COVID-19

Messages (most recent & archived)

Access the most recent and archived messages for VIMS and the broader W&M community.

Precautionary Sanitation Measures

In line with CDC recommendations, our Facilities staff is taking a number of steps to maximize wellness on our campus. Precautionary actions include:

1. More frequent disinfection of hard surfaces in high-traffic public areas, such as door hardware, handrails, switches and other controls, and watercoolers
2. Installation of hand-sanitizer stands in high-traffic building entrances
3. Availability of disinfectant wipes in classroom and meeting rooms for wiping down frequently used surfaces.

Caring for Lab Organisms

The DRAS Office has developed a database of critical research activities (e.g., those needed to maintain research animals and live cultures). Contact [[v|luck,Mark Luckenbach]] with any questions.

Building Access

• The exterior doors of Watermen’s Hall are all locked with the exception of the Visitor's Center entrance on the circle.
• All other exterior doors on campus, including those with card access, are locked 24/7 and will remain so until further notice. Please remember to keep your keys and ID cards on you at all times for access.
• The gate to the Boat Basin will remain locked until further notice.
• If you have a key and choose to use it to bypass any lock on campus, it is your responsibility to be sure the lock is secured after you have passed through. 

If you have any issues with access, please submit a work order or call Facilities Management at extension #7300.

Key Request Forms are available here.

Working from Home/Telecommuting

ITNS is taking steps to ensure that faculty, staff, and students are able to connect remotely to office computers via Remote Desktop. Full details are available on their Remote Resources webpage.

Here are some other instructions to help you work from home:

• Configure your VIMS VPN Connection
• Pair your work phone to your mobile phone
• Receive your voicemail in email
• Leave an out-of-office phone message
• Use Zoom for virtual meetings

Access Related Forms

• ITNS Service Request
• Travel Reimbursement Request
• Work from Home Form
• Vessels Response Plan
• Self-Assessment Form

Hargis Library

For guidance concerning the status of library operations at VIMS, read below and consult the latest library-specific messages.

• Hours: The library will be open to the VIMS community from 7am-5pm Monday-Friday during the fall 2020 semester. Librarian Carol Coughlin will be on campus Tuesday and Thursdays, working remotely otherwise. [[v|coughlin,Contact her by email]] for assistance or to have a Zoom session.
• Entrance and Exit:  Use the lower entrance that faces the York River to enter and exit the building. The entrance is located down the steps from the Watermen’s Hall flagpole, off the circle. Those needing the elevator should use a main floor entrance.
• Evening and Weekend Access:  contact Security to access Watermen’s and the library.
• Visitors: For the health and safety of the campus community, only current VIMS students, faculty and staff may enter the library.

News & Media Services

During the coronavirus closure, the News & Media Services office will be available to complete requests for routine services as follows:

Media Services
(Printing, lamination, binding, graphic design, business cards, etc.)

Sue Stein will be in the office 2 days a week for several hours to fulfill these requests. Otherwise, she will be working remotely from home. To promote social distancing, Sue will leave all completed work in the hallway outside of Suite 126 in Davis Hall so individuals can pick up their jobs at their convenience and not only when she is in the office. Please [[v|sstein,email Sue]] with your printing needs, new design requests, and other work that she routinely does for you. She will email you when completed work is ready to pick up.

Cascade Web Management
Continue to [[v|davem,email Dave Malmquist]] with any routine web additions or updates.

News & Social Media
Please contact [[v|davem,Dave Malmquist]] if you have a story concerning how the coronavirus has impacted your research, or if you’d like to share any novel approaches to maintaining your research, educational, or advisory activities in ways that enhance physical and mental health, whether individually or for the broader VIMS community and our social-media audience. As always, please continue to inform Dave of any contacts you have with the media, concerning the coronavirus or otherwise.

Office of Sponsored Programs

OSP employees are working remotely. Until further notice, you can reach them during regular business hours (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) using the contact information below.

• Connie Motley: motley@vims.edu or ext. 7027
• Valerie Woodard: vwoodard@vims.edu or ext. 7003
• Kimberly Johns: kjjohns@vims.edu or ext. 7026
• Adrienne Washington: arwashington@vims.edu or ext. 7798
• Benita Debreaux: badebreaux@vims.edu or ext. 7029
• Azizi Parker: acparker@vims.edu or ext. 7797
• Central email: osp@vims.edu

School of Marine Science

For guidance concerning the status of academic studies at VIMS, consult the most recent Academic Studies Digest e-mail and read the latest SMS messages.

Office of Academic Studies Schedule - Staff Availability
Office of Academic Studies (physical location) is staffed on a reduced schedule. We will all be available by email and Jen Hay and John Griffin will be available by phone, 8 am - 5 pm on business days. Jen can be reached at 804-684-7106 and John can be reached at 804-684-7256. We will all be available for face-to-face appointments via Zoom. If you would like an appointment, contact us via email to arrange a time.

Forms and Signatures
Virtually all of the School of Marine Science forms can be digitally signed and submitted electronically. Please remember that Adobe is the preferred platform and digital (e-signatures) are preferred when forms can be routed electronically to committee members. If you cannot e-sign the form, scanned forms with handwritten signatures will also be accepted. If you do not have immediate access to a scanner, you may initially submit a photo of your signed form via email but a scan or hard copy of the original form should be submitted as a follow up action. Please submit all forms directly to [[registrar]]. We urge you to keep copies of all forms for your own records.

Teaching
The move to remote instruction poses many challenges to anyone in a teaching role, including graduate students. TAs should work closely with their instructor of record to determine what their role will be. Both TAs and Teaching Fellows (those teaching their own course as instructor of record) should familiarize themselves with this online resource developed by the Studio for Teaching and Learning Innovation (STLI) that is intended to help you transition to remote instruction. If a TA has any questions or concerns, please contact Linda Schaffner for graduate courses, or John Graves for undergraduate courses (Teaching Fellows and TAs)

Services Across Campus
While W&M and VIMS remain open for normal business operations at this time, all offices are closed to the public as of March 18^th. The following support services are continuing:

• Health Center – current operating procedures can be found online though this link.
• Counseling Services – Dr. Haygood-Jackson will continue to meet with the VIMS community by offering her counseling services over the phone. Appointments can be scheduled by calling her confidential number: 757-367-9137. Dr. Haygood-Jackson will originate the calls at the start of your scheduled appointment time. W&M’s Counseling Center is not taking any in-person appointments but you can call 757-221-3620 for further information or support.
• The W&M Recreation Center — current operating procedures can be found online though this link.

In addition, it is important that you keep up to date on information by reading emails from Sam Jones, President Rowe, Vice President Ginger Ambler/Student Affairs and VIMS Dean & Director John Wells.

Academic Digest
We will continue to update you on important information and upcoming deadlines for the School of Marine Science through the Academic Digest that is sent out on Tuesday mornings.

Student Check-In Plan
We encourage you to regularly check-in with lab mates and friends during this unusual time of social distancing and telework arrangements. In Academic Studies we are framing this disruption as a great opportunity to explore new ways to do our work and stay connected. We encourage you to think about ways you can stay connected with other students in your department or in smaller groups. If you have any questions or concerns, feel uncertain about how the unfolding events will affect your academic program, or feel isolated in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us in the Office of Academic Studies.