Internship and Center Changes during the CoVid-19 Pandemic

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Emergency services responded promptly to the scene and the student has been transported to a local hospital. The student’s family has been informed.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 or you may call the Dean of Students Office at 207-581-1406.

An investigation is underway and more details will be released when they become available. Our thoughts are with the student and their family.

Long Road has been cleared and is now accessible. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lieutenant Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

The University of Maine and the local community

The University of Maine System is committed to providing an effective educational experience while adhering to strict protocols to promote safety among its faculty, staff, and students: This includes vaccine mandates (with some exemptions), testing on campus, and quarantining / isolating when needed. Most classes are held in person, though some are offered via zoom. For more information about the university’s policies, practices, and current testing results, see this link .

We are fortunate that the University of Maine is located in an area of the country that has, through the thoughtful work of the State’s political and public health leaders and the generally positive acceptance of Maine’s citizens weathered the pandemic as well as or better than most states. For the current status of the rates of infection and vaccination in our community, check out Penobscot County on the Maine CDC’s information page

The Counseling Center

Counseling Center staff adhere carefully to appropriate pandemic protocols while remaining flexible to changing conditions and staff member’s needs and preferences. We provide clinical services through Zoom, telephone, and in person. Currently, almost all sessions are held in the Center, but all staff have been provided laptops with webcams which they use from home if there is a need. While the UMaine now allows all community members to go unmasked, following CDC guidelines, we still require staff and clients to wear masks in the public areas and during sessions. Staff are allowed to go maskless for all staff and training meetings.

As of Fall Semester 2021we have returned to working in the Counseling Center. The university currently requires masked when indoors on campus except when are alone in our own offices. We are still very cautious abouttransmitting respirtory illnesses and ask staff and students with any symptoms not to be in the building. We continue to review our procedures, clinical practices, outreach activities, and meetings to meet the changing situation with regards to staff and student safety and our effective provision of our services and training. If you have any questions about internship and especially about how we are addressing issues of safety for interns and other staff, please contact the Training Director, Brent Elwood, via email brent.elwood@maine.edu or by calling 581-1392 M-F 9-12 and 1-4:30.