The Student Services Building on March 13, 2019. The building houses the ASMSU Engagement Office, where services such as iClicker rentals and printing are offered.
Several Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) services have been altered for the fall semester — including the suspension of the Safe Ride program — due to COVID-19 and online classes.
ASMSU Vice President for Finance and Operations Jordan Polk explained the changes.
“We assessed due to the liability and legal implications … we didn’t want to be a main area where students can contract (COVID-19) in a Safe Ride,” Polk said.
She also said that Dean Transportation, the main provider for Safe Ride, had a hard time getting employees to sign up to drive for the program due to safety concerns.
Although ASMSU announced that their iClicker service was suspended for the semester, Polk said that they are still available in the ASMSU Engagement Office.
The readership program will no longer be offered in print, but students can still access digital services from The New York Times, Lansing State Journal, Detroit Free Press and USA Today.
Printing services will still be available, but students will have to send in their documents beforehand rather than print them themselves.
Student legal services and rights advocates will be available online and in-person.
Students can still utilize their free blue book services, calculator rentals and short-term loans. ASMSU is also rolling out a new program through which off-campus students can rent a calculator and have it sent to them.
“That was our main priority for this semester, safety and health,” Polk said. “We’ve already seen a rise in cases last week.”
This article has been updated to reflect that student legal services are available both online and in-person, and to clarify that the Safe Ride program is suspended for the fall semester.
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