesday and Friday mornings to review updates on the continuation of teaching and learning and the operations of the essential services. The MB will also hold meetings in case of any emergencies.
• Security – These services will continue to operate during this period.
• Finance - Financial Clearance, Daily Receipting of payments made to USIU-Africa, Payroll, Petty Cash, Cash flow Planning, Project Accounting, Payment Processing, Supplier Payments, Collection of Invoices, Bank Reconciliations, Journals, Budgets, Approval of Payments by Bank Signatories will continue to operate during this period.
• University Health Services - The medical center will remain operational with minimum staff and can be reached through 0730116759 or extension 760/761/762/763 or 0780 334668 or tyamani@usiu.ac.ke.
• Insurance – To get a list of approved hospitals, visit resource/madison-insurance-panel-list-. The emergency contact for any urgent insurance matters is 0748590729 or 0780640963 or mwanderi@usiu.ac.ke.
• Maintenance, cleaning and grounds – These services will be ongoing during the duration of the closure.
• Housing Services – Will continue providing support as students continue to travel back home.
• The Cafeteria- The team will work in shifts to ensure that they provide breakfast, 10 O’clock tea, lunch and dinner for essential staff on campus.
• ICT Department - All calls to various ICT support desks located at various buildings on campus (e.g. ext. 160, 714, 800) shall be diverted to 0730116333 located at the Call Centre. All Helpdesk tickets will be attended to remotely and onsite and monitored weekly using our Business Intelligence (BI) tool in order to re-purpose resources on an ongoing basis.
• Transport- A list of all staff providing essential services has been forwarded to the transport supervisor. Arrangements have been made to ensure pick-ups and drop-offs at designated stops.
• The Coronavirus Emergency Team will continue their training plan for the various teams and provide emergency services. Prof. Njeri Wamae and Dr. Tasneem Yamani will provide support during this period.

We continue to encourage the USIU-Africa community on the need to practice good hygiene during this time. All employees are advised to report any flu-like symptoms to the Health Services department who will be operating during this period. The University is in touch with the Ministry of Health for further guidance with regards to access to isolation and treatment facilities, should the need arise.

For any additional queries, please contact the Human Resources department through the Director of Administration, Night Nzovu on nnzovu@usiu.ac.ke.

For any additional information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and the University’s communication about it, please visit: communication-to-the-university-community-regarding-the-corona-virus-outbreak/

I wish to thank you for the commitment and energy you have all taken to ensure that we continue providing essential administrative services to the University. It is this spirit of dedication and collaboration that will ensure that we manage the coronavirus crisis effectively and emerge from the campus closure stronger than ever.

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Over the past few weeks, the University’s leadership and key stakeholders have been working to refine contingency plans in the event that the Coronavirus outbreak would necessitate a shutdown of the University.

Following the Government directive that all institutions of learning should close to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, and USIU-Africa’s compliance with the directive, we have now transitioned to online learning for all graduate and undergraduate classes, to the greatest extent possible.

We recognize that this is a significant adjustment for everyone in the University community, and as such, the university is providing support to faculty and students in the form of trainings on how to make use of the platforms identified to provide remote instruction. To ensure that we continue to fulfill our core mandate of research, teaching and learning during this period, the University resolved to put in place the following measures during a special sitting of the University Senate and Deans Committee held on March 16 and 17, respectively:

• Teaching and learning will continue, with the Blackboard platform as the default mode of instruction. However, faculty will have the liberty to use other modes such as Skype, Zoom, BlueJeans, WhatsApp and e-mail for learning and communication with the students.
• USIU-Africa Online team will continue with the training of faculty on the specific skills required to ensure full optimization of the online platforms.
• All faculty will be required to document the activities they undertake in ensuring that teaching and learning took place during the period. The documentation will be submitted to the chairs of departments at the end of the semester as part of the course file.
• The ICT Department will provide reports indicating statistics on the usage of the Blackboard platform by both students and faculty on a weekly basis. These reports will be reviewed by the Deans, who will share the findings through a virtual meeting whose date will be mutually agreed once the reports are received.
• The supervision of students undertaking their dissertations and theses will continue through email and online communication.
• Global trips planned for DBA and any other programs will be postponed until further notice.

Administration of final examinations

The University Senate resolved to allow faculty flexibility in conducting the end of semester assessments, with some of the options recommended to include open book examinations, projects, term papers, case studies and recorded videos for tasks that require observation. Each faculty member will be accountable for the integrity of examinations in their class.

Where open book examinations will be used as assessment method, you will be required to share the examination questions with your Chair of Department who will constitute a committee to peer review the questions on a virtual platform before the examination is administered. Scheduled oral examinations will be done virtually.

Essential Services

The ICT Department is working closely with several vendors, including Zoom and BlueJeans to ensure that these services are continuous and stable during this period of high demand from the campus community. In the event that you may require any additional support, the University will be offering support for online instruction between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. every weekday and between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays through the following channels:

• Phone: 0730116333
• WhatsApp: 0735000377
• E-mail: helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke

For more information on the university’s instructional preparedness, visit: www.usiu.ac.ke/usiu-africa-instructional-continuity-preparedness

I wish to thank you for the commitment and energy you have all taken to ensure that we continue providing rigorous teaching and learning to our students. It is this spirit of dedication and collaboration that will ensure that we manage the coronavirus crisis effectively and emerge from the campus closure stronger than ever.

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

This is a follow up to the message sent yesterday afternoon. The University will be closed today, March 17, 2020, at 12:00 p.m.

We have put in place mechanisms to ensure that faculty and students remain engaged and that the students are able to receive instruction using Blackboard and other online and distance learning platforms for the completion of the Spring Semester. Directions will be communicated.

International students are encouraged to leave the hostels by Friday, March 20, 2020. For any inquiries, please contact the International Students Office.

Members of staff offering essential services will be advised on business continuity by their respective Divisional heads.

We urge all of you to continue observing high standards of hygiene and conforming to the standards set regarding social contact.

For further assistance, please contact the University Health Services Department on the following telephone numbers: 0730116759, 0730116760, 0730116761, 0730116762, 0730116763, 0780 334668, or send an email to tyamani@usiu.ac.ke.

For any additional information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and the University’s communication about it, please visit this page.

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear Parent/Guardian,

As we continue to monitor the news of Coronavirus and its effects in the region and more importantly, in the country, USIU-Africa would like to assure you that the health of our students and the campus community at large will always be our top priority. Following three confirmed cases in the country, the government issued a directive to close all universities by March 20, 2020 in attempt to contain the spread of the virus.

The Campus will close to students on March 20, 2020. However, all classes will continue online and students can access their assignments through the learning portal, Blackboard. We have put in place channels to continually communicate to students regarding the spread of the virus, with an emphasis on hygiene, safe food practices, frequent hand washing and the maintenance of general cleanliness. Additionally, we have a Taskforce in place that is monitoring the situation, as well as implementing awareness campaigns, training and precautionary measures to ensure that the safety of our students is not compromised.

However, we would also like to request your help in certain areas to ensure their safety:

• The students’ learning portal, Blackboard, will be updated regularly with teaching materials. During the closure, students will log in to the portal to access their assignments and lectures.

• Due to the sudden nature of the announcement by the Government, we understand that some of our international students may have a hard time travelling back home, especially for those students who come from places that have confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and are under travel bans. The University will support such students to ensure that they stay safe and secure, even as the students make arrangements to travel back home.

• Until closure, each student, staff and faculty entering the campus will undergo a mandatory sanitization procedure to minimize the risk of infection.

• Until closure, students who live at home suffering from respiratory infections such as coughs, fevers, sore throat, and shortness of breath must see a health specialist for an appropriate diagnosis to be made. We have encouraged our community to take necessary measures and avoid coming to campus should they exhibit flu-like symptoms.

• In the event that a student falls ill on campus, until closure, they will be attended to at the University Health Services. Should the symptoms be considered serious, the student will be isolated and you will be given a call requesting you to pick up your dependent immediately. Please treat all calls from the University as an emergency and make arrangements to pick up your dependent in the shortest time possible.

• All students, staff and faculty members are advised to practice etiquette when sneezing or coughing, social distancing and avoid physical contact, such as handshakes, hugging and kissing. Ensure that this is also carried out at home.

• All sports fixtures, meetings, trips and events have been cancelled until further notice. We also discourage any nonessential travel, both domestically and internationally, especially to countries that have reported cases of the Coronavirus. If you decide to travel, we will require the student to declare the destination of travel, the duration and the reason for travel. The student may have to undergo a self-quarantine of 14 days before reporting back to the University. The government has also put in place a travel ban that restricts unnecessary travel for the next 30 days.

• USIU-Africa encourages minimal guests during this period. All visitors to the campus will be required to declare whether they have traveled in the recent past.

Because the situation is currently dynamic, we shall keep you continuously informed regarding the situation, as well as its impact on the university community, and the measures we are putting in place to ensure the safety of our community.

For further assistance, contact the University Health Services Department on 0730116759 or extension 760/761/762/763 or 0780 334668 or tyamani@usiu.ac.ke .

Best Regards,

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Dear USIU-Africa Community,

On Sunday, March 15, the Government confirmed two further cases of Coronavirus in Kenya, following the initial confirmation made on Friday, March 13 regarding the first Coronavirus case in the country.

Consequently, the Government has announced several containment measures designed to deter the spread of the virus, including the suspension of learning in all educational institutions for two weeks, with Universities and Tertiary Institutions expected to close by Friday, March 20.

USIU-Africa will close on March 20, 2020. Any changes will be communicated officially.

Our last update to you indicated that there were no reports of any members of the University community having contracted the virus. However, in light of the recent announcement by the Government regarding the closure of learning institutions, we have put in place the following measures:

Academic Continuity

Over the past few weeks, the University’s leadership and key stakeholders have been working to refine contingency plans in the event that the Coronavirus outbreak would necessitate a shutdown of the University. To this end, we will be transitioning to online teaching for all graduate and undergraduate classes, to the greatest extent possible. We recognize that this is a significant adjustment for everyone in the University community, and as such, the university is providing support to faculty and students in the form of trainings on how to make use of the platforms identified to provide remote instruction.

The ICT Department is working closely with several vendors, including Zoom and BlueJeans to ensure that these services are continuous and stable during this period of high demand from the campus community. USIU-Africa will continue to leverage our expertise to ensure the continuity of our mandate of teaching and research.

International Students

Due to the sudden nature of the announcement by the Government, we understand that some of our international students may have a hard time travelling back home, especially for those students who come from places that have confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and are under travel bans.

The University will support such students to ensure that they stay safe and secure, even as the students make arrangements to travel back home.

All students and employees are advised to report any flu-like symptoms to the Health Services department who will be operating during this period.

Business Continuity

In line with the impending shut down, the University will maintain a skeleton staff drawn from the departments considered critical for the operation of the University.

Health and wellbeing

Protecting the health and well-being of our community is at the forefront during this difficult time. To this end, we would like to emphasize the need to practice good hygiene at this time and maintain social distancing. Social distancing entails keeping a distance of at least 1 meter. Social distancing measures will limit the number of instances where community members are gathering in large groups and spending periods of time in close proximity with each other. By reducing the number and proximity of people on campus, we can slow the potential transmission of the virus and limit exposure for all members of our community.

For further assistance, contact the University Health Services Department on 0730116759 or extension 760/761/762/763 or 0780 334668 or tyamani@usiu.ac.ke and seek immediate medical attention.

Best Regards,

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza

Vice Chancellor

Please click here to view USIU-Africa Instructional Continuity Preparedness.

Dear USIU Africa Community,

As we continue to monitor the evolving situation of the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) and its impact across the globe and the continent, USIU-Africa is instituting new restrictions on campus events and on travel, in the interests of protecting the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

As indicated in our earlier communique to you, there have been no reports of any members of the campus or the nation at large contracting the coronavirus, and as such, the University remains open at this time. In the event that any decision is made to change USIU-Africa’s operating status, we will communicate that with you as soon as possible.

However, in the interest of our safety, USIU-Africa is now postponing or cancelling events involving large events or other work-related gatherings scheduled to take place on campus until the end of March, in keeping with the Government directive on the avoidance of large gatherings during this time.

This includes events sponsored by the University and by individual schools, departments or units; student-sponsored events; and events sponsored and organized by external organizations. Due to the unpredictable nature of the outbreak and its potential impact on attendees, we regret to inform you that the following events have been cancelled:

• All Culture Week Activities.
• The planned sports teams & Admissions Department trip to Uganda.
• All sports tournaments within and outside the country.

While we recognize that these postponements and/or cancellations are disruptive and disappointing, it is essential that we prioritize the health and safety of all members our campus community. With additional cancellations likely to be made in the future as needed, we recommend that you keep in touch with the organizers of the events as well as with the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs for the latest updates.

We would also like to reiterate that all travel by staff, students and faculty requires approval by the University Health Services. Travel is prohibited to countries with a CDC Warning Level 3 Travel Health Notice — Avoid All Non-Essential Travel. As of this date, the countries with this warning level as a result of COVID-19 are Italy, Iran, South Korea, and China (this does not include Hong Kong, Macau, or the island of Taiwan).

All students who may have travelled through or from countries with a CDC Warning Level 3 or through countries with reported coronavirus outbreaks will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days before they will be allowed to return to campus. “Self-quarantine” means remaining at home, not going to classes or work, limiting time outside of the home, and monitoring your health for at least 14 days after you were last in any Level 3 country, or any with a reported outbreak of the virus.

Should you fall sick with flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, contact the University Health Services Department on 0730116759 or extension 760/761/762/763 or 0780 334668 or tyamani@usiu.ac.ke and seek immediate medical attention. If you are away from campus, you can contact the Ministry of Health though the following toll-free hotlines: 0800721316, 0732353535, 0729471414.