Update from Vice President Jon Dooley about the remainder of spring semester and Commencement

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

This week’s coronavirus email update summarizes the current status at Elon and includes important announcements about the path forward for the remainder of the semester.

Current status

• There have been 1,307 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of North Carolina, including seven in Alamance County. Six COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the state.
• There has been one confirmed COVID-19 case in the Elon University community – the study abroad student reported last weekend who is recuperating at home. We also have one presumptive positive case, a student who is in isolation. That individual does not live in university-owned housing, has not been on campus, and was not in contact with any other student, faculty, or staff member during the possible period of contagion.
• North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has announced a stay-at-home executive order effective at 5 p.m. today, Monday, March 30, and extending for the next 30 days. Students who live on or near campus should not leave their residences except to get food, medicine or necessary supplies; exercise outdoors; to take care of others in need or do volunteer service; or to perform other essential functions outlined in the executive order.
• Consistent with that executive order, Elon facilities are closed to walk-in traffic, and most services are operating remotely or by appointment. Faculty and staff members are working remotely, unless they are providing essential services for the campus and the students who were unable to leave due to personal circumstances. Nonessential staff remote work arrangements will be automatically extended through the end of the executive order (currently scheduled for April 29).
• Essential services available on campus will continue to  include to-go meals at Lakeside Dining Hall (hours and menu here), Student Health Services (hours and appointment information here), Moseley Center and Mail Services (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.), and two computer labs (Alamance 315 and Steers Pavilion) available by card access from 6 a.m.-midnight.

Important announcements

As university leaders, we have taken a measured and thoughtful approach to decision-making about the impact of this situation on our academic semester. Elon’s approach has been to monitor facts, federal and state directives, and data about the spread of the virus to make decisions about the best way to complete the semester in a healthy and safe manner. Now that North Carolina’s governor has issued a stay-at-home directive until the end of April, we are announcing the following decisions:

• Remote instruction for undergraduate courses will continue for the duration of the semester, including final exams. The semester will proceed according to the undergraduate academic calendar, with courses concluding Tuesday, May 12 and final exams taking place as scheduled from May 13 through 19. Graduate and law programs will announce changes to course delivery directly to the affected faculty and students.  It will take some time for faculty members to make changes to course schedules and timelines and students are asked to be patient as those alterations are made.
• In order to protect the health and safety of students and families during the ongoing pandemic , it has become clear that we must postpone undergraduate Commencement activities until we can gather safely as a community.  While diplomas will be conferred officially on the original date of May 22, we are committed to ensuring that the Class of 2020 and their families celebrate graduation together on campus. In the coming weeks, we will share the new date and plans for Commencement 2020 and will continue to involve the senior class officers. This afternoon, the graduate programs in higher education, interactive media and business will communicate directly with their students about plans for graduate Commencement ceremonies.
• The residence hall move-out process will be extended until May 31, to also coincide with the end of leases for the university-owned apartments. Residence Life will be communicating directly with residents and their families in the coming weeks about a process to commence after the stay-at-home directive has been lifted. Students who wish to retrieve items or check out of the facilities before that information has been announced should update their plans in the housing portal, www.elon.edu/myhousing.
• As we mentioned in last week’s update email, the university is developing policies and protocols to allow undergraduate students residing on campus to request prorated credits on housing and/or meal plan costs. Details of those arrangements will be announced as soon as they are complete.

Previous announcements and information are archived on the university’s coronavirus website, https://www.elon.edu/coronavirus. The best source of information nationally remains the website maintained jointly by several federal agencies: https://www.coronavirus.gov/

Although we will complete the semester remotely, we remain committed to the important values of community, relationships and mentoring that are a hallmark of an Elon education. Faculty members have been actively redesigning courses to shift instruction online – no small feat – and remain available for individual consultation and advising. Staff across campus are providing job and career guidance, learning assistance and academic support, library services and resources, mental and emotional health support, wellness resources, chaplaincy, and other resources. We plan to continue a number of virtual community activities throughout the semester – please visit the new Staying Connected website and check back regularly for updates. I also hope you will join us every Tuesday morning for a virtual College Coffee using the hashtag #ElonStayingConnected.

Our nation has many challenging weeks ahead of us and this pandemic has been incredibly disruptive for our lives, not just the spring semester. I hope you will draw strength and resilience from the Elon community as we look out for each other and face this difficult time together.

Our next email update to the community is planned for next Monday afternoon, April 6, at 2:00 p.m., unless an earlier message is warranted. 

—

Dr. Jon Dooley

Vice President for Student Life