As you know, Southern Louisiana experienced a major hurricane which resulted in infrastructure damage. While our campus suffered minimal structural damage, electricity remains out for all of New Orleans. Many of our faculty and staff have had to evacuate and may or may not have power. Based upon the most recent updates from the city, they will begin restoring power soon, but it may take some time to restore the entire city.
We know that while many of you do not live in the affected areas, we have many students, faculty and staff who were affected. As such, we cancelled all online classes this week to better allow our community to evacuate, take care of personal priorities, and address immediate challenges. If you could, please let us know your current situation on this survey.
In an earlier email, we had indicated that all online and on the ground classes were canceled until 9/13. However, we have since heard from many faculty who have indicated that they are prepared to teach online 8-week courses beginning September 7, and that they much prefer to make up the time lost within the original time-frame. To ensure the most successful completion of this academic term, online asynchronous 8-week courses will restart on Tuesday, September 7th. Your instructors will be in touch regarding assignments and extended deadlines. Please note, some faculty may not currently have access to the internet so we ask for your patience until you hear from your instructor. If you are unable to access courses or your instructor does not have access, we will be as flexible as possible in ensuring that you complete your coursework as intended.
Please stay in touch with your professors – let them know your circumstances and your plans. Some may have “coffee shops” or discussion boards where you can discuss the current situation. You can also reach out to the Student Success Center with any questions or concerns. Dr. Corina Todoran, Director of Online Student Success, can be reached at 985-605-0038 for text messages or ctodoran@loyno.edu.
If you have trouble accessing Canvas via the SSO, additional login instructions can be found here.
To ensure no adverse impacts to students, we have delayed administrative withdrawals from courses; however, please be assured that financial aid will be distributed as soon as possible. Please be on the lookout for further updates about financial aid. If you have additional questions, please contact onlineFA@loyno.edu.
We remain committed to our online students during this difficult period of time. If you are a student looking for support, reach out to our on-demand coach partners here: emergencycoachingnetwork.org. They offer support for stress, health, school, finances, online learning, food, and shelter.