Bluff Hall Newsletter

Cleaning and Safety Inspections will occur October 5^th –16^th, 2020 .

Below is the time and date of your WING inspection. During your community’s inspection University Staff will knock on each door. Staff will be wearing masks and gloves. Residents are expected to answer their door wearing a mask and all occupants should remain wearing masks while staff are in their living unit. University Housing staff will do a quick visual inspection of the living unit to look for any cleaning concerns or policy violations.

Please note that if you are not home during your allotted time, both an RA and a Professional Staff member (Community Director or Assistant Community Director) will key into your living unit to do the inspection. There will be a note waiting for you upon your return stating whether or not you passed your inspection. If you have failed the inspection, there will be a reason and you will be responsible for rectifying the situation within 48 hours. Your RA will be doing a follow-up with each of you. Please read the schedule below to learn more about when your wing will be inspected:

What are we looking for?

An RA and Community Director or Assistant Community Director will be looking for:

Policy Violations: Candles w/wicks, space heaters, extension cords, fire/safety violations, pets other than fish or approved support animals, covered smoke detectors, things hanging form the ceilings,  etc.

Clean Bathrooms – including:

• Clean shower
• Clean toilet (inside and outside)
• Clean floors
• Clean sink, counter, mirror
• Empty trash (not overflowing)

Clean Bedrooms – including:

• Clothes in closets and not all over the floor
• Desks and other furniture presentable
• Empty trash (not overflowing)
• No open food containers
• Clean floors

General Housekeeping:

• All trash should be removed from the living unit
• Electrical outlets are fire hazards if left overloaded
• Surge protectors or speaker wires should not be placed across traffic areas or under rugs
• There should be no decorations hanging from the ceiling, such as nets or paper
• Dressers, desk, and bed ends (except to bunk beds) may not be stacked in any way due to safety
  considerations

 If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Kirkpatrick, Assistant Director of Residence Life, at skirkpa@siue.edu. Thank you for your cooperation during these inspections.

Residence Housing Association (RHA)

The Residence Housing Association (RHA) will be on Wednesday, September 30 at 6pm via Zoom.  All residents are welcome to attend.  Our first event of the year will be Family Weekend Trivia!  Attendees must log into siue.edu/its/zoom with their eID and password before joining the meeting: https://siue.zoom.us/j/92905393830.   Questions? Contact skirkpa@siue.edu. 

Freshens at the SFC

Esports Arena

SIUE Esports Arena in Bluff Hall is now open!- Hours of operation are 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
- Open to members of the SIUE community who are registered for classes this current term.
- Space capacity is 12 people. It is vital and expected that students follow room capacity expectations. If the room is at capacity, please come back at a later time. Additionally, players should be thoughful of the length of time they are in the Arena and impact on others.
More information can be found at siue.edu/esports.

Roompact

Roompact is the digital platform that University Housing uses to help engage residents in their communities.   Visit https://roompact.com/login to get started!  Within Roompact, you can engage with community discussions, submit your roommate and suitemate agreements, sign up for Area Council, contact your RA,  and more!

Study  Tables

Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8 pm in the Bluff Hall Classroom.  Study Tables are hosted by RAs who are available to help answer questions or just provide a  quiet space for residents looking to study.

Interested in Area Council? 

Sign into Roompact at https://roompact.com/login and complete the Area Council Application under Forms.  All residents are welcome and encouraged to join.  Area Councils plan events for the community, advocate for positive change, and give a voice to the residents! 

Get Your Event Pass Now! 

SIUE is excited to launch the new EVENT PASS featured from getinvolved.siue.edu. The event pass is similar to a mobile boarding pass and allows for a contactless check-in experience for events choosing to utilize this technology. It’s unique to each user and it’s tied to your getinvolved.siue.edu account. Attendees DO NOT need to download an App to access their EVENT PASS.

Flu Shots

Health Service has received our shipment of flu vaccine (Flucelvax® Quadrivalent) and we are pleased to offer flu vaccine to faculty, staff, retirees, and students!  As in years past, we will only have the quadrivalent available at our clinics.  Flu shots this year will be handled by appointment to adhere to social distancing guidelines.  We ask that you arrive not earlier than 5 minutes before your time in order to minimize physical gathering.

Based on the campus you choose; flu shots will be given in the following locations:

Edwardsville Campus:  Student Success Center, Room 0200 (lower level)

Alton Campus:  Building 280, Room 1100

East St. Louis Campus:  Building D, Suite 2015 (We Care Clinic)

 Please use the following link to choose your location and your date and time: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49ACA72BABF9C07-flushots

SIUE students may receive the flu shot for $15

In order to receive the vaccine at this price,

Students must

1.)    present your university ID and

2.)    provide payment in cash or check or this year you may choose to bill to your student account

Don’t forget to wear a mask and please plan to wear clothing that provides easy access to the upper arm injection site.

For more information on the importance and benefits of receiving a flu shot, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm

TAPE

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.

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.

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.

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

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.  Click on "Sign Up Now!"

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.

• 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.