Office of Marketing and Communications

2008 Flood Recovery
Frequently Asked Questions
as of 9/26/2008

Financial Aid and Refund Information

1. Has the 25% refund date been extended for students withdrawing from fall classes?

Yes, a 25% refund of instructional and course-related fees will be given thru October 4, 2008. If you currently have a balance, then, a 25% credit will be applied toward the amount owed. This does not apply when performing an even exchange of the same course number by dropping one class number (section) and adding another class number (section) within the same course number; additionally, a Late Schedule Change Fee will be assessed for the added class. Financial aid recipients who reduce their enrollment may be required to repay their financial aid and must allow time for the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to determine eligibility of a credit balance that results from a schedule adjustment.

2. When will I receive my refund?

Although refunding was suspended temporarily due to the flooding on campus, refunding on accounts with credit balances has resumed. Students who have a credit balance on their account and are eligible for a refund will receive refunds by direct deposit or by mail. Financial aid recipients who adjust their schedule will need to allow time for the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to determine eligibility of a credit balance before their refund can be processed. If you have direct deposit, then once you see a refund noted on your bursar account on OneStart, you know that IU has forwarded your funds to your chosen bank/financial institution. You can generally expect your funds to deposit in your bank account in 2 to 3 business days. Please check with your bank about the availability of your funds. If you do not have direct deposit your check will be mailed within 2 days of the date the refund is noted on your bursar account on OneStart.

3. Will the next due date for the Fall 2008 be extended?

Since the September bills were sent prior to the flooding, the 9/30/08 due date cannot be changed on those bills; however, late fees will not be assessed until after the final due date of 10/31/08.

4. How will the closing affect the processing of my financial aid?

The financial aid staff will be working extended hours to catch up on all financial aid processes.

5. What's the best way to check the status of my financial aid?

One Start is always the best and most convenient way to check the status of your financial aid. Also you can email the financial aid office with any questions regarding your financial aid.

Academic Information

1. Are we going to be required to finish the semester during Christmas break?

Professors are all developing plans for how they will make up lost class time--this might include assignments through Oncourse, adding a little time to each class period, meeting one or two extra times during the semester, etc. Extending the semester is very unlikely and would only be a last resort. Your instructors will discuss proposed options with you.

2. How will the missed class time be made-up and suppose I am unable to attend class on the make-up dates?

IU Northwest faculty have been asked to address the issue of making up class time with their students. There are a variety of options to the faculty with the expectation that each instructor will choose the method that best suits the course material and the needs of the students. One choice might be to schedule additional class time on Fridays, when most classes do not meet. Another option would be to extend the class period by 15 minutes per class. Or, faculty might assign additional out-of-class work. The faculty will discuss possible options with their students and work out what might work best. Students will need to communicate and work with their individual professors if they have any challenges with regard to scheduling to make up for lost class time and coursework.

3. Will finals take place as scheduled?

Yes.

4. How will I know if my class is meeting in a different location?

The Schedule of Classes http://webdb.iu.edu/iun/schdclass/ will show room changes and signs will be posted on campus. Classes held in Tamarack Hall (TH) 60 and 64 have been moved. Other changes may be forthcoming. Students should check their Study List/Class Schedule for room changes. In order to view your class schedule, log into OneStart at www.onestart.iu.edu. Once logged in you will have immediate access available to the Student Center. Click on Go to Student Center. Your weekly schedule is always displayed there. To view additional details about your class schedule, click Class Schedule Details.

General Information

1. Where should we park?

All parking lots have been drained, power-washed, dried-out and disenfected, therefore all parking lots will be open.

2. Will all buildings be open when the campus reopens?

All buildings, with the exception of Tamarack Hall, that were affected by flooding will be in full operational use by Monday, and all heating, cooling and lighting systems had been tested and were verified to be working properly. Tamarack Hall, the oldest building on campus and home to Theatre Northwest, will be closed permanently as the result of water damage sustained during the flood. The buildings 600-seat performance auditorium was particularly hard hit, with floodwater reaching six rows up from the low-lying area directly in front of the stage. One wing of Tamarack, that which houses the fine-arts studios, however, is expected at this time to remain functional, but other areas of the building, which is approximately 50 years old, will be closed.

3. Will all campus services be available when the campus opens?

All campus services including such areas as food service, credit union and child care services will resume normal operations on Monday, September 29.

Payroll Information

1. Will payroll be delayed and should I expect to receive my paycheck on the usual date?

No. The payroll will not be delayed. The payroll will be paid on the scheduled pay dates; September 30 for professional and faculty employees and October 3 for support and service staff (biweekly and hourly paid) employees.

2. Will I be required to use accrued paid time off for the period of time the campus was closed?

No. Staff employees, with the exception of hourly employees, will not incur a loss of pay and will not be required to cover the two week absence with accrued paid time off. Hourly employees who did not work during the time the campus was closed will not be paid. Employees who were not scheduled to work or were not at work because of such reasons as vacation, sick time, holiday, funeral or leave of any type whether paid or unpaid, will continue in that status and their absence will be coded according to the particular reason for the absence.

3. How will I be paid if I work any part of the two weeks the campus was closed?

Emergency Support and Service Staff who are required to work will receive their regular rate of pay plus time and one-half additional time or pay, as determined by the department head. This includes part-time and hourly employees who were required to work during the campus closing as approved by the department head. Professional Staff employees who worked will receive their regular rate of pay. Note: It is the responsibility of the department head to designate which jobs, if any, are subject to emergency work requirements.

4. As a Work Study student will I be paid for the time worked the week before the flooding?

Work Study students who worked prior to campus closing will be paid for hours worked. Payroll will be processed upon the return to normal campus operations.

5. Can I make up Work Study hours missed due to the campus closing?

Work Study students will be allowed to make up hours missed at the discretion of their supervisor. Please keep in mind that no over time will be allowed and no classes may be missed.

6. Will my Work Study supervisor be flexible with hours?

Flexibility of making up hours will be at the discretion of your supervisor.

7. How many extra hours per week can I work to make up for my missed Work Study hours?

It is recommended that students not exceed a total of 25-30 hours per week. Overtime will not be allowed. Remember that you are never allowed to miss class to work. Please talk with your supervisor with regard to approval of hours and scheduling. Do not work so much time that you compromise your study time.

8. If allowed, how much time do I have to make up the lost Work Study hours that were missed during the campus closing?

Work Study students have until the end of finals week (Fall 2008) to make up hours lost.

Clean-Up and Recovery / Health and Safety Information

1. After all the flooding, is it safe to be on campus?

Yes. All precautions have been taken, including drying and disinfecting affected buildings and spraying for mosquitoes. Also, all appropriate tests and inspections have been done. It is advisable, however, to avoid walking in the grass as mosquitoes do tend to gather there.

2. Why during the first few days of the flood did there appear to be inactivity on campus?

Initially, due to the complete saturation of the Little Calumet River basin, there was no advantage to be gained by trying to pump water out of the north campus parking lots. There was absolutely no place to pump the water until the Little Calumet started to recede. Once that happened, we were able to start pumping water out of the main parking lots. Until that point, much of the important work on campus was done inside or beneath various buildings, where crews cleaned carpets, pumped out crawl spaces and mechanical areas, and completed other tasks out of sight of passers-by.

3. How will the university prevent the flooding of the campus from happening again?

IU has committed to conducting engineering studies to determine what actions or improvements might be undertaken to protect IU Northwest from another such flooding event. President McRobbie made it clear during his visit to our campus that the university would engage engineering firms to do a hydrological study to determine, first, why this happened, and second, if there is anything we can do about it.