Southern Adventist University in Collegedale is the latest local school to be affected by the coronavirus.
School officials said Thursday that the campus is closing.
Courses will taught online instead, officials said.
Leadership of Bryan College announced changes to the school’s upcoming schedule amid concerns about coronavirus.
As COVID-19 continues to spread, Bryan College president Stephen Livesay stressed the importance of keeping Bryan students healthy and safe. “My concern is for our students to stay healthy and to be able to return to safely from spring break to participate in all that our college offers. With that in mind, I believe it is best to take some precautions regarding the next few weeks until we can see where this virus is headed,” he said.
Because of the uncertainty regarding the reach of this virus, all co-curricular international and domestic spring break trips and athletic competitions will be cancelled beginning Sunday, March 15, through Sunday, March 22.
Instead of returning to campus after spring break, beginning Monday, March 23, all instruction at Bryan College will be provided through online learning; and the residence halls will be closed. There will be no face-to-face classes on campus from Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27. During that week, officials will communicate decisions regarding the remainder of the semester.
The residence halls will be closed for all students beginning Sunday, March 15, until such a time as officials believe it is safe for students to return. As students leave for Spring Break, they are instructed to take essential items they will need for several weeks away from campus.
Mr. Livesay said, “It is my prayer that these special precautions will enable this virus to pass quickly and that students will be able to return soon to school and resume life on campus. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our students, faculty and stuff during these unprecedented times.”
Lee President Dr. Paul Conn informed students that classes will not resume on campus until Monday, March 30.
“The nature and scope of the Coronavirus emergency is changing, and as it does, we here at Lee are constantly re-evaluating our path forward,” said Dr. Conn.
The university’s offices, dorms, and dining services will be open throughout this two-week period for those who depend on them, but there will be no group meetings, classes, chapels, or other gatherings.
Instruction will take place online during this time, and students will be notified of updates.
Due to the CDC’s community event guidelines, Lee University’s Encore program will suspend all mini-courses for the remainder of the semester.
These courses include “Back to the Sixties,” “Basic Microsoft Applications,” “Choral Union,” “Fitness for the Encore Years,” “Grief & Loss,” “Joint Conditioning,” “Scotland: Then and Now,” “The Age of Napoleon,” and “Tennessee in Tennis Shoes.”
The “Tennessee in Tennis Shoes” course will resume in fall 2020 due to the travel component.
According to Bethany McCoy, director of community relations, once on-campus courses resume at Lee, each Encore professor will have the option to continue their scheduled course. The decision to continue a course will be made on a case-by-case basis, and students will only be notified if the professor chooses to resume the previously scheduled mini-course.
For more information about Encore, contact the community relations office at bmccoy@leeunivesity.edu or 423 614-8598.
Cleveland State Community College is taking preventative measures at this time to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff. Currently on Spring Break, Cleveland State students will be enjoying two more days of Spring Break as it will now continue through Tuesday, March 17.
However, beginning Wednesday, March 18, courses at all Cleveland State sites (Cleveland, Athens, and Vonore) will transition to online instruction. Instructors will be in communication with students during this transition period to make sure they have the information they need to continue their coursework this semester. Certain courses may have exceptions which will be addressed by individual instructors. This measure will continue through March 27, at the very least. Later this month, as more information becomes available, Cleveland State officials will reassess the situation and see if any further measures will be necessary.
“I am very proud of the work our faculty and staff have been doing to prepare for this possibility,” said Cleveland State Community College President Dr. Bill Seymour. “They have been tireless in their efforts to continue our mission in the best ways possible given these unique circumstances.”
In addition, all events scheduled to be held on-campus will be cancelled or postponed until further notice.
For the latest information involving Cleveland State and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Coverage, be sure to check out the social networks of Cleveland State Community College, as well as the special Cleveland State Coronavirus Updates page at www.mycs.cc/covid19.
Effective Monday, March 16, all University System of Georgia institutions will temporarily suspend instruction for two weeks to allow time for USG institutions to test their business continuity plans and online instruction modules and for state officials to continue to assess the current situation regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia.
Students who are currently on spring break are strongly encouraged not to return to campus. Students on campus are asked to depart campus by close of business Friday, March 13, and to remain away from campus until March 29. At this time, students are not being asked to move out of their dorms for the remainder of the semester. For students who are unable to leave campus, institutions have been asked to develop plans to safely accommodate those students on campus.
As circumstances change, the USG is providing regular updates to its institutions and the public at www.usg.edu/coronavirus.