May 2020 – Coronavirus (COVID-19)

SMU Employees: What to expect when you get back

Posted on May 29, 2020Updated: May 26, 2021

Dear SMU faculty and staff,

You have received quite a few messages from me over the past few months, but this is one I have been eager to deliver: I am delighted to welcome our full University workforce back to campus on Monday, June 1.

I know how hard you have worked from home, and I do not underestimate the productivity we have maintained. Thank you! We have had to reinvent the way we work, teach and learn over the past 11 weeks. However, it’s important to remember that SMU is a university that delivers a unique residential experience for our students. It requires us to be on campus to prepare for delivering that opportunity to our students.

Many of you have asked, “Why June 1? Why is it important that we come back now?” The basic answer is to prepare for the imminent return of our students.

SMU will resume in-person instruction on campus for several hundred of the 1,600 students enrolled for the Summer II term that begins July 6. We expect about 100 of these students, along with over 100 student-athletes, will join the approximately 30 students (out of the original 300) who remained in our Residential Commons through the spring. It will take extra effort from our schools and administrative offices to be ready to serve these on-campus students. This also provides us with an important opportunity to preview issues we might face when the larger community returns in August.

Obviously, this fall is going to be a monumental challenge. The superior education that we always deliver is at stake, as is the financial health of the University. SMU is in a stronger position than many universities but our responses to the pandemic created a budget gap of more than $13 million for the fiscal year ending on May 31 – and from national projections we expect more losses in the fall. To meet these challenges, as I know we will, all of us must pull together to prepare successfully for July term, followed by the return of all students in the fall.

Our plan is to move forward with both caution and confidence. We will inform our decisions based on the best information available from government and health authorities, and also rely on your commitment to our workplace guidelines to help keep each other safe. Should the COVID-19 pandemic shift, we will respond in kind, because health and safety are important for all of us.

As you return to campus, some things will be different. These changes have been put in place to help keep you and your co-workers healthy. I hope you will take a moment to watch this short video, so you’ll have a better idea of what to expect.

Please remember that the “Welcome Back to Campus” packet describes many of the processes the University has developed to support a healthy workplace and also provides important training for you. The special guide for supervisors will help everyone work through the individual employee issues inherent in this transition.

We must all take extra steps to protect our health, and we will take them. You have my gratitude for outstanding work and flexibility over the last few months, and I look forward to seeing you back on campus soon. Welcome back, Mustangs.

Sincerely,

R. Gerald Turner
President

Message from Faculty Senate President and Past-President

Posted on May 28, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

Dear colleagues,

President Turner is preparing to update the SMU community on Monday June 1 about our planning for the fall semester. We expect it to include information such as modality for course delivery, any adjustments to the academic calendar, initial plans for residential and dining facilities, enhanced cleaning of high-traffic areas, testing capabilities and more. To help in understanding, Tim (Rosendale) and I as well as the rest of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee wanted to send you a quick message to explain the decision-making process in greater detail.

As you may remember from President Turner’s message to the community on April 27, the taskforce, co-chaired by Provost ad interim Peter Moore and Vice President for Student Affairs K.C. Mmeje, oversees the work of six subcommittees, representing about seventy-five (75) faculty and staff members working tirelessly in extraordinarily difficult circumstances to address the charges they have been tasked with in addition to their normal work duties.

The subcommittees have been meeting several times a week and have generated many pages of detailed recommendations that are presented to the taskforce for discussion and vote. The taskforce also receives a daily summary of the ideas submitted through the Virtual Idea Box, which are then shared with the appropriate subcommittees for consideration. We are grateful to those of you who have submitted ideas and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t.

The taskforce meetings include all the subcommittee chairs so that they can provide feedback to the group. It is also is an opportunity to coordinate and collaborate on recommendations such as those that need input from multiple subcommittees to be fully formed. To provide an example, travel has implications for the Academic Continuity, Business Continuity and Campus Health and Wellness subcommittees so these teams collaborate to make one recommendation. Once the taskforce vets the recommendations, those agreed upon are presented to the President’s Executive Council, which makes the final decision.

The subcommittees most relevant to faculty are the Academic Continuity and the Campus Health and Wellness subcommittees. Their charges and members (I apologize for any member I forgot to include as the membership list grew after the initial announcement) are listed at the end of this email.

I have been tremendously impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the recommendations the subcommittees have prepared in such a short amount of time, representing a cumulative hundreds of hours of deliberation and analysis. Further, I expect that there will be continued faculty input during and after July term regarding what is working in the classroom as we continue to prepare for the fall semester.

While other universities across the country are implementing staff and faculty furloughs, layoffs and/or contract non-renewals as a result of the pandemic, SMU is looking forward, innovating and striving to keep its faculty and staff, and we are fortunate that our planned salary raises will go ahead as scheduled. Based on the thoughtful and comprehensive recommendations of the taskforce and its subcommittees, Tim and I, who both have witnessed the process from up close, are hopeful that the plan to be announced this Monday, June 1 will give SMU the very best chance to not only avoid the fate of those other universities but also make the very best possible use of our strengths as an institution to create, expand and impart knowledge while ensuring the health and safety of students, staff and faculty in those challenging and unprecedented times.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me or Tim or any of the Faculty Senate ExComm members for 2020-21, who are:

Past-President Tim Rosendale (Dedman I),
President Aurélie Thiele (Lyle),
President-Elect Pia Vogel (Dedman III),
Secretary Susana Solera Adoboe (Dedman I),
David Bertrand (Simmons),
Rob Frank (Meadows),
Luigi Manzetti (Dedman II),
Rebekah Miles (Perkins),
Anna Offit (Law),
Tom Tan (Cox).

Aurélie

for

Tim Rosendale, Faculty Senate Past-President rosendale@smu.edu

Aurélie Thiele, Faculty Senate President athiele@smu.edu

Academic Continuity – chaired by Michael Tumeo
Develop plans to support educational continuity through a variety of instructional modes, including in-class, online-only and a hybrid of both. Address situations where students, faculty and staff must remain away from campus for a brief or extended period of time, or must adapt to other limitations on normal academic progress due to COVID-19. Plan and develop resources to support continuing classes, strategies for maintaining graduate student research and guidance for academic events of all sizes. Assess implications for student travel for internships and global experiences, including all activities at SMU-in-Taos. Define criteria and procedures for altering academic policies, including the Academic Calendar. Assess and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts that graduate and undergraduate students may face.

Members
Provost Office
·     Patty Alvey, PhD
·     Whitney Henry, MBA
·     Sheri Kunovich, PhD
·     Dayna Oscherwitz, PhD
·     Daniel Eady, EdM
·     David Son, PhD
·     Wes Waggoner, MBA, EdD
·     Doug Reinelt, PhD
·     Jim Quick, PhD
·     Michael Robertson, PhD
·     Michael Tumeo, PhD

Associate Deans
·     David Sedman, PhD – Meadows
·     Hugo Magallanes, PhD – Perkins
·     Tom Carr, PhD – Dedman College
·     Elizabeth Killingsworth, MLS – SMU Libraries
·     Bill Dillon, PhD – Cox
·     Becca Henley, JD – Dedman Law
·     Paige Ware, PhD – Simmons
·     Rumanda Young, PhD – Taos
·     Volkan Otugen, PhD – Lyle

OIT
·     Michael Hites, PhD
·     Curt Herridge, MBA

Faculty Senate
·     Tim Rosendale, PhD
·     Matthew Wilson, PhD

Student Body Vice President
·     Austin Hickle

Campus Health and Wellness – chaired by Melinda Sutton Noss, EdD and Peter Davis, MD, FACP
Develop comprehensive recommendations and plans for testing, contact tracing, social distancing, regulation of visitors, size of nonacademic events, frequent deep cleanings of facilities and other strategies to keep the campus safe, including facilities and activities at SMU-in-Taos. Create wellness information tools and resources to share broadly with the campus community.

Members
·     Health Center—Peter Davis, MD, FACP
·     Environmental Health & Safety – Brandon Chance, MS, CCHO
·     Global Health – Eric Bing, MD, PhD, MBA
·     Health Center – Randy Jones, MPH, DDS & Diane Melcher, RN
·     Health Promotions – Griffin Sharp, MS, MPH
·     Junior Student – from Dr. Bing’s Creating Impact in Global & Public Health course
·     Human Resources—Mai Bui, MBA
·     RLSH—Amanda Bobo, MBA
·     OIT—George Finney, JD, CISM
·     OIT – Curt Herridge, MBA

Dear colleagues,

As you may remember from President Turner’s message to the community on April 27, the taskforce, co-chaired by Provost ad interim Peter Moore and Vice President for Student Affairs K.C. Mmeje, oversees the work of six subcommittees, representing about seventy-five (75) faculty and staff members working tirelessly in extraordinarily difficult circumstances to address the charges they have been tasked with in addition to their normal work duties.

The subcommittees have been meeting several times a week and have generated many pages of detailed recommendations that are presented to the taskforce for discussion and vote. The taskforce also receives a daily summary of the ideas submitted through the Virtual Idea Box, which are then shared with the appropriate subcommittees for consideration. We are grateful to those of you who have submitted ideas and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t.

The taskforce meetings include all the subcommittee chairs so that they can provide feedback to the group. It is also is an opportunity to coordinate and collaborate on recommendations such as those that need input from multiple subcommittees to be fully formed. To provide an example, travel has implications for the Academic Continuity, Business Continuity and Campus Health and Wellness subcommittees so these teams collaborate to make one recommendation. Once the taskforce vets the recommendations, those agreed upon are presented to the President’s Executive Council, which makes the final decision.

The subcommittees most relevant to faculty are the Academic Continuity and the Campus Health and Wellness subcommittees. Their charges and members (I apologize for any member I forgot to include as the membership list grew after the initial announcement) are listed at the end of this email.

I have been tremendously impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the recommendations the subcommittees have prepared in such a short amount of time, representing a cumulative hundreds of hours of deliberation and analysis. Further, I expect that there will be continued faculty input during and after July term regarding what is working in the classroom as we continue to prepare for the fall semester.

While other universities across the country are implementing staff and faculty furloughs, layoffs and/or contract non-renewals as a result of the pandemic, SMU is looking forward, innovating and striving to keep its faculty and staff, and we are fortunate that our planned salary raises will go ahead as scheduled. Based on the thoughtful and comprehensive recommendations of the taskforce and its subcommittees, Tim and I, who both have witnessed the process from up close, are hopeful that the plan to be announced this Monday, June 1 will give SMU the very best chance to not only avoid the fate of those other universities but also make the very best possible use of our strengths as an institution to create, expand and impart knowledge while ensuring the health and safety of students, staff and faculty in those challenging and unprecedented times.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to me or Tim or any of the Faculty Senate ExComm members for 2020-21, who are:

Past-President Tim Rosendale (Dedman I),

President Aurélie Thiele (Lyle),

President-Elect Pia Vogel (Dedman III),

Secretary Susana Solera Adoboe (Dedman I),

David Bertrand (Simmons),

Rob Frank (Meadows),

Luigi Manzetti (Dedman II),

Rebekah Miles (Perkins),

Anna Offit (Law),

Tom Tan (Cox).

Best wishes,

Aurélie

for

Tim Rosendale, Faculty Senate Past-President rosendale@smu.edu

Aurélie Thiele, Faculty Senate President athiele@smu.edu

Academic Continuity – chaired by Michael Tumeo

Develop plans to support educational continuity through a variety of instructional modes, including in-class, online-only and a hybrid of both. Address situations where students, faculty and staff must remain away from campus for a brief or extended period of time, or must adapt to other limitations on normal academic progress due to COVID-19. Plan and develop resources to support continuing classes, strategies for maintaining graduate student research and guidance for academic events of all sizes. Assess implications for student travel for internships and global experiences, including all activities at SMU-in-Taos. Define criteria and procedures for altering academic policies, including the Academic Calendar. Assess and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts that graduate and undergraduate students may face.

Members

Provost Office

· Patty Alvey, PhD

· Whitney Henry, MBA

· Sheri Kunovich, PhD

· Dayna Oscherwitz, PhD

· Daniel Eady, EdM

· David Son, PhD

· Wes Waggoner, MBA, EdD

· Doug Reinelt, PhD

· Jim Quick, PhD

· Michael Robertson, PhD

· Michael Tumeo, PhD

Associate Deans

· David Sedman, PhD – Meadows

· Hugo Magallanes, PhD – Perkins

· Tom Carr, PhD – Dedman College

· Elizabeth Killingsworth, MLS – SMU Libraries

· Bill Dillon, PhD – Cox

· Becca Henley, JD – Dedman Law

· Paige Ware, PhD – Simmons

· Rumanda Young, PhD – Taos

· Volkan Otugen, PhD – Lyle

OIT

· Michael Hites, PhD

· Curt Herridge, MBA

Faculty Senate

· Tim Rosendale, PhD

· Matthew Wilson, PhD

Student Body Vice President

· Austin Hickle

Campus Health and Wellness – chaired by Melinda Sutton Noss, EdD and Peter Davis, MD, FACP

Develop comprehensive recommendations and plans for testing, contact tracing, social distancing, regulation of visitors, size of nonacademic events, frequent deep cleanings of facilities and other strategies to keep the campus safe, including facilities and activities at SMU-in-Taos. Create wellness information tools and resources to share broadly with the campus community.

Members

· Health Center—Peter Davis, MD, FACP

· Environmental Health & Safety – Brandon Chance, MS, CCHO

· Global Health – Eric Bing, MD, PhD, MBA

· Health Center – Randy Jones, MPH, DDS & Diane Melcher, RN

· Health Promotions – Griffin Sharp, MS, MPH

· Junior Student – from Dr. Bing’s Creating Impact in Global & Public Health course

· Human Resources—Mai Bui, MBA

· RLSH—Amanda Bobo, MBA

· OIT—George Finney, JD, CISM

· OIT – Curt Herridge, MBA

SMU keeps going volume 6

Posted on May 20, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

In spite of the rain, I hope you saw on Saturday the lights on Reunion Tower spell out SMU in honor of our 2020 graduates. Now it’s time to look to the fall as we welcome back those who started working on campus this week! I have enjoyed seeing more faculty and staff as we carefully and safely begin to bring people to our campus. We expect our first group of students to return to campus for a hybrid July term, which will offer both in-person and online classes. They will be the first to follow the recommendations under development by the hardworking members of the President’s Task Force for a Healthy Opening Fall 2020.

Here are just a few stories about the many ways our faculty, staff and students are responding to COVID-19 through research, helping others and sharing the ways SMU has helped them prepare for a future that is very different than the one they expected.

Reunion Tower invited SMU 2020 graduates to celebrate with their families 470 feet above the Dallas skyline in a socially distanced way.

Dedman Law graduates were delighted when legendary author John Grisham made a surprise appearance to wish them well during a virtual toast on Saturday.

From studying on Dallas Hall lawn to celebrating on the Boulevard, our May 2020 grads look back on what makes the SMU experience so special in their Stories from the Hilltop.

While medical professionals everywhere have been hard at work for months searching for a cure to the COVID-19 virus, Guildhall’s Corey Clark and Dedman College computational biologist John Wise have teamed together with gamers to join the fight.

Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and supporters, SMU continues to assist students facing financial hardships due to COVID-19 like Joie Lew through the newly created Presidential Fund for Immediate Needs.

The 200 residents of Picarus Pueblo near SMU-in-Taos remain COVID-19 free. In this PBS NewsHour story, Mike Adler, archaeologist and director of SMU-in-Taos, explains why.

Dedman Law faculty member Anna Offit discussed the pros and cons of a Zoom jury trial with NBC-5.

A concerted team effort between SMU quarterback Shane Buechele, his girlfriend Paige Vasquez, and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson resulted in $50,000 for COVID-19 relief funds for Dallas residents.

As we look to the future, incoming student and President’s Scholar Eileen Garcia gives us good reason to be optimistic. She is one of 20 students the Today Show has followed for more than a decade. Eileen and other members of the Class of 2024 started kindergarten the year after 9/11 and graduated from high school in the midst of a pandemic. Thank you to everyone working to create a safe, effective and meaningful SMU experience for Eileen and her classmates.

Please continue to send your stories to news@smu.edu. You may find more SMU stories at smu.edu/MustangsKeepGoing.

Sincerely,
R. Gerald Turner
SMU President

SMU employees: Welcome back to campus

Posted on May 15, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

Dear SMU faculty and staff,

We are looking forward to your return to the Hilltop. You have demonstrated flexibility, creativity and remarkable good humor in keeping the University on course during these trying times, and those traits will serve us well as we return to campus and prepare to welcome our students back. Some of you, on the guidance of your supervisor, will be returning to campus on May 18. The remainder of SMU employees should plan to return to campus June 1. Given that the campus is relatively quiet in June, especially due to online classes, the month is an ideal time for staff to return. Since buildings will continue to be locked the general public will not have open access to SMU facilities.

Your health is important, and your commitment to new “rules of the road” will be essential to maintain the health of our entire SMU community. Our faculty and staff must be protected, trained and adequately prepared for this new working environment. Therefore, it is vital that you read the “Welcome Back to Campus” packet and follow its links to fully understand what is required. Please communicate with your manager, department chair or dean before you return to campus, allowing time for a thorough discussion of issues related to your workspace, schedule and other individual considerations.

If you still have questions after communicating with your supervisor, please follow up with Human Resources at returntowork@smu.edu, as needed.

Our new normal is likely to be with us for the foreseeable future. Rest assured, we will adjust our guidelines to meet challenges along the way. The most up to date information will be placed on the Human Resources website. We appreciate your patience as we work together to make our work environment both healthy and productive.

Thank you,

Peter K. Moore
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, ad interim

Chris Casey Regis
Vice President for Business and Finance

I’m a student who is struggling financially due to COVID-19-related circumstances, can I get assistance from SMU?

Posted on May 18, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

SMU is providing support to continuing students in need.

Students experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity may request support from the Student Emergency Fund. To initiate the application process, please complete a Caring Community Connections form for yourself and select “economic hardship” at the very bottom. An application for support from the Student Emergency Fund will then be sent to you.

After it is submitted, your application will be reviewed and a decision made on support that can be provided in 3-5 business days.

On-campus and online classes to be held for Summer Session II

Posted on May 15, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

May 15, 2020

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

SMU, including its campus in Taos, is expecting to offer a combination of in-person and online classes for Summer Session II, commonly referred to as July term. We will continue to monitor and adjust as evolving guidelines emerge from Dallas County and the Texas governor.

You may recall that the President’s Task Force for a Healthy Opening Fall 2020 is charged with the important mission of bringing our students, faculty and staff back to campus safely. One of the first charges assigned to the group was to evaluate the feasibility of an on-campus experience for the July term.

The task force surveyed more than 1,000 students who enrolled in July term, as well as the faculty who signed up to teach. While most students replied that they would prefer to continue their summer learning online, many students expressed that they would like the on-campus experience, provided that safety and health protocols are in place. Faculty survey results mirrored the students’ responses, with most planning to teach online and many open to teaching in person.

Informed by the latest science, along with health and safety guidelines from federal, state and local officials, the task force recommended that a hybrid model combining some on-site classes with online classes would be feasible and most responsive to the student needs. Welcoming a small community of students on campus in July will also enable SMU to fine-tune recommendations and protocols for the larger group of students returning in the fall.

Recognizing that we are paving new ground, the University is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy environment for on-campus students in July and when the fall semester begins in August. Employees are returning to campus June 1 after receiving training on safety and health practices, which will include daily health self-assessments; face coverings; enhanced cleaning protocols; social distancing guidelines in workspaces, restrooms and elevators; as well as contact tracing. All these safety procedures will be in place for students as well.

As we prepare for July, we are layering in plans to reduce the density of academic and residential facilities and dining halls, planning for distance-conscious transitions between classes, on-campus COVID-19 testing and more. These details will be shared with you as we get closer to welcoming our July students.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate the continuously changing landscape created by COVID-19. Your safety and wellness are our highest priority, and our commitment to flexibility and responsiveness will help us give you the high-quality academic and student experience that defines SMU.

Sincerely

R. Gerald Turner
President of SMU

SMU keeps going volume 5

Posted on May 13, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

Dear SMU Faculty, Staff and Students,

Congratulations to the 2,634 graduating students who will receive their SMU degrees on Saturday, May 16. Here we go Mustangs is just one small way we honor our graduating students’ accomplishments. Also, keep your eyes on the Dallas skyline this Saturday night when Reunion Tower will light up with a special message in support of our graduates. We plan to recognize their achievements more fully at Commencement on August 15. Until then, please know the Class of 2020 will always be known for its strength and perseverance, despite the anxiety and hardships of these trying times. I am also grateful to the faculty and staff who have, with determination, met the challenge to mentor and guide the Class of 2020 to the completion of the spring term.

Here are creative ways students and faculty have showcased their talents, expressed their thoughts and shared their expertise as we wrap up this most challenging semester.

Teaching classes online created a unique challenge for theatre and dance faculty. How do you teach movement on Zoom? They met the challenge with coaching, creativity and compassion.
In his Austin American-Statesman op-ed, Cox operations management faculty member Visha Ahuja finds that COVID-19 is forcing health care providers and patients to adopt telemedicine, which he thinks will help us weather the next crisis.
As the daughter of a physician, SMU law student Haley Taylor Schlitz asks others to put the health and safety of their communities first in Teen Vogue.
In a CBS News report, Simmons epidemiologist Eric Bing warns of the fine line between reopening businesses and the health and safety of the community.
Perkins faculty member Ruben Habito offers thoughts on living with dignity and grace amidst COVID-19 in this video featured in a D Magazine story.
From volunteering via Zoom, to loneliness, to classes, SMU students share their thoughts about navigating the coronavirus pandemic in Coronavirus Chronicles, a partnership with The Daily Campus.

I miss the proud families and smiling seniors we usually see on our beautiful campus at this time, but we haven’t forgotten the Class of 2020 and you can find here a few videos and photos of their first days on our campus. I look forward to the day soon when the entire SMU community will celebrate their success. Please continue to send your stories to news@smu.edu. You may find more SMU stories at smu.edu/MustangsKeepGoing.

Sincerely,
R. Gerald Turner
SMU President

SMU keeps going volume 4

Posted on May 6, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

Dear SMU Faculty, Staff and Students,

Spring is the time we honor our students for outstanding academic, leadership and service achievements. In spite of distance, students have been initiated into honor societies, recognized for their research and honored for their contributions to the community. The work of the University continues, as evidenced by these fruits of our students’ work. Thank you to each of you for your dedication during these challenging times and your determination that SMU will emerge stronger than ever.

Here are examples of Mustangs embodying our world changing spirit:

SMU students received awards this year via Instagram, virtual ceremonies and Zoom. Congratulations to those who received awards at Honors Convocation and Hilltop Excellence Awards, those who were honored for their undergraduate research presentations and student athletes who received Pony Awards.

Faculty members Fred Chang, computer science, and Jo Guldi, history, co-founded the SMU AI Lab, where artificial intelligence and machine learning are used to search for trends, patterns and insight in search of a COVID-19 vaccine.

SMU Hamon Arts librarian Megan Heuer specializes in information literacy and offers valuable tips for how to separate truth from fiction.

Simmons math education faculty member Candace Walkington, takes at-home math to new heights in a video series of math activities for older kids that include Barbie bungee jumping, soap bubble magic and STEM walks.

Faculty members Jake Batsell and Amber Benson have found COVID-19 is particularly applicable to classes they are teaching this semester. Batsell’s students are comparing the pandemic to the 2008 economic collapse, while Benson’s healthcare advertising students are creating a coronavirus myth-busting campaign sponsored by the United Nations.

Best of luck to students preparing for final exams and faculty members preparing for stacks of grading. I admire your dedication and persistence to finish the spring 2020 semester well. Please continue to send your stories with news@smu.edu. You may find more SMU stories at smu.edu/mustangskeepgoing.

Sincerely,
R. Gerald Turner
SMU President

CARES Act funding from SMU

Posted on May 5, 2020Updated: January 15, 2021

Following the guidance received from U.S. Department of Education, SMU is distributing funds received as part of the CARES Act to students with the greatest demonstrated need and financial hardship due to the ongoing pandemic.

To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:
·       Enrolled as of April 30th for the Spring 2020 term.
·       Eligible to receive Federal Title IV funding as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
·       Received Federal Title IV grants or loans for the spring 2020 term.
o   For undergraduate students, received need-based aid for the spring term.
o   For graduate and professional students, received federal or state loans for the spring 2020 term.
·       Enrolled in a campus-based academic program (Online programs are not eligible).

Also, check out these FAQS for additional information.

I got a letter saying that I am receiving CARES Act funding to help with COVID-19 financial concerns, how do I verify that it is authentic?

Posted on May 5, 2020Updated: September 3, 2020

SMU sent out letters to more than 1,650 students who qualified for this funding under the CARES Act. You may contact the Division of Enrollment Services at enrol_serv@smu.edu or 214-768-3417 for help in verifying if your letter is legitimate.