Kentucky’s Berea College among U.S. universities canceling class in coronavirus precautions
Colleges around the country are canceling in-person classes, at least temporarily, due to the coronavirus situation — and so is Berea College in the state of Kentucky, where six cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed publicly so far.
Berea College, a small, private institution where students work in campus and service jobs and don’t have to pay tuition, announced this week that it will stop holding classes on campus at the end of this week and wants students to move out of its dormitories.
“Concluding, after careful analysis, that it will not be possible to adequately assure student and employee safety in the circumstance of a case of COVID-19 occurring on campus, we have decided that the college will cease instructional activities as of the end of the day on this Friday, March 13,” Berea College President Lyle Roelofs said.
The college has about 1,600 students, the majority of whom live on campus, according to a spokesman. For some of its students, returning home may be a hardship. They are allowed to apply for continuing accommodations on campus, Roelofs said.
And even though the college is ending face-to-face instruction, he indicated students still will be able to complete their classes this semester.
“Because most students will have left campus and not all will have internet access, instruction should not continue, although assignments for students to complete and submit can be part of the plan and electronic communications may continue,” Roelofs said. “The due date for final grades will not change.”
Students who need help with travel costs can apply for assistance, and all students will still be paid for their campus jobs for the rest of the semester, Roelofs also said.
The college itself will not cease operating, he noted, and staff should plan to keeping doing their jobs for now.
Universities in other states also have announced they will begin providing courses and exams online instead of on campus, due to public health concerns. The hope is that pausing face-to-face instruction will help limit the spread of the virus.
In Massachusetts, Harvard University has asked its students not to return to campus after their spring break ends this month and will shift to holding classes remotely.
Similarly, in New Jersey, Princeton University is transitioning to online classes and encouraging students to stay home after spring break.
Several schools in New York and California also have decided to halt in-person classes and teach students online instead, at least for most of March. So has The Ohio State University in Columbus and Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
So far, it doesn’t appear any other colleges or universities in Kentucky are following Berea College’s lead and canceling in-person classes.
The commonwealth’s biggest public universities — the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville — have not canceled classes on campus.
However, they have restricted travel by students and staff to nations where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has instituted a Level 3 Travel Health Notice that recommends against nonessential travel due to the coronavirus’ spread.
Those countries are China, Iran, South Korea and Italy.
The first confirmed coronavirus patient in Kentucky, announced by Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday, is being treated in isolation at UK’s Chandler Hospital. The patient is a Harrison County resident, and they are “improving,” Beshear said over the weekend.
In a message sent to students, faculty and staff on Monday, UK President Eli Capilouto encouraged anyone who is traveling domestically or internationally during the university’s spring break this month to fill out a voluntary travel form “so we can support returning travelers and safeguard the community as much as possible.”
“Our first priority is the wellness of every member of our community,” Capiluto said in reference to a coronavirus workgroup at the school. “And we are discussing contingency plans for every aspect of campus life, should any changes to normal operations be necessary. We will do what is necessary and we will be as prepared as possible.”
Other universities in Kentucky don’t appear to have canceled in-person classes and shifted to online instruction, either, although they are taking other precautions.
Murray State University, Morehead State University and Northern Kentucky University have canceled certain study abroad programs.
NKU also notified its campus community on Monday that it has been informed that two K-12 students who attended a camp NKU hosted over the weekend learned that a relative who recently visited them was being tested out-of-state for the coronavirus.
In light of this, NKU — where no confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been reported — has canceled all youth activities scheduled at the university this week.
Spalding University in Louisville said in a public update Monday that there’s no known threat to its campus, even though several coronavirus cases have been reported in Kentucky.
However, the school stressed that “practicing good hygiene and hand-washing and staying home if you’re feeling sick are important precautions to protect yourself and others.”
By Morgan Watkins and Ben Tobin
Louisville Courier Journal
