LAKELAND, Fla. - A team of 91Â鶹ӳ»faculty, staff, and students is working to build critical personal protection equipment for clinicians treating patients amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. The effort is in partnership with AdventHealth and will help address the shortage of protective supplies facing healthcare organizations nationwide.
The Office of Human Resources would like to remind everyone that the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an available resource for all employees (faculty, staff, OPS, student employees) and their families. When you need professional, confidential advice to manage life's troubles, the State's  Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  can help. The EAP, provided by E4 Health (New Directions), offers employees and their household 24-hour access to confidential help from trained counselors. The counselors talk with you about your concerns, provide guidance, and will direct you to the right resources. Call 1-844-208-7067 or visit the State Department of Management EAP website.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added stress and unexpected expenses to many students' lives. The 91Â鶹ӳ»Student Government Association (SGA) has created Phund-a-Phoenix, an emergency fund to help students during this time of uncertainty and financial burden.
By now you have likely heard that Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a stay-at-home order for the State of 91Â鶹ӳ» beginning Friday, April 3, at 12:01 a.m. You may be wondering what that means for you and for 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly.
91Â鶹ӳ» Poly's highest priority is the health and safety of our community. As the COVID-19 crisis rapidly evolves, and in accordance with guidance from local, state, and federal officials, we have important and timely new instructions to share with our on-campus residents. We deeply appreciate your continued patience, cooperation, and understanding as we work together to protect our campus and the surrounding community.
In an attempt to help students continue to progress towards their degree and future career aspirations in a timely manner, the 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly administration and faculty have approved a change in the current Grading and Withdrawal Policies for Spring 2020 courses.
As safety precautions are put in place for coronavirus, we have all been looking at 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly as a safe haven.
Following the direction we received from the State University System today, 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly will extend our remote-learning initiatives for the rest of the semester and develop an alternative schedule and/or method of holding commencement for the spring ceremony. On-campus and in-person ceremonies will not take place at the beginning of May. The university is working diligently to determine the next steps and provide further information. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these next steps. These are big decisions with far-reaching impact and we do not take this lightly. We will provide more information as soon as it's available.
For the safety and well-being of the 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly community, and in response to the coronavirus pandemic, 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly is encouraging all qualified employees to work from home for at least two weeks beginning Tuesday, March 17. This move will not only protect the health and safety of our entire University community, but our families, friends and Polk County as well.
The University continues taking significant steps to protect our students, faculty, staff, and the Polk County community from the ongoing global COVID-19 outbreak. It's important to remember that although the virus is in 91Â鶹ӳ», there have been no confirmed cases reported in Polk County, including at 91Â鶹ӳ» Poly, that we are aware of at this time.
