COVID-19 FAQs

If you have a fever, cough or trouble breathing and might have been exposed to COVID-19, call your doctor or nurse. You might have been exposed if any of the following happened within the last 14 days:

• You had close contact with a person who has the virus – This generally means being within about 6 feet of the person.
• You lived in or traveled to an area where lots of people have the virus – The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information about which areas are affected. This can be found on their website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.
• You went to an event or location where there were known cases of COVID-19 – For example, if multiple people got sick after a specific gathering, you might have been exposed.

If your symptoms are not severe, it is best to call your doctor, nurse, or clinic before you go in. They can tell you what to do and whether you need to be seen in person. If you do need to go to the clinic or hospital, you will need to put on a face mask. The staff might also have you wait some place away from other people. If you are severely ill and need to go to the clinic or hospital right away, you should still call ahead. This way the staff can care for you while taking steps to protect others. Your doctor or nurse will do an exam and ask about your symptoms. They will also ask questions about any recent travel and whether you have been around anyone who might be sick. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Symptoms usually start a few days after a person is infected with the virus. But in some people it can take even longer for symptoms to appear. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Feeling tired
• Trouble breathing
• Muscle aches

Employees: Employees covered under the Ouachita Baptist University Group Health Plan may want to utilize the services of Teledoc®, which provides access to a board-certified physician 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  For more information, go to https://www.teladoc.com/ or call 1-800-Teladoc (835-2362).   Updated March 16, 2020

Counseling services will be open for virtual appointments. Call 870-245-5220 or 870-245-5591 to make an appointment. Additionally, here are some resources to help manage your mental health: https://obu.edu/voices/blog/coronavirus-news-related-anxiety/. Updated March 17, 2020

Health Services is now offering telehealth appointments for Ouachita students, faculty and staff. The office is not open for walk-in appointments or questions. Contact Molly Wallace, RN, director of health services, at wallacem@obu.edu to request an appointment. These telehealth appointments are available to address non-urgent medical concerns. Nurse Molly cannot diagnose or send in prescriptions but can recommend home care or direct you to additional medical care. For serious or urgent medical concerns, contact your local healthcare provider or visit an urgent care center or emergency department. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, we ask that you notify Nurse Molly at wallacem@obu.edu or 870-245-5244; it is not mandatory but encouraged.   Employees: Employees covered under the Ouachita Baptist University Group Health Plan may want to utilize the services of Teledoc®, which provides access to a board-certified physician 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  For more information, go to https://www.teladoc.com/ or call 1-800-Teladoc (835-2362). Updated March 24, 2020

Yes, guests may schedule individual campus visits with the Office of Admissions Counseling at obu.edu/visit. The following protocol is in place to protect faculty, staff, students and guests. These may change based on the most recent guidance from the state of Arkansas, CDC and Ouachita’s HMAT.

• Prior to their visit, all guests must complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire, which will be distributed to them when their appointment is made.
• Tours are limited to one family at a time, with no more than three families on campus at a time total. These appointment times are available Mondays through Saturdays: 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Everyone in the tour party, including admissions counselors, is required to wear a mask.
• Discussion times with families will be held in larger spaces (lobby of JPAC, Evans Student Center, etc.) rather than in offices.
• Faculty and staff must maintain social distance from the families.
• Appointments with faculty and staff may be conducted in person or via videoconference, at the discretion of the faculty/staff member.
• Admissions counselors will carry pocket hand sanitizer for use throughout the tour.

Schedule a visit

 

Admissions counseling also are hosting virtual Tiger Day events to allow an introduction to campus from home.

To comply with official guidance on avoiding large gatherings, Ouachita did not hold Commencement on May 9.

Ouachita’s 2019-2020 Commencement ceremony has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. The service will take place on the lawn of Cone-Bottoms Hall, weather and health guidance permitting. Commencement rehearsal and a Senior Dinner are planned for Friday afternoon and evening, October 9. Additional details will be available at obu.edu/commencement. These plans may change based on current guidelines from the state on large gatherings.

Updated June 24, 2020

Yes, other than limited campus tours, all campus events through June are canceled. This includes previously scheduled Ouachita events, events hosted on campus by external groups, athletics camps and others. Events for July and August are pending.

Updated May 12, 2020

Yes, the Great American Conference and NCAA have suspended all practices and competitions indefinitely.

Updated May 12, 2020

Through July, campus offices are open Mondays through Thursdays with additional health protocols in place for employees. Guests to campus should call or email first to conduct business, as some offices are closed to visitors and some work is being conducted remotely. 

Updated June 24, 2020

Yes, a partial room and board credit was issued to students who lived in Ouachita housing in the spring semester and who were required to leave campus due to the COVID-19 crisis. Questions or concerns? Email obustudentfinancialservices@obu.edu. Updated May 12, 2020

CARES ACT RESPONSE: 30-DAY REPORTING

Ouachita Baptist University signed a certification and agreement form with the Department of Education on April 9, 2020, for funding to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  Funds were received by Ouachita on April 23, 2020, and in accordance with our agreement, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act will be used to provide Emergency Financial Aid grants to students. 

Ouachita received a total of $672,193 to be used for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

As of May 11, 2020, Ouachita has disbursed $648,797.12 Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004 (a)(1) of the CARES Act.

1310 residential, degree-seeking students were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.  In accordance with Department of Education guidance, students ineligible for grants include: online degree-seekers, international students, non-FAFSA completers, high-school concurrent students, non-degree seekers, and those who have withdrawn or were enrolled below ½ time status.

All 1310 eligible students as explained above have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant disbursement under Section 18004 (a)(1) released on April 29, 2020 and May 6, 2020.

Ouachita used a combined formula and application-based approach to distribute CARES Act funds, with the majority of the funding being directed to our neediest students who were determined by the Department of Education to be Pell grant eligible.

382 Pell eligible students received grants of a minimum of $400 up to 44% of the spring Pell grant amount in the first round of funds released within one week of our receipt of the CARES Act dollars.  (44% was used to reflect the 7 weeks out of 16 weeks disrupted by the closure of our dorms and move to remote instruction.)   Total disbursed = $370,397.12

928 Non-Pell-grant eligible students were given grants evenly disbursed from the CARES Act funds.  Total disbursed = $278,400

The remaining small pool of CARES Act funds was distributed during the 45-day reporting period to assist students with exceptional expenses caused by the disruption of our residential learning environment due to COVID. 

Ouachita instructed students to use these funds as intended by Congress to cover additional expenses caused by the COVID-19 disruption such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, childcare, and extra travel to/from campus.

Updated May 12, 2020

Yes, on-campus classes and residential life are planned to resume for fall 2020 with additional precautions in place to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and guests. A Health Monitoring and Action Team is helping develop these protocols.

The fall 2020 semester will begin early and follow a compressed schedule, concluding on-campus learning by Thanksgiving and with final exams administered remotely after Thanksgiving:

• Move-in for all students will be Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 13-15, on a staggered schedule to minimize crowds.
• Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 17.
• Classes will meet on Labor Day, Sept. 7, and Fall Break, Oct. 8-9.
• In-person classes end Tuesday, Nov. 24.
• Final exams will be administered remotely Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
• Online Fall Term 1 classes will run from Monday, Aug. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 11; Online Fall Term 2 classes will run from Monday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Dec. 6.

Updated June 24, 2020

Questions? Email bookstore@obu.edu or call 870-245-5299

Updated June 24, 2020 

Summer study abroad programs are canceled. Fall study abroad programs are pending a final decision, which will be made together with the host institutions. We will continue to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation and communicate directly with students approved for programs planned in those semesters.

Updated May 12, 2020

Ouachita-sponsored trips through the end of 2020 are canceled until further notice, with exceptions approved by a vice president or dean.

Individuals planning personal travel are encouraged to exercise caution and follow CDC and Arkansas Department of Health recommendations for travel.

Updated May 12, 2020

Staff members of the Grant Center for International Education are available to answer questions or concerns for your specific situation. Contact them at 870-245-5197. Updated March 16, 2020