Dear All,

In light of the recent developments regarding the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country, we are committed to monitoring closely the evolving dynamics of the outbreak and its impact on our community.

According to the latest information released by the Government on March 26, 2021, Nairobi County has been identified as one of the counties with the highest number of Coronavirus cases, alongside Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru Counties, and as such, the Government has declared a cessation of movement, to try and mitigate the spread of the virus.

In light of these developments, the University will restrict access to the university campus to all students, staff and faculty with effect from Monday, March 29 until further notice. In addition, the following measures will be undertaken to ensure business continuity during this period:

University Operations: All staff and faculty will be expected to work from home, however, some skeleton staff drawn from the departments and considered critical for the operation of the University may be maintained. Please contact your respective supervisors for further information on the modalities of working during this period, to ensure that the departmental deliverables are met.

Academic Continuity: The University will fully switch back to online learning, as has been the case in the past year. Teaching and learning will continue with the Blackboard platform as the default mode of interaction. However, faculty will also use other modes such as Skype, Zoom, BlueJeans, WhatsApp and e-mail for learning and communication with students.

For students who were accessing campus for practical and laboratory sessions, this will be suspended immediately with the exception of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as per the Government directive exempting students in medical training institutions from these measures until otherwise notified. Please reach out to your respective Deans and lecturers for further guidance.

The library which had been opened to allow students access critical materials will be closed immediately. However, online reference services will be offered from 8.15 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. throughout the week.

In-person events and sporting activities: All in-person activities including sporting events will remain suspended until further notice.
ICT Support: The IT team will continue working to ensure that our telecommuting platforms, Zoom and BlueJeans, are continuously available and stable. In the event that you may require any additional support, the University will be offering support for online instruction between 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. every weekday and between 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on Saturdays through the following channels:
Phone: +254 730 116333
WhatsApp: +254 735 000377
E-mail: helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke

For any assistance from the various Departments, you are encouraged to raise a ticket through the Helpdesk system. The contacts for the various Departments can be found here.

Please note that there will be no visitors allowed on campus during this duration of the lockdown. We urge each and every one of you to continue adhering to the safety measures laid out by the Ministry of Health, to ensure the utmost safety of yourself and your community.

The University Management will keep you updated on any developments in regard to the spread and mitigation measures against the virus. For any additional queries, please contact the Human Resources department through the Director of Administration, Night Nzovu on nnzovu@usiu.ac.ke

Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza
Vice Chancellor