Taking care of family: Various support services available for MSU students throughout the summer

A woman adds a pack of chili-flavored Ramen noodles to a shelf of canned food. — Bully’s Closet and Pantry on ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Starkville campus and Bully’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)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—��ɫ��Ƶ 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.

“Ensuring ongoing support systems are available is important, and we hope our students will take advantage of these available services,” said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt. “We also want students to reach out and let us know how we can assist them.”

MSU’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. MSU 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 MSU’s Summer Advantage, visit /summer.

Students residing in Mississippi can contact MSU 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 MSU students thanks to the university’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 MSU’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. MSU 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 student’s request.

Bully’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 “Bully’s Closet and Pantry Curbside Order Form” on the Cowbell Connect website. MSU students may pick-up nutritious food, professional clothing, toiletries and other basic items for free by simply presenting their current MSU ID at the 120 Morgan Ave. location. MSU’s Meridian campus also has a Bully’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 Library’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, a library employee will contact the student to provide specific information, including availability.

Additionally, faculty and students can obtain books from MSU Libraries’ collections by placing a hold on the title in the online catalog. Requests for books and articles not found in the libraries’ 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 MSU Libraries’ 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. For more information, visit .

Students enrolled in summer classes can purchase textbooks through online ordering from Barnes & Noble at MSU at . The bookstore is offering a 5% discount on all printed textbooks—new or used—along with free shipping for all textbook orders.

Any students with financial need may request support for the rental—or purchase if rental is not available—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 MSU 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 MSU Foundation accepts gifts for the MSU Student Relief Fund, and contributions can be made online at or by contacting the annual giving office at 662-341-6715.

Learn more about MSU’s response to the coronavirus pandemic at /coronavirus or follow on social media @msstate.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at .

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