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Taking care of family: Various support services available for Ļć½¶Ö±²„students throughout the summer

Taking care of family: Various support services available for Ļć½¶Ö±²„students throughout the summer

A woman adds a pack of chili-flavored Ramen noodles to a shelf of canned food.
Bullyā€™s Closet and Pantry on Mississippi Stateā€™s Starkville campus and Bullyā€™s Pantry on the MSU-Meridian campus are among the variety of support services the university is offering its students to help ensure their academic success and well-being throughout the summer months. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Mississippi State is offering its students a variety of support services, including counseling, health care, technology and more, to help ensure their academic success and well-being throughout the summer months.

ā€œEnsuring ongoing support systems are available is important, and we hope our students will take advantage of these available services,ā€ said Ļć½¶Ö±²„Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt. ā€œWe also want students to reach out and let us know how we can assist them.ā€

MSUā€™s summer 2020 classes all will take place online to help students stay on their academic paths despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have the added advantage of a number of additional course offerings, and they can take as much as an entire semester during three summer sessions.Ā Ļć½¶Ö±²„summer terms include Maymester [May 6-29], First Term [June 1-29], Second Term [July 6-August 4], as well as a Summer Ten Week Term, [June 1-August 4]. For more about MSUā€™s Summer Advantage, visitĀ /summer.

Students residing in Mississippi can contact Ļć½¶Ö±²„Student Counseling Services with any personal, social, developmental and mental health needs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. by visiting . Students who click on will be connected to an on-campus clinician. Those in need of assistance after hours and/or on weekends should call 662-325-2091.

Out-of-state and international students in need of telemental health services should visit the counseling website listed above and click on . They will be directed to the My Student Support Program, a service that is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week to Ļć½¶Ö±²„students thanks to the universityā€™s new partnership with international telemental health company Morneau Shepell.

For in-person health services, students can call 662-325-7539 to make an appointment at the Longest Student Health Center. Students living in Mississippi also can request a telehealth appointment with one of MSUā€™s physicians by calling 662-325-7539. When making these calls, students should notify the receptionist that they are requesting a telehealth appointment and live in Mississippi. The LSHC pharmacy remains operational, and prescriptions can be filled and picked up by calling 662-325-8205 or visiting .

Support also is available for students with disabilities. Ļć½¶Ö±²„Disability Support Services is available for consultation during normal business hours via phone at 662-325-3335. Students enrolled in summer classes can expect accommodation letters will be provided to the appropriate faculty member at the studentā€™s request.Ā 

Bullyā€™s Closet and Pantry is continuing its operations Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 1-6 p.m. on the Starkville campus. Students can complete an or search ā€œBullyā€™s Closet and Pantry Curbside Order Formā€ on the Cowbell Connect website. Ļć½¶Ö±²„students may pick-up nutritious food, professional clothing, toiletries and other basic items for free by simply presenting their current Ļć½¶Ö±²„ID at the 120 Morgan Ave. location. MSUā€™s Meridian campus also has a Bullyā€™s Pantry that is stocked and ready to serve students. For more details including donation information, visit .

Students enrolled in Maymester or summer school who are in need of a laptop and/or Wi-Fi hotspot can take advantage of Mitchell Memorial Libraryā€™s checkout services. These resources, subject to availability, can be mailed to students who reside outside the city of Starkville. Laptop or hotspot requests can be made online at . After a request is reviewed,Ā a library employee will contact the student to provide specific information, including availability.

Additionally, faculty and students can obtain books from Ļć½¶Ö±²„Librariesā€™ collections by placing a hold on the title in the online catalog. Requests for books and articles not found in the librariesā€™ collection can be submitted and filled through the InterLibrary Loan service. These materials will be mailed to the faculty member or student.

Faculty and staff can use Ļć½¶Ö±²„Librariesā€™ Ask a Librarian online chat service, available Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. This summer, the library will be hosting a number of free online workshops providing information on how to use databases and various Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud applications.Ā For more information, visitĀ .

Students enrolled in summer classes can purchase textbooks through online ordering from Barnes & Noble at Ļć½¶Ö±²„at . The bookstore is offering a 5% discount on all printed textbooksā€”new or usedā€”along with free shipping for all textbook orders.

Any students with financial need may request support for the rentalā€”or purchase if rental is not availableā€”of summer textbooks from the Student Relief Fund by emailing dos@msstate.edu. Students should provide their summer class schedule when making these requests.

In addition to assistance for textbook rental or purchase, students with other financial needs related to the COVID-19 crisis can make a request for support from the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Student Relief Fund. Limited funds are available, so students should send emails as soon as possible to dos@msstate.edu and include specific details of the request and any supporting information. The Ļć½¶Ö±²„Foundation accepts gifts for the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Student Relief Fund, and contributions can be made online atĀ Ā or by contacting the annual giving office at 662-341-6715.

Learn more about MSUā€™s response to the coronavirus pandemic at Ā /coronavirus or follow on social media @msstate.

Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at . Ā