A campus-wide email went out this morning altering FSU’s masking policy for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. As of 11:00 AM today, March 31st, masking is optional for campus community members in all campus buildings, including classrooms and residence halls. The email was sent out at 10:56 AM, just

The following is a news release from Frostburg State University, regarding the return to campus for the Spring 2021 semester: Jan. 8, 2020 Frostburg State University Announces Plans for Spring Semester  Frostburg State University will open its spring semester as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 25, similar to the fall 2020 term. Classes

The following statement was issued by Frostburg State’s Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Artie L. Travis, in response to growing concern over the rights of resident assistants to freely express personal views on the campus’s handling of COVID-19 being infringed upon. The statement reads: “I want to advise you that

Note: This reporting features the comments of four Resident Assistants. Owing to Frostburg State University’s threat to indicate “attitude” issues on their employment evaluations if they spoke on the record, each requested to speak with The Bottom Line anonymously. Screenshots of their messages are included within the reporting and TBL

An email from President Ron Nowaczyk Wednesday afternoon announced the Frostburg State would move to online instruction for the remainder of the semester. The move to online-only instruction comes just one week before final exams begin on Thursday, November 19. The full email reads: “Given the governor’s office revised guidance

A campus-wide email Wednesday morning (November 4) indicated that food services on campus would be closed in Appalachian Station and altered to be grab-and-go in Chesapeake Dining Hall, following two confirmed COVID positives of food service employees. Read the full email below: “Due to confirmed positive COVID cases of two

In a campus-wide email on Monday, November 2, 2020, Provost Michael Mathias, Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Ben Norris, and FSU President Ron Nowaczyk handed down the final decision for PC/NC grading for the fall semester. The decision comes after a weeks-long battle between SGA leadership and the Division of Academic

For Immediate Release Nov. 2, 2020   Frostburg State University to Resume Blended Classes on Thursday, Nov. 5  Frostburg State University, after a review of testing numbers from the two-week period, recent symptomatic cases monitored by Brady Health Center and related indicators FSU is monitoring, announced it will resume the in-person

On Sunday, Nov. 1, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that Allegany County has now been elevated to a COVID-19 “red zone.” In Maryland, “red zone” refers to counties with 25 new positive cases per 100,000 population, according to Hogan’s spokesperson Mike Ricci. The term is also used in documents prepared

In response to a request from The Bottom Line, Frostburg State University President Ronald H. Nowaczyk and Vice President for Student Affairs Artie Lee Travis issued the following joint statement. The question posed by TBL was, “A number of students and their parents have talked about their decision to move out of the dorms

Following TBL’s reporting of a residential student named Jasmine who tested positive for COVID-19 and was not relocated to quarantine housing, despite FSU knowing of her condition, over a dozen students have reached out to say they’re leaving campus for the remainder of the semester. Some say they no longer trust FSU

Jasmine, an Frostburg State University student and Resident Assistant who tested positive for the coronavirus and spent six days with symptoms quarantining in her dormitory, despite FSU being aware of her symptoms and recommending that she be tested, has now been moved to the Quality Inn where she can recover

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30th, 2020 Frostburg, MD-AFSCME Local 239 is condemning the irresponsibility and malfeasance of the Frostburg State Administration for their failure to protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff at FSU. Due to FSU’s failure to properly screen, test and monitor campus, a spike in

A campus-wide email from President Nowaczyk on the afternoon of October 30, 2020, gives the campus community more information and an update on the pause in in-person instruction. The email reads: Dear Frostburg State University Community Members, Last night, I made the decision to move FSU to online instruction until

Jasmine, a junior at Frostburg State University and Resident Assistant at an on-campus dormitory, tested positive for COVID-19 and learned of her results on Thursday, Oct. 29. She spent the three days prior to receiving her results quarantined in her dormitory because she says that, despite knowing of her symptoms,

An email out to the campus community on Thursday evening from Interim Provost Michael Mathias indicates that, effective at 8:00 PM on October 29, Frostburg State University will pause in-person instruction until at least Wednesday, November 4. The email reads: “It is with an abundance of caution that Frostburg State

For Immediate Release Oct. 29, 2020 Frostburg State University Transitions to Online Instruction Until Nov. 4 It is with an abundance of caution that Frostburg State University has decided to pause in-person instruction effective 8 p.m. today, until at least Wednesday, Nov. 4, due to recent increases of symptomatic cases

Regular and reliable reporting of COVID-19 testing results has become part of the American week. In Allegany County, residents expect announcements on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. At the state-level, dashboards are updated daily. At institutions of higher education, caseload announcements are given anywhere between weekly and daily. A notable exception

The Faculty Senate of Frostburg State University will introduce a resolution during their monthly meeting tomorrow, Oct. 7 about communication related to campus news. The policy, which cites University System of Maryland policies governing collaboration between the administration and campus stakeholders, will require President Ronald H. Nowaczyk and his counterparts

For Immediate Release Oct. 1, 2020 Members of Frostburg State University Baseball Team Placed in Quarantine  Members of Frostburg State University’s baseball team are being placed in quarantine. Five players tested positive and were placed in isolation. Subsequently, the Allegany County Health Department, based on the results of contact tracing,

Results for the second round of universal testing at FSU were released this afternoon, on September 29. Universal testing was conducted on campus as part of a mandate by the University System of Maryland. The testing was carried out from Monday, September 21, to Wednesday, September 23. In an email

The 13th Annual Frostburg Football Golf Tournament, held on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Rocky Gap became the topic of controversy after Head Football Coach DeLane Fitzgerald posted a photograph on Twitter where he and FSU President Ronald H. Nowaczyk can be seen violating the COVID-19 “FSU Social Compact.” Fitzgerald has

As part of a University System of Maryland requirement, Frostburg State University will conduct a second round of full population universal COVID-19 testing. Most faculty, staff, and students are required to submit for testing between Sept. 21st and 23rd. In an email to the campus community, FSU reports that this

Members of the Frostburg State University Men’s Lacrosse team have been placed in quarantine after a player tested positive for COVID-19. The test was administered as part of the NCAA-mandated surveillance testing program, which requires that 25% of the FSU Athletic Department to be tested each week. Though only a

Despite regular email reminders from President Nowaczyk and clearly posted signs around the Frostburg State University campus, students have observed numerous employees of the university and of Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services not properly wearing masks even while preparing and handling food or working with students. Though the instances appeared

The FSU Appalachian Festival is going virtual this year. The three-day event kicks off with the Mountain Traditions Film Festival on Thursday, September 17 at 7 pm, continues with the Symposium, “African Americans in Appalachia,” on Friday, September 18 from 6 pm to 9 pm, and culminates in full day

On July 30, 2020, the University System of Maryland (USM), of which Frostburg State University is a member institution, announced that “COVID-19 testing is mandatory for all USM on-campus students and employees” and that anyone returning to a USM campus “must be tested for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to

Frostburg’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office will operate virtually for the foreseeable future, according to Director Susan Mandell. Per the CAPS page on the university’s website, the office has moved to utilize a “telepsychology model” in order to deliver services to students. Following major concerns that the office had

Leading up to the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, Frostburg State University President Ronald H. Nowaczyk has hosted a number of virtual meetings with students, faculty, and staff. These opportunities have allowed campus community members to ask questions and have them answered by Nowaczyk, Vice President for Student Affairs

In an email Thursday, August 6, President Nowaczyk sent out a link to consent and registration forms for campus-conducted COVID-19 testing that would be no cost to off-campus/commuter students, faculty, and staff. Students living off-campus and/or commuting from home have three opportunities to be tested: Friday, August 14, Saturday, August

Students who reside at Edgewood Commons learned last week that the property management company that operates at FSU, Capstone On-Campus Management (COCM) and owned by the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), had refused to allow students at the University of Maryland, College Park out of their leases though that campus

In a letter issued to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan today, July 31, Student Government Association President Noah DeMichele called for state offices to make COVID-19 testing more accessible in Allegany County, the home of Frostburg State University. “As university students are set to make their way back to their college

In a campus-wide email today, June 15, 2020, President Nowaczyk announced that students will return to campus for the Fall 2020 semester. “I know this has been a difficult few months for many of you as students simultaneously navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing with your studies. I want to

Lane University Center’s Facebook page reportedly reposted two controversial posts to the page’s story from an unaffiliated page on April 22, 2020.  As is the intended function of Facebook stories, these reposts remained on the page for 24 hours and then subsequently disappeared.   The substance of these posts discussed an

This past Thursday, April 16th, the Student Government Association held their most recent meeting virtually. This meeting was eventful as SGA hosted President Nowaczyk and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Artie Lee Travis to address how the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect Frostburg State and answer students’ questions regarding

Planning a trip for spring break can be done in six steps: Decide where you want to go Pick a time to travel Decide your method of arrival Budget Enjoy Your Trip Return Home The ordering of these steps is arguable, and each step might be uncompleted. Yet, with a

The Pass with Credit (PC)/No Credit (NC) deadline has been extended until Tuesday, May 12th, the last day of classes for the 2020 spring semester. The announcement was made to the student body this morning, April 13th, in an email from Provost Troop. TBL previously reported on the announcement for

If the community doesn’t step up to help one another in a time of need, then who will? Joel Hoover, Productions Services Coordinator for Frostburg State University’s Cultural Events Series, knew he couldn’t sit around and do nothing as the novel COVID-19 wreaked havoc around the globe. He decided it

The federal Department of Education announced today the amount that each college and university will receive in stimulus funds as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. TBL previously reported on what the CARES Act could mean for Frostburg and its students. The full and complete

The Lewis J. Ort Library on Frostburg State’s campus put together a webpage sharing services and resources available to students during distance learning. The webpage addresses potential questions about due dates, fines, and more. Click here for the webpage.

Frostburg State University announced that a prorated reimbursement of student fees, including room and board, is forthcoming as a result of COVID-19 distance-learning measures. Meanwhile, other University System of Maryland (USM) students have already received their refunds.  The first formal announcement of reimbursed student fees was made by USM Chancellor

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has issued a “stay at home” order, directing Maryland residents not to leave their homes unless it’s for an “essential” purpose, such as getting food or medicine or going to work at a job that’s been deemed essential. The stay at home order goes into effect

As part of Frostburg State University’s attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the institution announced in a campus-wide email its decision to close the Lane University Center and the Lewis J. Ort Library until further notice. The campus transitioned all coursework online for the remainder of the spring

In the last week, COVID-19 has been publicly referred to as the “Chinese Flu” and “Kung Flu.” Upon naming COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) referenced guidelines that were issued in 2015. These guidelines called for the prevention of naming human infectious diseases based on particular articles like geographic location,

In these unprecedented and often frightening times, it can be hard to find positivity and optimism in the world.  Schools have closed, offices have sent employees home, businesses have laid off their workers because of lack of revenue. Unexpected incidences like that of the COVID-19 global pandemic often breed unpleasant

Frostburg State University students were alerted to a change in undergraduate course grading for the Spring 2020 semester by email on Tuesday, March 24. The announcement was made by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Elizabeth A. Throop: In light of the unprecedented move to online education this

COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus, has caused couples to postpone weddings, for schools to cancel commencement, and for families to scramble to find childcare as states continue to lockdown further and further. All of this change and upheaval has directly impacted Frostburg State University students, many of whom live

From FSU President Ronald Nowaczyk: Following guidance from the University System of Maryland, the state of Maryland and the federal government, Frostburg State University classes for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester will be presented online – no face-to-face class meetings. As a result, we are in the process

Statement by USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman on the Remainder of the Semester, Commencement, and Other Issues March 19, 2020 REMOTE LEARNING THROUGH THE END OF THE SEMESTER This morning, as you likely heard, Gov. Hogan announced that he’s encouraging USM universities to deliver instruction through distance-learning for the remainder