Coronavirus Resources

An update from our Facilities team:

We are responding to the Coronavirus in the following ways:

Our custodial staff has scheduled a thorough deep clean and sanitizing of all common space and high touch areas throughout the PSR facility. Our custodian will cover the basic high touch areas as he moves through the building each night, such as, doors, light switches, general vertical and horizontal surfaces. They will be selecting a disinfectant sanitizing solution that has a high kill germ rate in ppm as recommended by the CDC.

We are working with Hudson McDonald to complete advance preparation and Berkeley Public Health to provide contact information that will allow us to work together to provide all necessary services.

Berkeley Public Health advises that if you have flu-like symptoms and require immediate medical care, call 911 and inform EMS personnel that you may be infected with the Coronavirus. If you do not need immediate medical attention, you should contact your health care provider and they will make necessary health care decisions. Make sure to call your health care provider and follow their direction as to whether or not you need to plan an in-person visit.

Sign Up for GTU Alerts

We would like to take this opportunity to remind all students, faculty and staff to sign up for our emergency notification system, called GTU-ALERTS to receive short emergency announcements via text and email. This is particularly important in our current situation as events continue to unfold.

In order to participate in this system, you will need to sign up at: https://gtu.omnilert.net/subscriber.php?command=show_signup

You are encouraged to configure as many email addresses and mobile phone numbers as you regularly monitor in order to have the best coverage in case of emergency. The account expires one year from the date of creation unless you renew it. Renewal is a simple matter of clicking on a link contained in the expiration emails or texts you will receive when your account expiration approaches.

3-18-20

City of Berkeley Shelter in Place Advisory

3-9-2020

For information about the disease itself, please see the CDC COVID-19 web site: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

For updates on the status of the spread of the virus in our own area, please consult Alameda County Public Health Department Situation Updates : http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov.aspx

What you can do now: Stay informed and regularly check your email for the latest, most updated information. Practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of all viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay at home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Stock up on extra supplies of food and medicine in order to avoid going out in public at a time when infection appears more likely.

Berkeley Free Clinic:
berkeleyfreeclinic.org
Phone:   (510) 548-2570
Address: 2339 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704

Please visit https://www.gtu.edu/coronavirus-resources-gtu

• The Office of Community Life is committed to doing our part to ensure the safety and support of students, staff and faculty during this time of uncertainty and concern raised by the Coronavirus. We are equally committed to helping maintain a sense of connection and community even as we take preventative measures associated with the recommendations coming from the CDC and the Alameda County Public Health Department (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) – (http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov.aspx)
• During the next two weeks, the Office of Community Life will continue its normal operations and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rev. Ann Jefferson will be in the office each day and available for pastoral support and referrals. Please check for notifications about presence during Reading Week.

CAPSR Council Actions

PSR’s CAPSR (Community Association of PSR) Council leaders* met on Monday evening to discuss udates and issues related to the well-being of the student body.  Here are key highlights of that conversation:

We will also shop and stock our student Food Pantry by this weekend which will be located in the Student Lounge;

• The Dining Hall will continue to be accessible (by code) to students, staff and faculty for study and informal gathering;
• The FB poll also includes a space for folks to respond if available and willing to provide transportation for other students who may need to get to appointments or to pick up medicines or other supplies;
• CAPSR Council would also like to know if there are off-campus students who may be living alone and subject to a sense of isolation. We want to stay in touch with those students (please contact Jude Johnson – jjohnson1@ses.psr.edu – or Sara Fread – sfread@ses.psr.edu and look out for a “Helping Hands” link in the next few days.

*Current CAPSR Council leaders include Jude Johnson, Catherine Cejda, Sara Fread, Maggie Guekguezian, Carla Halyard, Farinwa Huff, Zeb Hurst, Alexandria Johnson, Dru Johnson, William Martin, Brandt Miller and Susan Solverson.

Stay informed and regularly check your email for the latest, most updated information. Practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of all viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay at home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Stock up on extra supplies of food and medicine in order to avoid going out in public at a time when infection appears more likely.
• If you are feeling unwell or experiencing fever, shortness of breath or cough call your health practitioner FIRST and follow their guidelines for further action. If you are uninsured, please contact the Berkeley Free Clinic: org
  Phone:   (510) 548-2570

As President Vásquez-Levy has reminded us, “This is a moment where our own practices of spiritual rootedness and leadership can help us be present to one another and to our larger community with our prayers, support for each other, and resisting the power of fear. We ask of our community to be mindful and compassionate, as well as informed and prepared. We strive to maintain an appropriate level of response and to learn more about stigma and resilience with facts and information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Above all, may we encourage one another with these words from the prophet Isaiah, “Tell everyone who is discouraged, ‘Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4

Please visit https://www.gtu.edu/projects/scel

August 1, 2020

To whom it may concern:

1. Pacific School of Religion has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the Department of Education and will use no less than 50 percent of the funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
2. We are approved for $12,221.00 in funding for students. In addition, PSR transferred an additional $22,279.00 from its federal work study allocation. This brings the total emergency grants to students to $34,500.
3. $12,221.00 has been distributed to students along with the additional $22,279, based on student’s unmet need.
4. 44 students were eligible to participate and all 44 students have received an emergency assistance grant ranging from $500.00 to $1,000.00.
5. All residential students who had previously applied for federal financial aid were reviewed. Refunds were immediately generated for direct payment to the students through bill.com.
6. Students were advised that eligible expenses included food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, child care, or any additional student-related expenses and that they needed to be eligible for Federal Financial Aid to receive this grant.

Sincere regards,

Murry Evans
Vice President for Enrollment

Office of Community Life

• The Office of Community Life is committed to doing our part to ensure the safety and support of students, staff and faculty during this time of uncertainty and concern raised by the Coronavirus. We are equally committed to helping maintain a sense of connection and community even as we take preventative measures associated with the recommendations coming from the CDC and the Alameda County Public Health Department (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) – (http://www.acphd.org/2019-ncov.aspx)
• During the next two weeks, the Office of Community Life will continue its normal operations and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rev. Ann Jefferson will be in the office each day and available for pastoral support and referrals. Please check for notifications about presence during Reading Week.

CAPSR Council Actions

PSR’s CAPSR (Community Association of PSR) Council leaders* met on Monday evening to discuss udates and issues related to the well-being of the student body.  Here are key highlights of that conversation:

We will also shop and stock our student Food Pantry by this weekend which will be located in the Student Lounge;

• The Dining Hall will continue to be accessible (by code) to students, staff and faculty for study and informal gathering;
• The FB poll also includes a space for folks to respond if available and willing to provide transportation for other students who may need to get to appointments or to pick up medicines or other supplies;
• CAPSR Council would also like to know if there are off-campus students who may be living alone and subject to a sense of isolation. We want to stay in touch with those students (please contact Jude Johnson – jjohnson1@ses.psr.edu – or Sara Fread – sfread@ses.psr.edu and look out for a “Helping Hands” link in the next few days.

*Current CAPSR Council leaders include Jude Johnson, Catherine Cejda, Sara Fread, Maggie Guekguezian, Carla Halyard, Farinwa Huff, Zeb Hurst, Alexandria Johnson, Dru Johnson, William Martin, Brandt Miller and Susan Solverson.

Stay informed and regularly check your email for the latest, most updated information. Practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of all viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay at home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Stock up on extra supplies of food and medicine in order to avoid going out in public at a time when infection appears more likely.
• If you are feeling unwell or experiencing fever, shortness of breath or cough call your health practitioner FIRST and follow their guidelines for further action. If you are uninsured, please contact the Berkeley Free Clinic: org
  Phone:   (510) 548-2570

As President Vásquez-Levy has reminded us, “This is a moment where our own practices of spiritual rootedness and leadership can help us be present to one another and to our larger community with our prayers, support for each other, and resisting the power of fear. We ask of our community to be mindful and compassionate, as well as informed and prepared. We strive to maintain an appropriate level of response and to learn more about stigma and resilience with facts and information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Above all, may we encourage one another with these words from the prophet Isaiah, “Tell everyone who is discouraged, ‘Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue…” Isaiah 35:4

As we seek to respond to the challenges of this moment with vision, resilience, and skill, PSR offered Tuesday webinars with perspectives from our faculty, staff, alumni, and broader community. Hosted by Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy and Dr. Susan Abraham, each week’s webinar drew on the richness of our theological, spiritual, and academic traditions to offer perspective, reflections on the lectionary readings for the following Sunday, and practical ideas for worship and community life.

From: PSR President’s Office <president@psr.edu>
Subject: Gratitude, Cafeteria, On-Line Option in the Fall
Date: April 6, 2020 at 7:17:30 PM EDT

Dear PSR Students:

The Coronavirus Pandemic and the required responses to contain the spread have had an unprecedented impact on our communities, economy, and our personal lives.  I am grateful for the ways we have, as a community, come together to support one another and to adapt our educational delivery and operations to be able to continue to serve our critical mission.  We have truly risen to this challenge in our immediate response.

As we continue to adapt to new realities, I wanted to provide you with some important updates on our life together.

• Cafeteria:  In order to respond to increased concerns about virus spread, we will be suspending food operations after this week.  Instead, we will designate funds budgeted for the cafeteria towards providing students with eGift cards for Safeway.  Students interested in receiving an eGift card should write to Mz. Ann at ajefferson@psr.edu by this Thursday, April 9 at noon.  Please put “Safeway eGift Card” on the subject line.  The number of students who request cards will determine the amount per card with a maximum allotment possible of $200.  Additionally, we will increase the funds available for the food pantry to support food insecure students. We are grateful to Mz. Ann, volunteer faculty and staff, and student leaders who have helped to arrange for meals over the last couple of weeks.

• Distance Learning Options in the Fall: While we look forward to returning to on-campus courses next semester, the PSR Faculty have voted to offer a distance learning option for all of the courses in the first year of the stackable curriculum starting this fall.  Additionally, the faculty will make every effort to accommodate students in other courses who need to attend remotely.  We are providing a distance learning option to respond to what could be extended limits on social gatherings, but also to make our education more broadly available in this critical time.  The type of spiritually-rooted leadership at the heart of our community will be critically needed as we seek new ways of being in the world in the aftermath of this pandemic.

• Financial Need: At PSR we are committed to partnering with students in making education as accessible as we can.  The current crisis may have significant implications on the financial situation of some in our community.  Students facing difficulties paying this semester’s tuition or housing because of loss of income due to the Coronavirus should contact our Bursar at bursar@psr.edu to request a conversation about the possibility of a payment plan.

Together with all of our educational, denominational, and mission partners, we join the broader society in holding the uncertainty of what this will mean in the long term.  The months ahead will indeed be challenging.  The sacred stories we will remember and enact during Holy Week and Passover hold great sustaining power for us as they name the realities of grief, loss, hope, and possibility even in the most difficult moments of our life.

Peace,

David

Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy

President

P.S.  Chef Dion let us know he has decided he will not be able to continue providing meals due to the risks involved in securing ingredients and distributing meals.  Mz. Ann will coordinate meals from Ann’s Catering for the weeks of April 6th to on-campus residents.  It is helpful here to provide some clarity regarding the operation of the cafeteria and the CAPSR Fee.  PSR invests significantly in the staffing, maintenance, and operation of the cafeteria.  The Community Association of PSR Fee (CAPSR Fee) helps to defray some of the costs directly related to preparing the meals.  As a way to encourage students to engage and benefit from the cafeteria, PSR has been providing students with a 20-meal card per semester.  The CAPSR Fee covers only a portion of the cost of those meals and therefore does not have an equivalent cash value that could be reimbursed.  That fee also helps support a number of community events and the work of CAPSR and resources they can offer to student groups.

3-26-20

Dear PSR Community,

We are living in an extraordinary time. We are navigating so many changes at an unbelievable speed, because of the pandemic. In this time, we are painfully aware of the fragility of life and the interconnected web of created life. COVID-19 has revealed to us the limits of our narratives of personal freedom, consumer availability and blind belief in technological progress and growth. It has also revealed the strength and creativity of our communities. I am grateful to say that on the whole, our faculty, staff and students have more than met the challenge of holding our community together as we traverse these uncharted waters.

In light of the unfolding COVID-19 situation, we have been working to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff by complying with all directives from the health departments on social and physical distancing. There continue to be no confirmed cases of the virus on our campus or at the GTU. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to observe the need for us to shelter in place. As we announced previously, classes will continue to be on-line through the end of the semester.  Additionally, we have decided that campus will remain closed through May 1, in coordination with the decision by many area public schools.

These months normally would have been full of excited planning and preparation for the Senior class as we approached the many end of year celebrations for the graduating seniors–PSR’s signature Prom, end of year party, Senior chapel, and of course celebrating the accomplishments of our students at Commencement. Families and friends of the graduating class would have been making preparations to come to PSR from near and far. We are, however, not in that ordinary time.

This year, and with great sadness, we have to announce that we will be canceling the in-person Commencement exercises for this year.  We will, however, ritualize Commencement and the accomplishments of our graduates remotely.  Rev. Ann Jefferson, Director of Community Life, Todd Atkins-Whitley, Interim Director of Worship, and the student leadership in CAPSR will bring their immense talent and creative energies to bear on a meaningful and inspiring online event. We want to embrace the accomplishments of our graduates, and honor them with the well-deserved recognition for their achievements. We are considering what will be the best avenue to highlight the accomplishments of our graduates and we will continue to update you with our plans.

We realize how disappointing this news is. In these uncertain times, the gifts and abilities of our graduates will be crucial lifelines, providing inspiration and guidance to so many in need. I firmly believe that our students, faculty and staff are able to be generative and creative even in contexts that baffle others. Therefore, it is with hope that we as a community, look forward to celebrating our students with their loved ones and communities in the future.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at communications@psr.edu if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

David

Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy
President

3-17-20

From Dean Abraham

Grades:

1. You will be able to choose a Letter Grade option or a P/F option for your classes (both required and electives) this semester. Once you make your choice you may not change this option. Faculty have already been providing extensions on assignments to students who need it. Please talk with your instructors if you need accommodations of time.
2. Since we are past the time for refunds for courses, we will not be doing so.

Library:

The GTU Library is currently closed to all but essential personnel in compliance with a Shelter-In-Place Order issued on March 16, 2020.  However, the Library continues to provide access to digital resources and provide remote services to our academic communities.  The following services are in place:

• Ask-a-librarian chat: available from the library webpages, the reference librarians will be online M-F from 10a-5p.
• Email: send all questions (about anything) to library@gtu.edu
• Zoom one-on-one help: by appointment, email us, and we can set up a time to meet.
• In-class instruction: we can teach a live instruction session in zoom for your class, showing them how to search online and answer questions. This can be tailored to a particular assignment, or we can demonstrate specific resources, search strategies, and online tools.
• Quick Online Tutorial: Short Tutorial about Searching
• Distance Students Guide: Guide for Distance Students
• Extended due dates: No items will be due while we are closed, we have extended all due dates. Please login to your library account to see these changes. However, if students are leaving the Bay Area, the book return at 2400 Ridge Road is available for drop off of items.
• Online workshops: Yes, we are preparing more workshops to be held in zoom. Workshops will be advertised on the library homepage and workshops page.
• Full access for special students: Some categories of people (like auditors) only had in-library access to digital materials like ebooks. For the duration of the semester the Library has extended full remote access to anyone sitting in on classes. If you have students in these categories, and they don’t know how to login, please have them email library@gtu.edu

This information can also be found on the Remote Library Resources page.

3-21-20

Dear PSR Community:

My prayers and those of our whole community are with each of you, your loved ones, communities, and our broader world as we navigate a challenging time together.  The uncertainty of this moment—what we do not know—exacerbates the difficult news of what we do know about the impact of the Coronavirus on individuals, neighborhoods, congregations, healthcare, the economy, etc.  Highlighting the wisdom and strength of our ancestors in times of uncertainty, Hebrews 11:1 speaks of faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Even as we tend to our own wellbeing, I am grateful for the ways the members of our community are demonstrating the kind of spiritually rooted leadership needed today and for the days ahead.  Thanks to everyone’s work and leadership we have successfully implemented the necessary changes so that our education can continue at a distance and we may keep watch for each other’s welfare.  Even though the social distancing requirements across the whole state are emotionally taxing, their importance is critical and through your leadership we are rising to the occasion as a community in creative ways of supporting one another.

I want you to be assured that we continue to be in regular communication with health officials to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our community.  We have formed a task group that meets regularly to assess situation and ensure our proper response.  As we have shared in previous updates, we will inform the community in the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19 among members of our community.  There are currently no confirmed COVID-19 cases at PSR or any of the other GTU schools.  If the circumstances of someone’s health condition grant it, health providers and city officials will notify us of any confirmed cases and guide us through appropriate responses.

Remember that if you have concerns about your health or any symptoms, you should reach out to your health provider.  The practice of social and physical isolation is the best way to prevent any exposure.  Please be sure to regularly check the CDC website for recommendations and for accurate symptoms.  The failures at the top of our national leadership have amply demonstrated that repeating misinformation increases anxiety and undermines our ability to respond appropriately to this moment.  I ask that we follow the advice in 1 Corinthians 12:31 and pursue a “more excellent way”—one guided by speaking truth in love.

We are in regular communication with the other schools in the GTU and attentive to developments at UC Berkeley as each of us responds to the specific circumstances of our communities.  For example, CDSP has decided to close their dormitory and is making plans for the potential use of one of their facilities in the case that there is a need for an escalated response.  These are not steps we are taking at PSR.  Our residential facilities continue to operate.  We are taking the necessary measures following the guidance from health officials.  At this point the only directives are the state wide directives of social distancing and additional cleanings of public areas in our residential halls and apartment buildings, and encourage our students who are in apartments—which is the majority of our housing—to also exercise additional care in their spaces.

The recording of our All School Meeting last Tuesday as well as other resources are available on our website at https://psr.edu/covid-resources/.  We have scheduled another All School Meeting for March 31 at Noon.

If you have specific issues and concerns and are not sure who to address them to, please reach out to us at communications@psr.edu.

May this week’s spring break provide you with rest and renewal.

Peace,

David

Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy
President

3-18-20

Dear PSR Community,

Thank you to all of you who participated in yesterday’s all-school Zoom call. We appreciated your presence and your questions.

• We had a great opportunity to share the ways we are responding to this demanding moment, support one another, and experience the beauty of our community. If you missed the call, here is the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/rec/share/2tZuf5DA8j9JE7fMynmYA_A-LK7baaa8hyVLrKJYxE8kwtz6us2XJRBTo6Lefl0p
• We will continue to provide information on the Coronavirus information page on our website: https://psr.edu/covid-resources/.
• For GTU library updates, please check here: https://www.gtu.edu/coronavirus-resources-gtu.
• The Academic Dean shared a memo with information about grades and the library, which is also available here: https://psr.edu/grades-and-library-updates/.
• We will be continuing to offer virtual Chapel on Tuesdays at 11:10 a.m. This will include this coming Tuesday, even though we are officially on spring break. We hope you will join us online each week for worship. Please check our website for future Chapel information: https://psr.edu/covid-resources/
• We are working with CAPSR Leadership Council to organize a food pantry (a plan that was in the works prior to the pandemic). Some have asked about making a monetary donation to the pantry. If you wish to do so, you please visit https://psr.edu/give/, and designate by selecting “Annual Fund” and writing “Student Pantry” in the designation.
• If you have specific issues and concerns and are not sure who to address them to, please reach out to us at communications@psr.edu.

Finally, find attached the reflection President Vásquez-Levy shared with PSR about how we draw on the traditions of our communities to mark and live through this challenging time.