HAMMOND, LA
APRIL 7, 2020
S O U T H E A S T E R N L O U I S IA NA U N I V E R S I T Y
Taylor Hall resident contracts COVID-19 DYLAN MECHE AND ELANA GUILLORY STAFF REPORTERS
On March 31, the university confirmed that a student who previously resided on campus tested positive for COVID-19. According to the university, the student resided in Taylor Hall during the 2019-2020 school year. However, it is believed that the student has not been on campus since March 21, and he or she was not on campus when they were tested. In a statement, the university expressed that the news is concerning to the campus community but was expected due to the increasing number of cases and rapid spread in the state. “The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff was and remains our primary concern,” stated the university in an email to students and faculty. Mike Rivault, senior director of university marketing and communications, elaborated on safety measures that are being implemented in light of this news. “It is vital that we minimize
Illustration by Lojuanda Weary/The Lion’s Roar the on-campus population so that as little person-to-person contact occurs,” said Rivault. “This is the reason Southeastern so quickly went to online learning, remote working and urging students to move off-campus. We continue
to encourage students who can move off campus to do so.” Though the university has transitioned to remote delivery of classes, and most on-campus buildings and offices have closed, campus remains open at
this time. Several students are still living in residence halls on campus, including Taylor Hall. Rivault explained that the university has given additional accommodations to students who are residing in Taylor Hall.
“We sent a care package and specific instructions regarding their situation,” shared Rivault. “We continue to urge those in other residence halls to maintain social distancing efforts, follow the basic cleanliness safety rules and still consider moving offcampus.” Current residents of Taylor Hall were also under selfquarantine from March 21 to April 4. These students were advised to take additional precautions in a statement from University Housing. Instructions included refraining from visiting any public facilities and making use of supplies provided in their care packages, including thermometers, gloves and masks. “If you must go out or need to get some air and/or exercise, take advantage of the gloves and mask provided in your care package and maintain a distance of six feet from others at all times,” advised Housing. “Monitor your symptoms, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing.” Quarantined students also had the option of receiving meals delivered to their rooms. Andrea Peevy, director of the
University Health Center, said that she is personally checking in on each student that resides in Taylor Hall. “I am communicating with each student daily to check in, answer any questions and make sure they are healthy,” stated Peevy. Residents at home that could have been in the building on or before March 21 were also advised by University Housing to self-quarantine for 14 days and to take action immediately if they experienced any symptoms of coronavirus. In the instance that another student residing on campus becomes infected with COVID-19, Peevy claims prompt actions will be taken to ensure the safety of that student and others. “Our main concern will be to get any student the medical care they need and to prevent the spread to others,” described Peevy. “We will follow all CDC guidelines and recommendations from the LDH. Any infections or potential exposures will be evaluated on a case by case basis and the appropriate action will be taken.”
University addresses financial aid errors BRYNN LUNDY STAFF REPORTER
The state auditor’s office recently released a report revealing that the university’s financial aid department inaccurately dispensed aid to students due to a flaw in the system, resulting in an overpayment of more than $550,000. Released in March 2020, the report covered findings from the period July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. In addition to the flaw in the process that determines students’ eligibility for financial assistance, the university’s Financial Aid staff did not upload the correct files from the National Student Loan Data System. They also lacked sufficient understanding of the software. The report disclosed the number of students that were allowed to over borrow loans or grants and the amounts they subsequently received. “Our review disclosed that 94 students with subsidized and unsubsidized loans were allowed to borrow $552,647 in excess of the aggregate loan limits for Federal Direct Student Loans,” stated the report submitted by legislative auditor Daryl Purpera. “In addition, some of these students incorrectly received payments totaling $34,123 in Federal Pell grants and $3,000 in Federal Perkins Loans.” Students are not allowed to borrow funds in excess of the federal limits that are in place. Mike Rivault, senior director of Marketing and Communications, explained how this affects students that receive financial assistance. “Under these regulations, students who over borrow are deemed ineligible to receive other aid,
such as Pell Grants,” explained Rivault. “In other words, for students who over borrowed by even nominal amounts, and received other aid, all of the aid is deemed ineligible.” The report includes responses from university management, written to the auditor, addressing how the department initially reacted to the issue and how its administration intends to improve functionality to prevent similar matters in the future. “When the issue was initially identified, the university worked diligently to identify students enrolled in the Fall 2019 semester who were potentially impacted,” responded Sam Diomano, vice president for Administration & Finance. “As such, and as noted in the report, the university returned $29,898 in student loans allowing currently enrolled students to regain eligibility for the Fall 2019 semester.” According to Diomano, the Office of Financial Aid pinpointed the areas that led to the financial errors and made efforts for improvement. The PeopleSoft system has been updated to correct the NSLDS file error, and financial aid counselors have been trained to navigate, view and access loan information. The department will hire a new director after the resignation of the current director, and they will work with Financial Aid Services, a national agency, until the position is filled. Lastly, financial aid counselors no longer have the access to manually override award amounts. The power is now limited to the chief enrollment management officer, the director of financial aid and the assistant directors of financial aid.
An error at the university Financial Aid office has resulted in the inaccurate dispersal of aid to students, causing an overpayment of more than $550,000. The university addressed the financial errors and plans to strengthen internal controls to prevent any future mishaps. Brynn Lundy/The Lion’s Roar Rivault commented on how the university continues to handle the situation. “The university takes this situation very seriously and has worked to address the identified issues and strengthened internal controls to ensure
it does not occur in the future,” stated Rivault. “The university is continuing to work closely with both the Louisiana Legislative Auditors and U.S. Department of Education on appropriate next steps to fully resolve the matter.”
Entergy provides tips on reducing bill while working from home ELANA GUILLORY STAFF REPORTER
Circuit, a blog for the electricity company Entergy, recently gave advice on lowering energy costs while working from home. In “6 Ways to Make Your Home Office Energy Efficient,” the company acknowledged the increase in online working from home and released tips on conserving electricity and saving money during this online transition. “Working from home, even on a temporary basis, may increase your energy use,” stated in the article. “It means that you’re spending more time using a computer, lights and Since people have started to work from home, Circuit by Entergy released 6 other appliances at home instead of in your tips to help them reduce electrical costs. The company also released an article workplace. But by improving the energy stating that it will continue services. Elana Guillory/The Lion’s Roar efficiency of your home office equipment, you Weather
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can save on energy costs without hampering your productivity.” Entergy advises people working from home to turn off equipment that will not be used for a long period of time. To make this easier with the utilization of multiple devices, the company suggests investing in an advanced power strip. “Many electronic devices continue to use standby power even after they’re turned off,” stated Entergy. “Connect your office equipment to an advanced power strip, which will automatically shut off power to unused devices.” In addition, a person should switch to a laptop to save a third of the energy a desktop would use. Entergy also advises that people take care in setting their thermostat to the “unoccupied setting” to save energy.
Index
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Campus Life ................................2 Opinions ....................................3 A&E ...........................................4
Horoscope, Crossword, Sudoku ...5 Sports & Fitness ..........................5 News .........................................6
“Adjust the thermostat to the unoccupied setting,” advised Entergy. “This avoids wasting energy by conditioning the entire house while you’re occupying only a small portion of it. Consider using a ceiling fan to maintain comfort. You can reverse its direction clockwise in winter, which pushes warm air down.” Circuit also released a “Coronavirus Action Plan,” in which the company assured customers that it will continue to deliver its services. “We are closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, and want to assure our customers that there is currently no impact on the delivery of power to our customers,” stated in the article. “We are also staying in contact with federal, state and local authorities to ensure safe and reliable power.”
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