A stipend in the amount of $85 is being made available to assist UE students with the cost of necessary PPE and/or COVID testing.

Traditional students enrolled in the spring 2021 semester who have a valid 2020-2021 FAFSA on file and bank information entered on WebAdvisor, can expect to receive the stipend automatically as a direct deposit on Friday, January 15, 2021. This stipend is made possible through emergency funding from the CARES Act HEERF Grant that was made available for expenses that resulted in additional costs related to participation in academic and college-related activities due to COVID-19.

If you are a traditional student who has not filed a FAFSA and would like to be considered for this stipend, or any future COVID-related assistance, please submit the 2020-21 FAFSA at fafsa.gov and enter your bank information on WebAdvisor prior to the start of the spring 2021 semester.

Please contact the Office of Student Financial Services if you have any questions or need further assistance.

UE’s annual MLK Celebration will be held in a virtual format for 2021 due to COVID-19 guidelines. Zoom links are in each of the event titles below.

Symbolic March
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.

You can participate by logging your miles spent walking, running, biking, or even swimming. The race will be held from January 1 to January 18, and together we will plan to complete the 54th mile at 11:00 a.m. on January 18. You can register online and even purchase a T-shirt to celebrate the march.

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 UE Alumni Online.

Virtual Celebration – 11:45 a.m.
Previous celebrations have included an outdoor rally that occurred prior to the symbolic march. This year, a virtual celebration will be held to kick-off the day’s activities.

Local Leaders Panel Discussion – 2:00 p.m.
Join us for a panel discussion that includes UE community members as well as leaders in the Evansville community. The panel will be led by Melissa Moore, a UE alum and Secretary for the Legal Aid Society Board of Vanderburgh County.

Lectureship – 7:00 p.m.
Each year, the Martin Luther King Lectureship is made possible by the generous support of William G. and Rose M. Mays. The 2021 lectureship will feature keynote speaker Karith Foster. For nearly two decades, speaker, humorist, and author Karith Foster has created a seismic shift in mindsets by addressing issues of free expression, diversity, and inclusion. Foster is the former co-host of controversial radio personality Don Imus and a former Fortune 500 human resources executive administrator, and is known as the visionary behind INVERSITY, a philosophy and methodology intentionally designed to revolutionize and transform the way we address issues of diversity and leadership. A nationally renowned public speaker, Foster has presented at the United Nations and to executives of the Chamber of Commerce C100, as well as Harvard, Stanford and other organizations.

After the lectureship, the 2021 Mays Legacy Award will be presented.

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 Office of Accounting/Payroll will be issuing W-2s for 2020 no later than January 31, 2021. You may choose 1 of 2 options to receive your W-2:

• Electronic W-2 – If you provide your consent, you will be able to view/print in Self-Service as soon as they are ready. Notification will be sent through Ace Notes.
• Paper W-2 – If you prefer, you can continue to receive your W-2 in the mail.

An electronic W-2 will give you earlier access than a mailed copy. It is IRS compliant and can be submitted with your tax return as usual.

To give consent for the electronic W-2, log in to Self-Service (https://selfservice.evansville.edu), and go to “Tax Information”. Select “Receive my W-2 only in electronic form” and save.

If you are eligible to participate in the university’s health plans, you may also give consent to receive your 1095-C form electronically here also. If you choose to withhold your consent to view/print your online W-2 and 1095-C, a paper copy will be mailed to your home address.

If you have questions, please contact Dawn Bury at ext 2159 or db287@evansville.edu.

Students, staffs, faculties, and administrators are invited to play in the University Symphony Orchestra and String Chamber Ensemble.

The University Symphony Orchestra meets on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The String Chamber Ensemble meets on Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Krannert Hall of Fine Arts.

Join us!

Please E-mail Dr. Chun-Ming Chen, director of orchestral activities at cc319@evansville.edu for more information.

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.

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.

UE Associate Professor, Maggie Stevenson, was elected President-Elect of the American Psychological Association Division 37's, Child and Family Policy and Practice, Section on Child Maltreatment. The Section on Child Maltreatment of Div. 37 supports and promotes scientific inquiry, training, professional practice and advocacy in the area of child maltreatment.

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.

Ralph Doles Templeton, age 93, of Evansville, IN, passed away at 3:35 a.m. on January 9, 2021, at Deaconess Gateway Hospital.

Ralph was born September 30, 1927, in Bloomington, IN, to the late Frank L. Templeton and Gladys (Doles) Templeton. He grew up in Bloomington, IN. After high school, Ralph enlisted into the United States Army. He was in the 2nd Constabulary Regimental Band in Freising, Germany. Ralph attended Indiana University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music Education in 1950. He was the band director in Carmel, IN when that was a small school (the senior class in 1952 had eighteen students). Ralph returned to IU for graduate studies and earned a Master of Music Education degree. From 1953 to 1968 he was a band director in Columbus, IN. After two years of graduate study at Indiana University, he taught psychology classes at Vincennes University. He received his PhD from Indiana State University in 1975. Ralph joined the School of Education at the University of Evansville in 1976 and taught there until he retired in 1992.

Ralph enjoyed family gatherings, traveling (especially in Europe), Volksmarch walks, live music performances and brief obituaries.

Ralph is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jean Templeton; daughters, Janet Heise (Stephen) from Bloomington, IN, Sue Deschene (Rick) from Shelburne, NS Canada; three grandchildren, Jeff Wyatt (Becky), Tobey Wyatt (Damien Jones), and Joseph Heise; four great grandchildren, Liam Wyatt and Reese Wyatt, and Kora Brady and Alessandra Wyatt. Additional survivors include those in his step-family from the Brackmann clan, Christine Hampton (Barry), and Tom Brackmann (Julie); their children and grandchildren, and the children and grandchildren of the late Steven Brackmann.

Ralph is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Gladys Templeton, infant son and two 2 sisters, Ruth Kirkpatrick and Marti Irick.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1811 Lincoln Ave, Evansville, IN with Pastor Tom Wenig officiating. A Live Stream will be available beginning twenty minutes prior to the service time. Please visit www.boonefuneralhome.net, select your loved one’s obituary, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Live Stream. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery.

Friends may visit from 11:00 a.m. until time of service, Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Memorial Contributions may be made to: Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Memorial Trust Fund at 1811 Lincoln Ave, Evansville, IN 47714.

Arrangements are being handled by BOONE FUNERAL HOME EAST CHAPEL – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN.

Condolences may be made to the family online at boonefuneralhome.net.