Frequently Asked Questions

Please find below several Frequently Asked Questions concerning DBU's response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. These FAQs will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.

Latest DBU Statements

Please refer to our Latest Updates to see all that DBU is doing to respond.

The University has been in communication with Dallas County Health and Human Services and received guidance regarding how to proceed with suspected or positive cases at DBU.

Refer to our Latest Updates to see how DBU responded to this crisis.

General Information about COVID-19

A respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected worldwide, including in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person:

  • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
  • Via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and landing in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly inhaled into the lungs.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest). Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Learn what is known about the spread here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html.

The primary symptoms are fever, cough, & shortness of breath. Read about symptoms here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html.

Social distancing is designed to limit the spread of a disease by reducing the opportunities for close contact between people and includes: Reduce face-to-face exposure by using telephone/conference calls, email, and tools, such as Microsoft Teams, including but, not limited to, student organization meetings. The Student Affairs team will provide more detailed guidance soon.    

  • Avoid mass gatherings.
  • Keep at least six feet between yourself and another person in all public places.
  • Avoid close contact, including handshakes and hugging. Use other non-contact methods for greeting.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Practice good hygiene.
  • Limit food sharing.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Cough or sneeze into your elbow if you do not have tissue.

Click here for more information.

Self-isolation serves to temporarily separate people who have been in an area of public health concern to help protect their health and that of their community. Day zero of the 14 day isolation period is the day you leave a restricted location.

Individuals required to self-isolate:

  • May not return to class, work, activities or university events until 14 days have passed. Students needing assistance finding accommodations for self-isolation should contact Student Affairs for support and guidance.
  • Stay home except to get medical care and call ahead before doing so.
  • Report your health status daily to university health staff.
  • Separate yourself from others who also share their residence.
  • Monitor your temperature twice a day for fever. Fever is defined as ≥100.4F or 38C.

Academics

As of March 23, 2020, DBU will be extending online instruction for the remainder of the Spring semester. This applies to all students and all programs.

The University will remain open in order to service those students residing on campus and perform other functions necessary to maintain the essential operations of these residences.

Faculty should meet with students during office hours by phone or online conferencing.

No, the online instruction period will not have any impact on degree plans or hours earned.

Our standard May Commencement services which are held in Pilgrim Chapel have been postponed, and May 2020 graduates are invited to walk in an upcoming ceremony held in August 2020, December 2020, or May 2021. DBU will still confer degrees in May for those who satisfy academic requirements.

In place of our normal Commencement services, DBU is planning to host a Commencement Parade that will take place on Friday, May 15.  More details about this event, as well as information on how to particpate in an upcoming service, can be found at www.dbu.edu/commencement.

At this time, there are no changes to the finals schedule. The Academic Calendar remains on schedule.

Events

At this time, no official decisions have been made yet on summer camps but the University is actively considering summer events.

All University activities, events, conferences, and large gatherings are postponed or cancelled through the remainder of the spring semester.

For events that have been postponed, we will reach out and provide updates on rescheduled dates as we learn more.

University Housing and Food Services

DBU will remain open, and many of our operations and activities will continue. To be clear, DBU residential housing will remain available to students. Additionally, food services and dining will be open with adjustments being made as necessary to respond unique concerns raised by COVID-19.

To better care for the campus community during this time, DBU has implemented heightened cleaning and sanitization for high traffic areas, including food service locations, restrooms, and public lobbies.

DBU will remain open to service those students residing on-campus and perform other functions necessary to maintain the essential operations of these residences.

To further abide by the order, we will also maintain social distancing, screen employees and students for exposure risks (https://dbu.formstack.com/forms/symptoms_form), and continue heightened cleaning and sanitization of the campus while we perform these essential functions.

Food services on a “grab and go” basis will continue for students remaining in University housing.  

No. Students may complete their courses remotely. We ask students to determine whether their campus or permanent residence is safest. As students think about and make decisions on returning to campus, please consider the CDC's criteria for people considered to be at higher risk, including older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html.

Facilities and Support Services

In response to Dallas County’s shelter-in-place order, essential businesses will be able to continue performing essential activities, and, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, colleges and universities are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure services.

As a result, DBU will remain open for housing, dining, and other essential activities. This order, however, specifically requires individuals to shelter at their place of residence with certain exceptions until April 3, 2020.

During the Shelter-in-Place directive from Dallas County, we are asking that no individuals plan to visit campus. However, DBU personnel can still meet virtually with individuals. Please email your contact to schedule virtual meetings.

During the Shelter-in-Place directive from Dallas County, the DBU Library will be transitioning to online-only service. Please visit the DBU library website to chat with a librarian or ask reference questions to the dashboard: http://libguides.dbu.edu/library/home.

During the Shelter-in-Place directive from Dallas County, the University Writing Center will be transitioning to online-only service that is available 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday. Please visit www.dbu.edu/uwc/hours.asp for more information.

Financial Aid

DBU encourages you to make a phone appointment with a financial aid counselor. If you would like to make an appointment, please contact our office at 214-333-5363 or email finaid@dbu.edu. Unless the University campus closes, our office will also remain open during normal business hours.

Our counselors can evaluate your circumstances and increase your Cost of Education budget to cover illness-related expenses. Please contact our office to request a budget increase evaluation. Please note that documentation of the extra expenses will be required.

Our financial aid counselors can reassess your family’s ability to help with your educational expenses if their employment is affected by an illness and their income this year will be significantly less than the income reported on your FAFSA (2017 income was reported on the FAFSA for 19/20). You can find the required forms below:

Parent Request

19-20 Change in Circumstances: Parent Request

19-20 Income Verification Worksheet: Dependent Student

Independent Student Request

19-20 Change in Circumstances: Independent Student Request

19-20 Income Verification Worksheet: Independent Student

The U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to relax compliance requirements related to unit requirements. Financial aid eligibility is verified based on the hours you are enrolled in at the end of 02/03/2020. You must be enrolled half time (4.5 hours for graduate students, 6 hours for undergraduate students) to remain eligible for financial aid. Most undergraduate grant programs require full time enrollment and your eligibility will be reduced, if you are enrolled in less than 12 hours at census.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to relax compliance requirements related to withdrawals. If you withdraw (officially or unofficially), the Office of Financial Aid is required to perform a calculation to determine how much of the financial aid you received for the term needs to be returned. The later in the term you withdraw, the more of your financial aid will be considered “earned” and the impact on your financial aid will be smaller. You can find additional information by reviewing the What is DBU’s Refund Policy guidance.

If you do not enroll, you will not receive financial aid for that semester. However, your eligibility for future semesters will not be affected. We recommend that you see your academic advisor any time your enrollment plans change to make sure that you are still on track to graduation.

We will be working through the impacts for those relying on work-study.

DBU’s Global Studies staff and Financial Aid staff are in constant communication, and we are made aware of any programs that have been suspended.

No.  Emergency financial aid grants under the CARES Act for unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to the disruption of campus operations on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as unexpected expenses for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, or childcare, are qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code.  This grant is not includible in your gross income.
No.  Because the emergency financial aid grant is not includible in your gross income, you cannot claim any deduction or credit for expenses paid with the grant including the tuition and fees deduction, the American Opportunity Credit, or the Lifetime Learning Credit. See section 139(h) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Enrolled students that meet Title IV guidelines that have completed the 19/20 FAFSA application at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa must complete the financial hardship application at https://dbu.presence.io/form/financial-hardship-application to be considered by the committee.
Students will receive an email notification to the primary email address on file with the university concerning the committee decision once their hardship application has been reviewed.

Section 484 of the HEA states that Title IV eligible students must: 

  • Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program
  • Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school
  • For currently enrolled students, be making satisfactory academic progress
  • Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans
  • Not be in default on a Title IV loan
  • File "as part of the original financial aid application process" a certification that includes
    • A statement of educational purpose
    • Student's SSN
  • Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen
  • Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges
  • Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits
  • Have repaid Title IV loan amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits if obtained inadvertently
  • Have Selective Service registration verified
  • Have Social Security Number verified
  • Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations
2,417 Title IV Eligible DBU Students out 4,014 Enrolled Students for Spring 2020

To date (5/14/20), DBU has received $1,099,399.00 to be distributed.

To date (5/14/20), DBU has distributed $435,933.85 to 155 students.

The total amount still available for distribution is $663,465.15. DBU is continuing to evaluate requests on a daily basis and distribute funds.

Fill out the DBU Hardship Application to see if you are eligible to receive these funds.

Travel

To respond to the influx of return travel after Spring Break, the University is requiring any student, faculty, or staff member that has: (1) traveled internationally; or (2) come into contact with someone that has tested positive for COIVD-19 or is a presumptive positive to report their travel to DBU’s Student Affairs Office by filling out a Travel Intake Form.

DBU’s reporting requirements apply to residential students and any on-campus essential personnel.   

All residential students or students wishing to come to campus who:

  1. Come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic;
  2. Experience flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
  3. Test positive for COVID-19

must first CALL the Health Services Clinic at 214-333-5151 or the Student Affairs Office at 214-333-5101 and complete this Symptoms Form to report your symptoms or confirmed diagnosis.

These students will be asked to self-quarantine or isolate off-campus. DBU, however, will accommodate international students, students from out-of-state, and students with other special circumstances.

All essential personnel (full and part-time) performing any work on-campus that:

  1. Tests positive for COVID-19; 
  2. Experiences flu-like symptoms or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19; or
  3. Come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 while the positive case was symptomatic

are required to:

  1. Report this information to your supervising Vice President and complete a Symptoms Form.
  2. Follow guidance from your healthcare provider and Dallas County and self-quarantine (no symptoms) or self-isolate (presumptive symptoms or a confirmed diagnosis) at home for a minimum of 14 days. Do not come to work under any circumstances.
  3. Contact your supervising Vice President before going back to work.  You may not return to work until you receive written approval from your supervising Vice President.

DBU has suspended all University-related international travel, and we are asking any student who has traveled internationally or to any acknowledged domestic community outbreak area since March 1 to notify the Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@dbu.edu and self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. 

With this in mind, DBU strongly encourages all DBU students, faculty, and staff not to travel internationally until the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. If a student, faculty, or staff member does travel internationally, they need to report this to the Office of Student Affairs, and in addition, they run the risk of not being allowed back into the country and will also need to plan to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days upon their return.

DBU has suspended all University-related domestic travel. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of states have declared a state of emergency, as has the federal government.

With that in mind, DBU strongly discourages students, faculty, and staff from personal domestic travel during this time, except for students who are planning to return to their homes.

If any current residential student has traveled domestically since March 1 to an acknowledged area of a community outbreak, they are required to notify the Office of Student Affairs by filling out a Travel Intake Form and self-quarantine for a period of 14 days after they return.

Any residential student that chooses to travel off-campus is not permitted to return to campus if that student: (1) develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19; (2) tests positive for COVID-19; (3) or has been in contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19.  These students will be required to self-quarantine or isolate off-campus.   DBU, however, will accommodate international students, students from out-of-state, and students with other special circumstances.

International Students FAQs >>

Remote Work Information for Faculty and Staff

Contacts

For any follow-up questions, please send an email to the Coronavirus Taskforce ctf@dbu.edu or Student Affairs at studentaffairs@dbu.edu. Your question will be routed to the appropriate DBU departments.

The DBU Counseling Center offers counseling at no charge to DBU students, faculty, and staff. To make an appointment, talk with a counselor, or get more information, please call 214 333 5288, or email us at counselingcenter@dbu.edu.