January 20 is a day of service that celebrates the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and his work to advance civil rights. In observance of this commemoration, this date is a holiday for the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. For reference, the hours of operation during this holiday break are:

• Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19: The University will maintain normal campus hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.
• Monday, January 20: There are no courses scheduled, and all campus facilities are closed.
• Tuesday, January 21: Normal operations and campus hours resume.

All clinical/ fieldwork/ practicum students are expected to follow the holiday schedule of their clinic. Please reference the program-specific, clinical/ fieldwork/ practicum student handbook available on MyUSA>Clinical Service>Student Resources and Forms for the attendance policy.

Please reference the Academic Calendar for additional holidays or closures. The next University holiday is Monday, February 17 (Presidents Day). On Tuesday, February 18, faculty and students will not have classes; campuses and administrative offices will be open.

Observing MLK Day of Service
Observing MLK Day through service is a wonderful way to begin the year with a commitment to making the community a better place and being a Force for Good. Dr. King believed that strength came from people working together as a whole and once stated, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

As a federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, Campus Connection would love to hear how students and employees are participating in MLK Jr. Day. Please email details and a photo, if available, to campusconnection@usa.edu. 

While the Los Angeles-area wildfires that are causing devastation in Southern California have not directly affected the University, there are students and employees whose families and loved ones are affected. Student Affairs has provided the following support information and resources to help prioritize safety and well-being during this time:

USAHS Student Support and Resources

• Accommodations will be made as needed and appropriate for students unable to return to campus due to travel or personal situations related to the California wildfires. Students unable to participate in their scheduled class or who need extra time or extensions on assignments because of adverse conditions must contact their instructor and program director.  
• You may also complete a Student Wellness Referral Form, or reach out to us at studentwellness@usa.edu for mental or emotional support during this difficult time. A staff member from the Student Wellness team will reach out to you within 48 hours to connect and provide assistance. Additional resources can be found at MyUSA>Student Services> Student Wellness.
• Our student assistance program provider, ComPsych, is available to assist with wildfire support and resources. You and the people in your household can call 800-697-0353 to be connected for free, 24/7, to a licensed counselor. You can also access online resources at guidanceresources.com by creating a free account with the Web ID “USAHS.”  Some support resources include:

·       Digital Toolkit: Crisis and Trauma Toolkit

·       World Watch Documents with information on: Evacuations, Disaster Recovery Information, Road Conditions, Power Outages, Shelter Information, Emergency Animal Shelter Information, Additional Support

·       Crisis Support Flyer

If you need general assistance or have questions about University resources, please contact your Student Success Advisor. The contact information for Student Success Advisors can be found at MyUSA, Student Services, Advising.

As you think about your career at USAHS and beyond, it is important to consider the big picture of what will best help you succeed in your courses, build relationships in the field, and advance your clinical and research skills. A wonderful way to do all of these things is to become involved in the USAHS Student Journal of Occupational Therapy (SJOT). Please watch the following short video that outlines the opportunity:

If you are ready to join the SJOT team (or for inquiries), email bfralinger@usa.edu. We hope you decide to participate in this wonderful opportunity to enhance your skills and increase your marketability in the profession!

It is important to have current addresses for all students, including legal home permanent address, local address and emergency contact information on file in the event of emergency situations and for administrative purposes, such as validating enrollment at the campus where your program is offered. Please take three minutes of your time today to review your personal contact information and emergency contracts to ensure it is up to date.

To add or update your addresses, please follow these steps:

1. Log into the MyUSA portal.
2. Click the My Info tab on the top menu bar.
3. Click My Contact Info on the left menu bar.
4. Click Update Contact Info on the middle of the page.
5. Ensure your mobile phone is correct, as we’ll use this number to call or text students for emergency communications, such as weather-related or other critical operational alerts.
6. Scroll down to Permanent Address, Local Address* and Emergency Contact Information and enter your information or make changes to each section (verify other contact information is correct and update, if necessary).
7. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Next Page to review your updates.
8. After reviewing your updates, click submit.

*If you do not have a local address that differs from your legal permanent address for relocation purposes, then please add the same address to the local address field.

It is critical that members of the campus community provide accurate contact information in applicable systems to ensure communications are received in the event of an emergency. All USAHS students are to provide emergency contact information either on the Student Services portal or the Student Services office. Students are asked to provide an update any time there is a change ad to check their contact information at the beginning of each term start. Thank you for your assistance.

The Scholarship and Open Access Repository (SOAR@USA) collects and archives the research and scholarly work of University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) students, faculty and staff, making it accessible to researchers worldwide without cost barriers.

Managed by the USAHS Library, SOAR@USA allows anyone with an internet connection the ability to access student dissertations, capstone projects, poster presentations, videos and other scholarly projects, as well as open-access versions of conference presentations and faculty publications.

The revamped SOAR@USA website includes aesthetic updates and easier account log-in and submission processes. Plus:

• Add pictures of yourself presenting research on symposium days or at other events in the new student research selfies gallery. 
• Explore published research by topic with the new discipline wheel 

For questions or assistance submitting work, contact soar@usa.edu.