Updates on Coronavirus

Is the Boston campus completely closed?

Yes. Fisher is asking students all students to leave their residence halls for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester, including students who were recently granted hardships. However, we anticipate re-opening the campus on September 4, 2020

I am on campus now and want to go home but I am having financial difficulties. Can the College help me?

Please email housing@fisher.edu and explain your situation and how the College can best assist you to get home.

I was originally granted a hardship to stay when the closing was first announced. Does this mean I can continue to reside on campus?

No. Since the College is closing for the remainder of the semester and the nature of this evolving crisis is uncertain we are unable to continue to allow anyone to reside in campus housing. You should work on returning to your permanent residence immediately. If you have no permanent residence or are homeless, the College will help you coordinate with public service agencies dedicated to providing housing assistance.  If you would like to discuss your situation further you can contact housing@fisher.edu

Are the Graduate and Professional Studies office and Campus in North Attleboro closed?

Yes. All campuses are closed until September 4, 2020.

Are all events on campus cancelled?

At this time all events taking place up until September 4, 2020 semester are cancelled. However, it public health permits it, we will hold our commencement on August 23, 2020.

Will the Transition to online learning affect the graduate courses?

Yes. The MBA and psychology classes held on campus in the graduate school have gone online effective Monday, March 16.

What about international students with F-1 status?

The F-1 Visa program normally does not allow students to remain in the United States if they are attending classes online. However, in light of COVID-19, the government is providing flexibility so that students with F-1 Visas are able to switch to online learning temporarily.

Is Commencement cancelled?

Commencement for both the undergraduate and graduate programs has been moved to Sunday August 23, 2020,  public health permitting.

We will welcome students in the residence halls for Fall 2020 at a reduced capacity. Room assignments will be limited to single and double occupancy in order to allow for adequate social distancing in the residence halls. Adequate residence hall rooms will also be set aside to create necessary isolation and quarantine spaces.  Due to the reduction of housing on campus the College is currently looking to secure additional beds off campus. Visitors and Guests will not be allowed in the residence halls or on campus unless they have a prior approval for a tour with admissions. There will also be no shared lounge or kitchen facilities available in the residence halls. The College will adjust the move in schedule to allow for adequate social distancing at move in. Additional information pertaining to move in will be provided in your placement letter that you will receive in early August. 

For returning students these changes will mean that the recent room selection process will have to be revised. For new students you will still be assigned a room as part of our normal assignment process. All students will receive a survey on July 8, 2020 via their Fisher College email address from the office of Housing and Residential Life. This survey will allow students to select a new room preference and intent for on/off campus residency during the Fall semester. 

Residence halls are expected to remain open until the semester end on December 18.

For any additional questions, email Sheila Lally, Dean of Students and Interim Director of Housing

The academic experience at Fisher this fall will incorporate a variety of instructional delivery modalities. Approximately 50% of classes will have some in-person component either through a blended or fully face-to-face modality with small class sizes where social distancing can be achieved. The remainder will be delivered through remote learning. Masks will be required in classrooms, seating capacity will be reduced, and class times will be staggered to avoid crowding.  Individual course delivery is subject to change based on modified guidelines. Students will receive updated schedules prior to the start of the semester.  Academic advising and services will be available in person and online.  All classes will become remote from Thanksgiving break until December 18. 

For more questions, email Janet Kuser, the Vice President of Academics

 Dining

There will be modifications in both the dining hall and Falcons Nest on campus, including but not limited to enhanced cleaning, physical distancing for all diners, no buffet style offerings and increased grab and go options. Capacity in the dining hall will be adjusted and access may be limited at times or strictly limited to take out only.

 Student Clubs and Campus Events

Clubs and organizations will conduct meetings and events virtually. Events and club meetings will only happen in person when social distancing requirements can be met. The student center will be open, but occupancy and activities will be limited.

 Athletics

The College will follow guidance and restrictions for participation in varsity athletics when they are put forth by the NAIA, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and CDC. More details will be communicated directly to student-athletes in the coming weeks.

Greetings,

At this time Fisher College remains open however, due to the CDC recommendations regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and for the health and safety of our Fisher College community, the Office of Financial Aid is working remotely.

While remote, staff is actively working and continuing its daily processes as normal. Due to the uniqueness of the situation we do ask for your continued patience. To assist with the transition, please refer the resources below:

For current Fisher College students and parents- please be sure to access your Fisher College Student Account portal which includes your aid as well as billing charges. All questions and concerns regarding your Financial Aid should be directed to financialaid@fisher.edu.

For prospective Fisher College students and parents- if you have a question regarding your student financial aid offer of assistance for the upcoming Fall 2020 academic semester, please email our Counselors at financialaid@fisher.edu.

If you’ve been asked to submit additional documentation or provide verification paperwork in order to complete your financial aid file, please submit such paperwork via email to financialaid@fisher.edu. Include your full name, student id# and contact information. To ensure the privacy and protection of your personal data, we ask that you follow the rules of safeguarding all email attachments.

While office phone lines continue to be operational, it is recommend that all questions are directed to our staff emails (as listed below) or financialaid@fisher.edu.

Our staff continues to work diligently during this time and we appreciate your patience with processing and responses. We encourage you continue to check your Fisher College email and visit the Fisher College website for updates at https://www.fisher.edu/about/updates-on-the-coronavirus.

Warm regards,

The Office of Financial Aid

Fisher College

Greetings Fisher College Students and Families,

At this time Fisher College remains open however, due to the CDC recommendations regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and for the health and safety of our Fisher College community, the Bursar’s Office is working remotely.   Although the Bursar’s Office will temporarily be operating with limited physical staffing, we would like to ensure you that the college will continue to operate and serve our students and their families.  Our goal is to keep the members of our community as safe as possible, while ensuring that students can complete their coursework for the semester and the daily operations of the institution can continue.

For the most up to date information regarding your billing statement, please be sure to access your Fisher College Student Account portal.

Financial Aid will continue to be processed and refunds (if due) will also be processed in a timely manner.

While office phone lines continue to be operational, it is recommended that all questions be directed to our staff emails (as listed below) or bursar@fisher.edu . This will be the most efficient method of communication.

Office emails:

Main Office email: bursar@fisher.edu

Kristen Martinez:kmartinez@fisher.edu

Kevin Kelly: kkelly@fisher.edu

Brad Mish: bmish@fisher.edu

Due to the limited staffing on campus, mail may be delayed.If you have recently sent a check for payment to an account, please email bursar@fisher.edu. Please included the student name, when you sent the check, and the amount on the check, so we can keep a record of the payment.

Our staff continues to work diligently during this time and we appreciate your patience with processing and responses. We encourage you continue to check your Fisher College email and visit the Fisher College website for updates

Best,

Office of the Bursar Team

Fisher College

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans.  In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19, which was discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

Protection measures for everyone

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. COVID-19 is still affecting mostly people in China with some outbreaks in other countries. Most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others. Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following: 

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Rubbing alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands. Although soap and water are ideal and preferable to alcohol-based hand sanitizers, use sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands. 

  Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

• Maintain at least 2 metres (6 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

  Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

• If you are in public (taking a walk, going to the grocery store,) wear cloth masks covering your mouth and nose

  Why? This will help infected people who do not show symptoms protect people who are not sick. (Note: this is not a substitute for social distancing.)

• Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

  Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

• Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

  Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

• Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings.    

The Center for Disease Control is taking this epidemic very seriously and working very hard to mitigate it by taking actions such as laboratory testing.

Learn more about the CDC's response here.  

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. About 2% of people with the disease have died. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.