Information, Links and FAQs relating to COVID-19 at Biola.
This page is dedicated to providing information and resources for all Biola University student-athletes as the University transitions to remote learning for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It will continue to be updated with pertinent information as it becomes available.
Click on each of the headers below to see information associated with that topic.
PRIMARY BIOLA ATHLETICS CONTACTS:
Compliance/Eligibility Questions - Amy Jungkeit -
amy.jungkeit@biola.edu
Sports Medicine/Athletic Training - John Wiese -
john.wiese@biola.edu
Sports Performance/Strength & Conditioning - Frank Ramirez -
frank.ramirez@biola.edu
Admissions - Amber Nakamura -
amber.nakamura@biola.edu
Registrar - Carly Horchler -
carly.horchler@biola.edu
Academic Advising - Austin Robertson -
austin.robertson@biola.edu
If you have any questions or concerns and cannot find an answer in the information below, please use the Questions and Concerns Inquiry Form located at the bottom of this page. We will do our absolute best to answer as quickly and accurately as possible or point you in the right direction. Also, be sure to be in regular communication with your coaching staff.
UPDATED APRIL 8 - 6:00 pm
- Biola University COVID-19 Response
- Biola Basic Needs Assessment
- In light of the rapidly changing realities caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic, Biola would like to hear from students who are remaining on campus how we can best support you during this difficult time. Please take a few minutes to fill out the COVID-19 Student Impact and Needs Assessment if you are having trouble meeting your basic needs (i.e. digital learning needs, food, etc.).
- Biola Counseling Center
- The Biola Counseling Center (BCC) will continue their services and they are available for new student clients. Clients have the option to talk to their counselor via “Telehealth” which is being employed in cooperation with the APA or meet via phone. The BCC is happy to receive new clients and can be reached by phone at 562-903-4800. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Monday to Thursday) and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m (Friday). See above for more details.
- Residence Life & Student Care
- Residence Life and Student Care staff remain available 24/7 to support students who might be struggling. To talk with someone about struggles you are facing, please contact 562-903-6000 to talk with an on-call Resident Director.
- Succeeding In Remote Learning
- When taking a course remotely, it’s important to check Canvas regularly for up-to-date information about course expectations. We recommend setting up your notification preferences and/or downloading the app to your mobile device to be sure you are receiving immediate communication.
Some of your faculty members may want to meet with your class remotely through video conferencing (e.g., Google Meet, WebEx, Zoom). If scheduling is an issue for you, be sure to communicate that to your professor. If you are asked to video conference and can be available, your professor and fellow students rely on you to help maintain the academic atmosphere. Learn best practices for Attending Class Remotely.
Your remote courses may ask you to participate in conversations via VoiceThread, an online platform that simulates the real-time experience of face-to-face classroom interaction through slides and recorded comments. In addition, you may be required to build part or all of a VoiceThread (e.g., for an individual or group presentation).
To activate your VoiceThread account, go to biola.voicethread.com. Click the “Sign In” button in the upper right corner of the page. Enter your Biola Net ID and password. To learn how to personalize your account, how to navigate a VoiceThread, how to comment, how to to add a slide in an existing VoiceThread, how to create a VoiceThread and how to submit a VoiceThread assignment, view the detailed instructions for using VoiceThread.
Your faculty want you to succeed, so connect with them or other Biola staff when navigating uncertainty. We are here to help!
The following online workshop packages are available free for all students through April 17, 2020. Simply create an account to view: Orientation for Online Learners: A 25-minute workshop preparing you for the remote learning environment Student Success Workshops: 20 short workshops covering topics such as time management, study strategies, online communication, test-taking tips and more!
For additional assistance, view this Screencast that shows you how to log in and what’s included in the site. We encourage you to check them out as you prepare to engage in the quality education of Biola in this new format. If you’re having trouble adjusting to the new format, check out this blog post on transitioning to remote learning.
- Biola Library
- The Library building will be closed to the public after 5:30 p.m. Friday March 20, 2020. Please check the Library website for changes in access to the building as conditions concerning the COVID-19 change. All Biola Library materials have loan extensions and are now due on May 31, 2020. A complete list of remote streaming resources is available at our Online Library Resources webpage. We are working on ways patrons may access our collections during this closure so check our Library website regularly for updates or email us using the Ask Us link above.
Contact the Library Remotely: Use the Library’s Ask Us service, including Chat Reference.
- Biola Rhetoric & Writing Center
- The Rhetoric & Writing Center is now fully remote. In-person appointments you may have made for the coming days and weeks have been shifted online as well. If you wish to still meet remotely at the time you originally scheduled, leave your appointment as is, and your consultant will email you on the appointment day with relevant details.
Google Suite (aka G Suite) will be used for all appointments: Google Docs for sharing documents and Google Meet for video and voice communication. Here are some helpful guides for these applications:
- How to share your Google Docs
- How to Set Up A Google Meet
Contact the Rhetoric & Writing Center Remotely: Please email rwc@biola.edu.
- Learning Center Support
- Care plans for students with diagnosed physical, medical, learning or physical conditions will continue to receive care and accommodations through the Learning Center (LC) remotely. The process of submitting documentation to begin registration with our office via fax or email remains unchanged. Intake appointments will now be done via Google Hangouts or or cell phone with Jen Fanning or Joyce Oh. Any registered student who feels their care plan is being impacted or changed due to the recent changes should contact us and we will be more than happy to work with them individually to modify as needed. We continue to work closely with digital learning to provide livestream captioning for particular students who require this type of access for their classes.
Tutoring services will continue via Google Hangouts.
Contact the LC Remotely: Email jen.fanning@biola.edu, learning.center@biola.edu or joyce.oh@biola.edu.
- Academic Advising & Registrar's Office
- Academic advising will continue to take place and you are required to receive your 4-digit PIN in order to access Fall 2020 registration. Academic departments should be in contact with you, if they haven’t already, about communicating their expectations and the process by which you’ll get advising and your PIN remotely. If you have not received communication about this process by Friday, please reach out to your faculty/staff advisor found on Degree Audit.
The Advising Center and Peer Academic Advisors will continue to meet with students via Google Meet video conferencing. You can set up an appointment with us on Handshake. We are here to support you as you transition to remote learning, if you have questions about changing your major, concerns or questions about your academic success, or if you want to build a graduation plan. You can also email academic.advising@biola.edu for support.
The Office of the Registrar is available to students via email at registrar@biola.edu. Graduation counselors continue to be in contact with their students via email. All forms such as enrollment verifications, major changes, etc. may be submitted via email.
- As Biola University transitions into remote learning formats starting March 23, the following on-campus resources are now available remotely. This directory will be updated as more resources become available remotely.
Academic Resources
Campus Services
- Academic Advising — Email academic.advising@biola.edu. Students may set up an appointment on Handshake.
- Dining — Heritage Cafe and the Café are open for takeout only. Students who submitted the request prior to March 18, 2020 to stay on campus may order boxed meal replacements via this form. Students will need to use their meal plan to pay for these meals.
- Financial Aid — Email finaid@biola.edu. Call (562) 903-4742 during our regular drop-in counseling hours.
- Information Technology — Email it.helpdesk@biola.edu. The IT Helpdesk has extended hours of 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. on March 23 - 27, 2020.
- Mail and Parcel Services — Mail will be delivered to student mailboxes and packages can be picked up from the Mail and Parcel Services office between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday - Friday.
- Office of the Registrar — Email registrar@biola.edu.
- Student Financial Services — Email student.accounts@biola.edu. Call 562-903-4760 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Well-Being and Care
- Biola Counseling Center — The Biola Counseling Center (BCC) will continue their services and they are available for new student clients. Clients have the option to talk to their counselor via “Telehealth” which is being employed in cooperation with the APA or meet via phone. The BCC is happy to receive new clients and can be reached by phone at 562-903-4800. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Monday to Thursday) and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m (Friday). See above for more details.
- Pastoral Care — Students can also still receive pastoral care, although now by phone or Google hangout. Appointments can be booked in the same way by going to Pastoral Care and scrolling down to book your appointment online.
- Residence Life and Student Care — Residence Life and Student Care staff remain available 24/7 to support students who might be struggling. To talk with someone about struggles you are facing, please contact 562-903-6000 to talk with an on-call Resident Director.
- Due to COVID-19, are all Biola student-athletes granted an additional year of eligibility?
Many spring sport student-athletes will be granted another season of eligibility, provided the following criteria are met:
- The student-athlete used a season of competition in a spring sport during the 2019-20 academic year;
- The student-athlete was eligible for competition when he or she used a season of competition during the 2019-20 academic year; and
- The student-athlete’s season was ultimately canceled for reasons related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Will all spring sport student-athletes whose 2020 season was canceled receive an extension waiver to compete beyond 10 semesters?
The waiver only applies to student-athletes who would have exhausted eligibility after spring 2020 term. The student-athlete would not have needed to use a season of competition during the spring 2020 term; and the extension would be for the entire 2020-21 year.
- Who should I contact if I am having trouble academically or have academic-related questions?
Please contact Austin Robertson at austin.robertson@biola.edu. He is also helping students by appointment. He may be able to answer some questions by email but he asks that you address advising/registration related questions or concerns well before the priority registration dates. https://www.biola.edu/academic-advising.
- Are teams and individual student-athletes permitted to practice and train?
All individuals living in the state of California are under a mandatory “stay at home” order and are not permitted to engage in such activities. https://covid19.ca.gov/img/Executive-Order-N-33-20.pdf.
Additionally, the NCAA, PacWest and Biola have canceled all athletically related activities. Any athletically related activity, including practice, competition, strength and conditioning, film etc., directed or supervised by a coach is prohibited. If you choose to workout voluntarily, you must follow all public health guidance.
- What can I do with my coaches at this time?
You may still have virtual (Zoom, Google Meet & Facetime) academic meetings or voicecalls with coaches as well as checking in regarding your physical health and mental health. You may not report back any activities that you engage in voluntarily.
- Can I still go on my official/unofficial visit to meet the coaches, team and tryout?
The NCAA has issued a dead period which includes suspension of all visits and face to face to contact until May 31st. However, prospective student-athletes can still communicate with coaches through phone calls/Facetime, texts and emails.
- Am I permitted to sign a NLI and/or athletics aid agreement?
The Collegiate Commissioner’s Association (CCA) has suspended all National Letter of Intent (NLI) signings until at least April 15, 2020. This suspension will be re-evaluated on or before April 15, 2020. The NLI suspension applies to both Division I and II NLI member institutions. As such, NLIs cannot be issued to Division I and II prospective student-athletes effective March 16, 2020 through at least April 15, 2020. NLIs issued and signed by prospective student-athletes before March 16, 2020 should still be managed through the normal validation process with your conference office.
