October Updates for UVA Families

To
All Families
From
Robyn S. Hadley, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Dear UVA Families:

Some students will be heading home while others will remain in the area for Fall Reading Days starting this weekend. Either way, I hope you and your student will have time together. If you do, you may want to discuss some of the topics covered below. The next few weeks are always a busy time as we approach the midway point of the semester.

Safety remains a top priority, and my colleagues in the University Police Department (UPD), the Department of Safety and Security, student leaders, many others throughout the University, and I continue to communicate and collaborate frequently to ensure we are aware of and responsive to any number of safety concerns. The new Community Oriented Policing Squad (COPS), recently announced by UPD, promises to address community safety in a long-term, strategic manner. Many of you have asked about the University’s various forms of emergency communication, including Community Alerts. Please see below to learn more about the distinctions among the different types of communication.


FAMILY WEEKEND

My colleagues and I in Student Affairs look forward to seeing many of you during our upcoming Family Weekend from October 22-24Discounted tickets are still available for the football game against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Please check the schedule for the most up-to-date information since activities continue to be added to the weekend lineup.

Dome Room Dinners: Oct. 8 Deadline to Enter Lottery
Today (Friday, October 8) is the deadline to enter the lottery for possible selection to attend one of the two Rotunda Dome Room dinners held during Family Weekend. Each dinner includes a talk by one of UVA’s preeminent faculty members. Those who are successful in gaining a spot will be notified the week of October 18.


HEALTH AND SAFETY

New Student Health and Wellness Building Opens
With an emphasis on well-being and related educational activities, a beautiful new Student Health and Wellness Building has opened at 550 Brandon Ave. to serve students. In addition to expanded space for mental health, medical, and disability services, the building features a student lounge with multipurpose spaces for meditation or reflection; group or individual gathering spaces; a teaching kitchen; outdoor gathering and recreational spaces; an indoor living room area with access to the outside; UVA Health satellite pharmacy; and research space. All students are invited to join a Student Celebration of the new building on October 15 from 5:30-8 p.m.

TimelyCare: On-Demand Mental Telehealth Services for Students
UVA Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is excited to offer TimelyCare – a new telehealth program for UVA students that provides access to free, 24/7/365 mental health virtual care from anywhere in the United States. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services – the only thing needed is their UVA student email address to log in through the TimelyCare app or online platform. Each calendar year, students will have access to 12 scheduled telehealth counseling visits, an on-demand service called TalkNow that allows students to connect with a mental health professional any time of day, and psychiatric care. To learn more, read the UVAToday feature on TimelyCare.

About Community Alerts and Other Public Safety Communication
The University uses four types of communication when informing the community about public safety. A complete description of the four types, with examples, is posted in an online chart. To summarize, the four types of communication include:

  • UVA Alerts convey immediate emergency messages to the University community (those with a virginia.edu email address) about an imminent threat on Grounds and what action to take. Required by law, UVA Alerts utilize multiple other communication channels. Parents and members of the public may sign up for UVA Alerts by texting “UVA” to 226787.
  • Timely Warnings notify the University community (those with a virginia.edu email address) about crimes that pose a serious and ongoing threat to safety. Required by law, Timely Warnings are prompted by a crime that has already occurred and been reported within a geographic area of the University as prescribed by the Clery Act.
  • Community Alerts notify the University community (those with a virginia.edu email address) about crimes that pose a serious and ongoing threat to safety. Not required by law, Community Alerts are prompted by a crime that has already occurred and been reported outside a geographic area of the University as prescribed by the Clery Act.
  • Community Advisories provide awareness about safety issues to the University community (those with a virginia.edu email address).


STUDENT HOUSING UPDATES AND DEADLINES

On-Grounds Housing Applications: Open for Same Area, Residential Colleges, Language Houses
Students who currently live in residential colleges or upperclass housing on Grounds are invited to remain there next year. The application to stay in the same housing area is now available. UVA's residential colleges and language houses are also accepting applications for new residents (note that returning language house residents need to submit the same application as new residents). The deadline to apply is Monday, November 1.

Students who are not interested in remaining in the same housing area or applying to live in a residential college or language house can apply for housing beginning on December 1, when the standard on-Grounds housing application opens. The standard application deadline is January 21, 2022. Complete information about upperclass housing is available online.

Housing Information Sessions During Family Weekend
Housing & Residence Life is here to help as students think though their housing choices. Be sure you and your student save the date for Family Weekend housing events on Friday, October 22. On that day, both an On-Grounds Housing Information Session and an Off-Grounds Housing Fair will be held at Newcomb Hall.

Thank you for staying informed about these topics as a means of supporting your student. We are grateful to all our UVA families for all they do. If I or a member of my team in Student Affairs can be of assistance to your student or you, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Robyn S. Hadley
Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer


Upcoming Dates

Oct. 9-12: Reading Days
Oct. 22-24: Family Weekend
Nov. 24–28: Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 7: Fall classes end
Dec. 9–17: Exams
Dec. 8, 12, 15: Reading Days
Dec. 18: First-year residence halls close at noon. (Other residence halls remain open.)
Dec. 18–Jan. 18: Winter Break
Jan. 3–14: January Term
Jan. 16: First-year residence halls reopen at noon.
Jan. 19: Spring classes begin
March 5-13: Spring Break
May 3: Spring classes end
May 5-13: Exams
May 4, 8, 11: Reading Days
May 14: Residence halls close at noon. Graduating students and other approved late-stays can remain until Monday, May 23, at noon. Lawn and Range rooms close Tuesday, May 24, at noon.
May 20-22: Finals Weekend (Graduation)

Future Dates for Finals Weekend
May 19-21, 2023
May 17-19, 2024
May 16-18, 2025