What resources are available to Kean students this fall semester?

By Tiye Bracy | Published by October 8, 2020

Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic Kean University is offering students a variety of resources with some slight changes. Many resources have established an online presence to help students virtually from their homes or dorm rooms.

At the Learning Commons, students can now reserve a study room or request a laptop through an online system. Spaces, dates, and times are available online.You can find the links to reserve a spot or laptop on www.kean.edu by clicking on the cougar restart guide and then academic and research support.

Students may also go to the Grand Study Hall on the top floor of the Learning Commons without a reservation. Room 115 is designated for high risk students. The Learning Commons will be open from 7:30 a.m. till 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on Wednesdays it will be closed.

Library services this semester include writing, public speaking, tutoring, and research support offered virtually. You can either do a virtual drop in or make an appointment online. The research appointments are 10 minutes long. You can choose staff and time slots for available appointments. The tutoring center operating hours are 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon till 7 p.m. on Sundays. The hours for the writing center are 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. on Fridays, 9 a.m till 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. till 8 p.m. on Sundays.

How can a student make an appointment for the library services?

“All appointments are made through TutorTrac (tutortrac.kean.edu),” said Shelby Loza, an Academic Specialist for the writing center.

Each session is 45 minutes in length via Zoom.

Do you like the new way of assisting students due to Covid?

“I firmly believe that the transition to online was so smooth because online tutoring was already available to students pre-COVID,” Loza said.

In your opinion, do you think students are okay with this new way of coaching?

“Initially, the transition to online tutoring was hard for students and staff alike,” she continued to say “As the weeks went by students as well as staff became more accustomed to meeting virtually as opposed to face-to-face,” stated Loza.

The Miron Student Center  is still open to students. High risk students will be allowed to use the computer labs within the first hour of opening. The designated hours for high risk students are 9 a.m. till 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. till 11 a.m. on weekends. There will be a maximum of twelve students in the computer lab at a time. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. till 8 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. on weekends. The New Upper Class Computer Lab is located inside of the New Upper Class Residence Hall. A maximum of 5 students are allowed at a time. This lab is open from noon till 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon till 8 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. on weekends.

The new protocols for using the computer labs are as follows. Each student must sanitize their hands when they enter the computer rooms. Students will swipe their own ID cards for less contact among other students. They will be encouraged to use the eprint options. The front row of the computers will be vacant to use as a walkway.

The Involvement Center located in the MSC will be open to service student groups and assist students that want to be involved in leadership. They have a new virtual front desk feature offered via Blackboard to students. The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday noon till 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. till 6 p.m., closed on weekends.

The Commuter Resource Center located in the Learning Commons will be open to help students virtually and in person. Virtual hours are 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students can contact 908-737-5250 to get in touch for scheduling. In person visits can be made by appointment only via phone or email.

The Career Services, Internships, and International studies will be open virtually this semester. They can be reached during the hours of 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. for appointments on Fridays. To request a virtual appointment please email career@kean.edu.

The on campus Shuttle service will be operating Monday through Friday from 7:15 a.m. till 10:45 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7:45 a.m. till 3:45 p.m.

The D’Angola Fitness Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.. The gym will be open until November 25 when the entire campus will be going back to remote learning. There are certain guidelines to use the gym facilities. For safety reasons, students must sign up to make a 45 minute appointment via IMLeagues.com under fitness. The facility will be closing in between sessions for 30 minutes for cleaning purposes. There will be temperature and symptoms check ins for students arriving at the gym for workouts. No lockers will be permitted this Fall. Hallway bathrooms will be used for changing. No refills of water, so bring your own filled water bottles. Students must wipe down the machines and weights after use. Face wearings are a must.

On campus dining will be offered throughout the semester. Mobile ordering had been introduced this Fall via Boost Mobile application on androids and Iphones. Food services are available via pickup. The application provides ordering status and completion.

For availability and updates students can visit the website kean.edu/dining and follow the social media pages @gourmetdiningkean on Facebook and Instagram.

Many services are provided to students on campus and virtually this semester despite the pandemic. If you would like more information regarding the resources that are readily available to students please reference the cougar restart guide on the Kean website.

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