Given the current positive cases of COVID-19 in our local community, state, and across the country, the University has made revisions to testing requirements for the Spring 2021 semester. All full-time and part-time students must complete one of the following before returning to UE or the Stone Center for Health Sciences:

• Submit a negative COVID-19 test
• Submit documentation that you have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days
• Submit documentation that you have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine

Negative test results must be:
     • Administered no sooner than seven days prior to arrival.
     • Uploaded no later than two days prior to the requested time. 

Part-time students
Part-time students who are taking classes on the University of Evansville or the Stone Center for Health Sciences campus, or who have a need to be on campus prior to February 1, must submit a negative COVID test prior to beginning classes for the spring semester. 

Students enrolled in All On-Line Courses
Students who are enrolled in ALL ON-LINE COURSES and have no obligation to be on the University of Evansville campus, or the Stone Center for Health Sciences campus, before February 1st are not required to submit a negative COVID test prior to beginning classes for the spring semester.

COVID-19 Clearance:  Notifying Your Professors
After submitting your test result or a certificate of a second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, you will receive an email from UE confirming your clearance and ability to participate in classes. This email must be forwarded to your professors prior to the start of classes.

Students attending class remotely must also update results no later than two days before the start of class. This requirement is for all students enrolled in online, hybrid, and face-to-face classes.

Submitting Test Results and Vaccine Documentation
The COVID-19 test must be an antigen or PCR test from an approved medical facility with documented results. Students will need to upload their documentation through the designated portal. Once results are uploaded and cleared by the University, students will receive an email confirmation that they are cleared to return to campus. The clearance email will be required upon arrival for move-in, as well as attending classes.

Students may be exempt from the required testing if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A validated certificate of a second shot of the vaccination must be submitted prior to your return. If you have only received one shot, a validated negative test must be supplied.

Upload your test: Be Safe - Test Upload 

Students in University Housing
Similar to the fall semester, students living in university housing as well as Approved University Housing (fraternity houses), must schedule an appointment for moving into their assigned space.
Residence Hall Move-In Appointments
Village and Fraternity Move-In Appointments
Move-in appointments will not be approved without providing documentation of a negative COVID-19 test result as described above. 

Students living Off-Campus
For students who do not live on campus, a negative test result must be submitted two days prior to the beginning of classes (January 17) but no sooner than seven days prior to the beginning of classes (January 12).
Additional information can be found on the Spring Testing link on the coronavirus webpage at www.evansville.edu/coronavirus.

The UE Indiana State Sales Tax Exemption Certificate for 2021 is now available on the My UE portal under the Office of Administrative Services – Pcard, Travel or Purchasing sites under Sales Tax tab for your convenience.

The campus bookstore highly suggests your place textbooks orders ahead of the start of classes, as there will be longer than average wait times for in-store shopping due to COVID-19 restrictions. Ordering is available 24/7 at evansville.bncollege.com. We're starting to fulfill orders as Financial Aid is now open.

From Tuesday, January 5th through Friday, January 8th, the campus bookstore will have special, shortened hours, 9am-3pm, and by closed on Saturday, January 9th. They will resume regular hours on Monday, January 11th.

During the Civil Rights March of 1965, activists gathered in Selma, Alabama, to complete a 54-mile trek to the state capital in Montgomery. This year, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, UE will commemorate those 54 miles by encouraging you and others to continue the same mission. Join us by participating in a virtual march to raise awareness for social injustice in the United States.

Register today for the virtual march - free of charge. From January 1-18, you can log your miles spent walking, running, biking, or even swimming. 

On January 18, the day of the celebration, we will complete the 54th mile together (virtually) at 11:00 a.m.

While this race is free to participants, individuals can make donations toward positive social change. All proceeds, including T-shirt sales, will go directly towards UE’s Zerah Priestly Carter Scholarship and the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. To make a donation, visit uealumnionline.com/MLKDay2021.

For full event details for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, visit the CDEI webpage.

The TIAA-CREF representative will be available for counseling sessions via Zoom on the following dates:

• January 6
• January 7
• February 3
• March 24
• March 25

Register to attend one of these TIAA-CREF sessions.

As part of a pollinator workshop for the Warrick County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), UE’s own Dr. Cris Hochwender gave a presentation on using native plants to sustain biodiversity entitled “Choosing plants to sustain wildlife: plants that enhance diversity by defending against herbivores and feeding pollinators.” The video can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP5wTD3ggUw. He suggests that at 2x speed, the video is almost bearable. Two other talks as part of Warrick County SWCD’s workshop can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEBQnSRGGbs&feature=youtu.be and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIUSnRK-l7s.

Dr. Cris Hochwender has carried out ecological research for 25+ years, and he has developed UE’s Native Plant Garden provides a venue where over 100 species of native flowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees can be viewed. This native plant diversity has great value for several reasons, including beneficial ecosystem services through improved ground water storage, support for native insects (including insect herbivores and pollinators), and the food resources to other animals (e.g., birds via seeds and/or prey items). Unfortunately, habitat destruction has led to the loss of wetlands, prairies, and forests, resulting in reduced numbers of native plant species. As one would expect, the loss of floral diversity has caused a reduction in the number of herbivores and pollinators, and a reduction in ecosystem services. The University of Evansville’s native plant garden represents one effort to restore native plants. Native plants are valuable as host plants for butterfly larvae, as well as beneficial to native bee pollinators. Bees are of special note because native bees are in critical need of help because of habitat loss and pesticides. Moreover, bees are wonderfully diverse, partitioning their niche space based on nesting habit, tongue length, and body size/color. Just in Indiana, 416 species of bees occur, including species from six different families.

You can begin your native plant garden or enhance the native garden you already have. In an effort to encourage homeowners to plant native plants, Warrick County SWCD is selling native plants inexpensively. Orders forms can be found at https://extension.purdue.edu/warrick/article/39667 , but must be submitted by January 15, 2021.

Contact Cris Hochwender (ch81@evansville.edu) if you have any questions about the native plant garden or restoration efforts at UE.

Associate Professor of Archaeology Jennie Ebeling has been appointed editor of the American Society of Overseas Research's (ASOR) Archaeological Report Series for a three-year term starting January 1, 2021. Ebeling has extensive experience with ASOR publications as a member of the Committee on Publications and the editorial boards of the society's journals Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research (BASOR) and Near Eastern Archaeology (NEA). She has also co-edited four volumes and authored a fifth and is currently completing a monograph for Oxford University Press and the final report of the Jezreel Expedition.

The Missouri Valley Conference has announced the rescheduling of three previously postponed men's basketball series and that has forced a shift for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team.

UE’s series against Valparaiso, which was originally set for Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January 31 has been shifted by a day. Game one will take place on the 31st with a 3 p.m. game before the second contest will be played on Monday, February 1 at 6 p.m. inside the Ford Center.

MVC athletically-related activities will take place only to the extent permitted by local environments and applicable national, state, local and institutional guidelines in order to safeguard the health and safety of participants, staff and fans. Schedule updates throughout the season will be posted on mvc-sports.com.

Battling tough on the first night of back-to-back games, the University of Evansville women's basketball team saw its chances slip away in the third quarter of a 74-50 loss to Drake on Thursday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

Freshman Rylie Stephens led the Aces in scoring for the second time in her first collegiate season, scoring 10 points, including a pair of triples. Four more Aces scored seven or more points, led by senior Lola Bracy with eight points and seven rebounds and sophomore Sydney Thurwalker with seven points and 10 boards. For the Bulldogs, Maddie Monahan powered the Drake offense, scoring a game-high 13 points, as two other players finished in double figures for the visitors.

After Drake jumped out to an early lead, it was the Aces who were able to keep the Bulldogs within striking range, trailing by just 10 after the opening stanza. Evansville continued to chip away at its deficit in the second period, out-scoring Drake, 14-9 in the quarter and holding the Bulldogs to just 8.3% (1-12) shooting from the floor in the quarter.

Drake reversed it in the third quarter, going on a 25-8 quarter-long run and showcasing its defense, holding Evansville to just 1-16 (6.3%) shooting from the floor. The third period proved pivotal as the Aces could never close back within range as Drake captured the 74-50 win.

Besides the sub-10% shooting in the second, Drake shot better than 40% in the other three quarters, closing the game 24-57 (42.1%) from the field. Evansville struggled to find its rhythm for most of the evening, finishing 14-60 (23.3%) from the field, its lowest shooting percentage of the season.

Evansville and Drake return to the court for a weekend series finale on Friday when the two sides meet at 6 PM inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.