Bluff Hall Newsletter

• When you are inside, always wear a face-covering that covers your mouth and nose, except while you are in your own living unit.
• When you are outside, wear a face-covering anytime you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance between yourself and other people.
• If you have been around someone who has tested positive or think you have COVID-19 symptoms, please fill out the COVID Self-Reporting Form (https://www.siue.edu/about/announcements/coronavirus/reporting-confirmed-cases/index.shtml).
• If you are awaiting COVID-19 test results, please quarantine at home or in your living unit until you get the results back and are cleared by Health Services and University Housing.
• You are strongly encouraged to make any guests that enter your room or apartment wear a face covering at all times and maintain a physical distance of 6 feet when possible.
• Residents are expected to comply with posted occupancy limits for shared common spaces.  A maximum of four persons may occupy a room at any time.
• Please wash/sanitize your hands on a regular basis and sanitize any frequently touched surfaces in your living unit and bathroom.  
• Violations of COVID-19 expectations and guidelines may result in your removal from University Housing.

Dear Bluffalos,

 

Welcome to SIUE and BLuff Hall!  I hope you have gotten settled into your new home.  I am Sarah Kirkpatrick, the Assistant Director of Residence Life, and while we conduct a search for a new Bluff Community Director, I will also be overseeing Bluff Hall.   I look forward to working with you all throughout the semester.  My main office is located in Evergreen Office though I am spending part of the week in the Bluff Hall office as well.   I hope you are finding that living on campus has a lot to offer from proximity to classes and campus amenities, security (such as our own Bluff desk which is open and staffed 24/7), and a warm community atmosphere. 

 

As you continue through the semester, there are a few key policies I want to highlight.  All policies can be found in the University Housing Living Guide (if you prefer a hard copy, stop by the office):

• Quiet/Courtesy Hours-Sunday-Thursday, quiet hours are from 10 p.m. – 9 a.m. On Friday and Saturday, quiet hours are from 12 a.m. – 12 p.m. All noise should be kept to a minimum during these times. This includes common areas such as stairwells, lobbies, hallways, breezeways and lounges.
• Face Coverings-Masks or other types of face coverings need to be worn outside of your room/apartment.
• Swiping In-Before entering the residential area, all residents must swipe their Cougar Card in the electronic card reader at the front desk

 

I hope you all have an enjoyable experience at SIUE and in Bluff Hall.  Please don’t hesitate to stop by the Evergreen or Bluff offices if you need assistance.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sarah Kirkpatrick

Watch the Building Meeting Video!

To get you acclimated to Bluff Hall, Please review the following video.  The video goes over the staff in the building, and some important things you should know about Bluff.  

To access the video, please click this link.

https://siue.techsmithrelay.com/4mbF

 

Join Bluff Hall Area Council! 

Submit an interest form in Roompact and join us for an Information Meeting on Wednesday, August 26 at 6pm via Zoom:

https://siue.zoom.us/j/98474469559.  Bluff Hall Area Council is a great student org where you can organize activities and advocate for improvements in the community.  Questions?  Contact Bethany Myszka at bmyszka@siue.edu.

 

Log into Roompact Today!

Make sure you log into roompact.com  (enter your SIUE email address and then you will be asked for your eID and password).  There you can find your Room Condition Report, Roommate Agreement, and Area council form!

Policies – YOU NEED TO KNOW!

As a resident of the Cougar Village, you are responsible for knowing the information, policies, procedures, and deadlines that are contained in the University Housing Living Guide.  To access the living guide, go to:  http://www.siue.edu/housing/pdf/SIUE-Housing-Guide-Final.pdf

Facilities Issue?  Put in a workorder!

University Housing Facilities Management (UHFM) is the unit assigned to the development and maintenance of University Housing facilities and grounds. UHFM is responsible for repairing housing units, care of the grounds surrounding housing facilities, performs snow removal, maintains the cleanliness of common areas and offices in University Housing buildings, oversees pest control and much more.

In the event of any building or grounds related issues, Students need to initiate the repair by submitting a Maintenance Request to University Housing Facilities Management (UHFM). UHFM responds to student initiated repair requests as a first priority.  To complete a work order, click HERE!!!

Get protected!  Insure yourself and your belongings!

University Housing does not insure the personal property of residents. Residents are strongly encouraged to insure their personal belongings while living in University Housing. Students can look into renter’s insurance or their parent/guardian homeowners’ policy for potential coverage options.

SIUE is Smoke Free, Tobacco Free, Nicotine Free

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has implemented the Illinois law that prohibits smoking and all tobacco related products into its policies and procedures.

To view SIUE’s Smoke Free Campus Policy, click here.

Visit these sites for more information, Smoking Cessation Program, American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control. The Illinois Department of Central Management (CMS) may also offer smoking cessation reimbursement for those that complete an eligible program. Contact CMS at (800) 442-1300 for more details.

Having TV issues?  Read Me!

Charter Business has transitioned its analog video TV service to high-quality digital TV service, which provides more channels and increased HD content. As part of this transition, only TVs with a digital QAM tuner will be able to view the new digital lineup. If a TV does not have an embedded QAM tuner or is enabled with an external QAM tuner, an error message or snowy picture will appear on the TV.

What is a QAM tuner and how do I know if my TV has one? A QAM tuner allows your TV to tune to the digital or HD cable channels that Charter will be sending out. Most, but not all, TVs that were made after 2006 have a QAM tuner built in. Most Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Visio models have a built in QAM tuner. Brands like Westinghouse, Colby, Element, or other lower end brands often do not have the QAM tuner. These are only a few examples. Please be sure to check for a QAM tuner when considering a specific TV model.

• You can search online by make/model of your TV or reference your TV's owner’s manual for specific model information related to what type of tuner is present.

• An example of what the manual may say if the TV has a QAM tuner: o “Built-in digital tuner (ATSC/Clear QAM)”

o NOTE: An ATSC tuner will not work with Clear QAM. It MUST say “Clear QAM” or “Digital QAM Tuner”.

 • Additionally, if your TV remote has the (.) or (-) symbol button for easy tuning or is able to display channels with a (.) or (-) as in 5.2 or 5-2, your device likely has a QAM tuner.

• Here is a link to help search specific TV Manufacturers: o http://www.midcocomm.com/resourcecenter/index.cfm/526/Cable/TV-Manufacturers

NOTE: This is general information regarding integrated QAM tuner enabled TVs. It is always advised to refer to the manufacturer’s website or examine the “technical specifications” section of the owner’s manual to determine information on the QAM tuner.

How do I program my TV to view the new channel lineup?

• Most QAM tuner TVs have a "Channel Search" or "Auto Program" function that will automatically scan the incoming signals and detect the ones that are available. It may be necessary to do a channel search before your TV will allow you to tune to a specific channel.

1. Go into the TV Menu and select “Set Up”

2. Look for and select an option similar to “Channel Search” or “Auto Program”

3. The TV will automatically begin searching to identify all available channels

4. After this auto search is completed, there should be approximately 60-70 channels available for viewing (if the TV has an internal QAM tuner). If no channels are available, it is likely the TV does not have a QAM tuner.

NOTE: If you previously watched a program on channel 4, the new channel may have moved to a new number, such as 4.2 or 4-2. Please speak to your property manager about new channel lineup cards.

NOTE: Most HD TVs have the ability to modify aspect ratios. If your picture seems stretched or has black bars around the picture after the scan, please modify the aspect ratio to fit with your desired viewing experience.

When do I need to reprogram my TV to view the new channel lineup?

• The Clear QAM solution has been installed on-campus. If you have not already, you should plan to program your TV immediately. Until the TV is rescanned, your new digital TV lineup will not be viewable.

• Tivo is not compatible with the QAM solutions

Come to the Tutoring Resource Center for help with your math, science, and business questions!

The Tutoring Resource Center will provide both face-to-face and online tutoring this fall semester as follows:

Face-to-face and online tutoring

Monday through Thursday:         8 am – 4 pm

Friday:                                                   8 am – 3 pm

Online tutoring only

Monday through Thursday       4 pm – 7 pm

Saturday:                                         9 am – 12 noon 

Sunday:                                            4 pm – 7 pm

 

Career Development Center
The Career Development Center is open for virtual or in-person appointments. You can make your appointment through your Cougar Jobline account or call our office at 618-650-3708. The Career Development Center can help you with your resume, cover letters, job search, LinkedIn accounts, graduate school personal statements/application, mock interviews, and much more. Our office is located on the lower level of the Student Success Center in room 0281.

Sign up for e-Lert today!

What is e-Lert? SIUE's e-Lert is a text messaging service that will be used to quickly notify faculty, staff and student cell phones when an urgent situation, such as a bomb threat, severe weather, hostile intruder, or when the University closes due to inclement weather. There is no cost to register for the alerts; however, standard rates may apply if your cell phone plan does not include text messaging.

Rave Guardian

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) now offers the Rave Guardian app for its students and their families. Rave Guardian is one of the best ways to not only improve personal safety, but also protect your friends by building a private safety network. This app provides instant communication with friends, family, campus safety, and even 9-1-1.

SIUE encourages all students throughout campus to utilize the app to network with friends and help increase overall safety and security of the entire student body. An important part of the Guardian app is that students can use it not only to keep themselves safe, but to help protect others. Even students who may not feel as if they need others to help keep them safe can utilize the app to be a guardian and help protect their friends.

Download Rave Guardian and Become a Guardian on Your Campus

Download Rave Guardian for Free The app is available for free on the Apple or Google app store.

Use Rave Guardian to Protect Yourself and Others

Set a Safety Time – Notify people you trust to check in on you if are alone or in an unfamiliar place.

Manage and Message Your Guardians – Invite family, friends or others to be your Guardian, and communicate with them within the app as needed.

Easy Emergency Communication – Call safety officials directly for help if you are in trouble and send text tips – including photos – if you see something suspicious.

Rave Guardian is a proven personal safety solution used on campuses across the country. To learn more, visit siue.edu/emergency.