University of Sioux Falls

Welcome to the University of Sioux Falls!

We are delighted you have chosen to continue your education at the University of Sioux Falls!  By this time you have communicated with Katy Lahren, Program Coordinator, Jared Berg, Ed.S. Coordinator, and/or me and have finished the preliminary steps to your degree program. 

The Office of the Registrar will help you register for your first semester classes. When it is time to register for the next semester, you will register online through My.USF. 

Please begin this orientation by reading through the rest of this welcome page and then clicking on 1. Connection to Network, WIFI, WebEx listed in the left navigation or on the "Next up" link below.  This will guide you through all the information you will need to get started.

Best wishes in your graduate program! We are here to answer your questions and to help you meet your goal of completing your graduate degree.

Sincerely,

Dr. Becky Thurman
Associate Professor, Education / Director of Graduate Education Programs
605-575-2083
Becky.Thurman@usiouxfalls.edu

From: COVID19 <COVID19@USiouxFalls.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 2:48 PM
To: Students-Current <Students-Current@USiouxFalls.edu>
Subject: COVID-19 SUMMER PROTOCOLS AS OF 5/17/2021

Dear USF Students,

We again want to sincerely thank you for your continued work to keep the USF Campus Community healthy.  Our mitigation efforts (and God’s grace) have resulted in lower numbers of positive COVID-19 cases.  Below are some changes to USF policies and actions– as well as important reminders of efforts that remain in place to mitigate the risk of transmission of COVID-19 on campus among students, employees, and guests. These policies are based on an increasing number of people getting vaccinated and decreasing community spread.  As the CDC shared, a cluster of new cases or reemergence of broader community transmission will result in the re-evaluation of mitigation strategies. Should guidance change by the CDC, SD Department of Health, or Avera health experts, the University will re-evaluate institutional policies to help safeguard employees, students, and guests.

1. MASKS

Masks are now optional on campus, indoors and outside, but are required for classes (although this policy may be modified by individual instructors).  However, the lowest risk activities continue to be wearing a mask and staying distanced from others, and the University strongly supports those who choose to adhere to these mitigation strategies.  The change to USF’s mask policy results from the recent CDC announcement that says fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks indoors or outside regardless of the size of gathering or ability to socially distance. CDC guidelines can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html. Please note, NCAA Student-Athletes may have different rules in regards to masking during workouts.

2. VACCINATIONS

• IN general, people are considered fully vaccinated:
• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 week after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Recognizing that there are many people unable to get vaccinated for various reasons, including young children, USF respectfully asks unvaccinated individuals to consider continuing to mask.

3. VACCINATION RECORD KEEPING

We ask that students please keep us informed of your status by reporting the dates of your COVID-19 vaccination(s) by filling out the proof of vaccination form and submitting a picture of your vaccination record.  By letting us know you have been vaccinated, we will be better able to monitor our campus population and evaluate the COVID-19 protocols we have in place. 

Steps to access the COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Form

Log into https://my.usiouxfalls.edu/ICS/ and on the student welcome page or on the COVID-19 student page, you will click on the purple button labeled Proof of Vaccination to submit your picture of your vaccination record to the COVID-19 Response Team. 

In order to access this form, you are required to sign-in to your USF Office account.  When you click on the link, you should be automatically requested to log-in (unless you are already logged in).  

Username: MyUSF@usiouxfalls.edu  (please note the username is not your whole email address). For example: jodoe@usiouxfalls.edu

Password: same as MyUSF and email

If you receive an error message, please go to www.office.com, sign in to your USF account, and then click on the link provided.

Please note that the University does not require students or employees to be vaccinated. 

4. CLOSE CONTACTS

As a general rule, fully vaccinated individuals with a known exposure to COVID-19 will not be asked to quarantine as long as they remain asymptomatic.  For USF students living at home, an exception USF may invoke on a case-by-case basis is that if you reside with an individual who has tested positive, you WILL be asked to quarantine regardless of vaccination status. The CDC has not put an end date on the period of time you are exempt from quarantining with a known exposure.  At this time, the efficacy of the vaccine extends beyond the previously used “90-day window”.

5. REPORT YOURSELF

Stay OFF campus, and report IMMEDIATELY if…you are feeling ill or experiencing ANY symptoms, have a positive or pending COVID-19 test result, have a person in your household who is a close contact, has a positive or pending test result, or experience a similar situation you need to discuss please…PLEASE REPORT! In more simple terms, error on the side of safety if you experience anything previously described. Due to the highly transmissible nature of this disease, unnecessary risks are highly discouraged.

Report to:

• Student Self-Report Form at https://www.usiouxfalls.edu/covidand you will receive a call, email, or text from Amy Johnson or designee.
• Contact Amy Johnson, COVID Response Team Lead at COVID19@usiouxfalls.edu

6. LIVE SAFE App

Student-athletes must be screened prior to strength and conditioning workouts, athletic training sessions, and individual/team permitted voluntary workouts by completing the LIVE SAFE app before coming to campus and have confirmed by athletic department staff that they have a green check. To download the app, go to https://www.usiouxfalls.edu/covid, then click on "Daily Screening App." At this time, we are NOT requiring other USF students, or employees (including faculty/students of summer courses) to continue using the LIVE SAFE App; we will advise if this policy needs to be reversed.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, INQUIRIES:

• Contact: Amy Johnson, COVID Response Team Lead at COVID19@usiouxfalls.edu
• Report:  Complete a Student Self-Report Form at https://www.usiouxfalls.edu/covid to report the student, and you will receive a call, email, or text from Amy Johnson or designee.

Thank you,

Amy Johnson

COVID Response Team Lead

University of Sioux Falls

If you have any questions after receiving your acceptance letter, plan of study, and registration information, please contact us. 

Fredrikson School of Education
Located in Glidden Hall, 3rd floor

Katy Lahren (Program Coordinator):  605-331-6715
Katy.Lahren@usiouxfalls.edu
Glidden Hall, 312

Dr. Becky Thurman (Director of Graduate Education):  605-575-2083
Becky.Thurman@usiouxfalls.edu
Glidden Hall, 309

Dr. Jared Berg (Ed.S. Coordinator):  605-331-3819
Jared.Berg@usiouxfalls.edu
Glidden Hall, 407

Find your particular program and click on the link to see required coursework. For most degree programs, students are set up with individualized plans of study. They are created at the time of acceptance by either the Director of Graduate Education (M.Ed. program students), or the Ed.S. Coordinator (Ed.S. program students). Then the plans of study are emailed to the student along with acceptance and new student information.

PLANS OF STUDY FOR M.Ed. DEGREE PROGRAMS:

For the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and M.Ed. in Reading Programs, students are typically set up with the 2-year course plan; however, if students would like to go at a slower pace students can ask the Director of Graduate Programs about the 3-year plan of study. M.Ed. students should consult with the Director of Graduate Programs whenever changes need to be made to their status or plan of study.

M.Ed. in Teaching

The M.Ed. in Teaching Program is designed for students to progress through coursework as a cohort beginning in the fall; however, in some very unique situations individualized course plans are developed and emailed to the student.  Students should refer to the course plan available on our website (link above) for each registration period, unless they are following an individualized plan of study.

M.Ed. in Administration/Adult and Higher Ed

M.Ed. in Educational Leadership

M.Ed. in Technology and Personalized Learning

PLANS OF STUDY FOR Ed.S. DEGREE PROGRAMS:

Ed.S. students should consult with the Ed.S. Coordinator whenever changes need to be made to his/her status and/or plan of study. Individualized plans of study are emailed to the student upon acceptance. 

Ed.S. in Educational Administration/Principal

Ed.S. in Educational Administration/Superintendent

Course schedules can be accessed with the following link to the Registrar's Course Offerings page. Future schedules are typically available to view in March for upcoming summer and fall courses, and November for upcoming spring courses:   Course Offerings

For most graduate education programs, courses are condensed over the summer term in addition to having classes during the fall and spring terms.  Graduate students do not observe Interim (January), but rather start with spring classes sometime after the New Year's Holiday in January.  Check the Course Offerings listing found on the Registrar's web pages (above link) for specific schedule information to know when classes are in session.

For most graduate education programs, courses are condensed over the summer term in addition to having classes during the fall and spring terms.  Graduate students do not observe Interim (January), but rather start some time after the New Year's Holiday in January.  Check the Course Offerings listing found on the Registrar's web pages for specific course schedule information to know when classes are in session.

Registration periods will open for graduate students on specific dates in the fall and spring.  Refer to the academic calendar (found on the Registrar's web pages) for these dates, and watch for correspondence from the Director of Graduate Education or Ed.S. Coordinator a week prior.  Registration instructions are typically attached to those correspondences to encourage a smooth registration process. 

The first time you register for classes, you need to email the registrar at registrar.web@usiouxfalls.edu. After your first term, you can register online through MyUSF/Academics Tab (see page 4. "Additional Important Information" for registration steps).  Registration for summer and fall graduate classes typically open for graduate students in early April; registration for spring graduate classes typically open in November. 

Be reassured that students can always email the Registrar's office for registration assistance. This is especially encouraged if challenges are experienced when trying to register online through MyUSF. 

(Immunization form is not required of students enrolled in a fully online degree program.)

Immunization Form 

Please complete the above form and submit it to this address:

• University of Sioux Falls
• Student Development Office
• 1101 W. 22^nd Street
• Sioux Falls, SD  57105
• FAX: 605-331-6615
• Email: Student.Development@usiouxfalls.edu

For questions regarding this form:

• Student Development Office:  605-331-6620
• Email: Student.Development@usiouxfalls.edu

Your Instructions for getting Email and Login

• You must first log in to your USF Email and change your password, prior to logging into the MyUSF Portal. If this is done out of order, your password will need to be reset.  Contact the I.T. Help Desk at ITHelpDesk@usiouxfalls.edu if you need your password reset.
• The next page (1. Get Connected - Network, WIFI, WebEx) will walk you through getting network access, WIFI, and WebEx.

Next up:  1. Get Connected - Network, WIFI, WebEx