The following letter from President S. Georgia Nugent was shared with Illinois Wesleyan University students, faculty, staff and parents Thursday afternoon:
Subject: Delayed Return from Spring Break
To: Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents,
From: President S. Georgia Nugent
Illinois Wesleyan will extend Spring Break until Sunday, March 22. Classes will resume using distance learning methods from March 23 – 27. We will evaluate and determine by March 26 whether classes will return to campus on March 30. Campus offices will remain open during this time.
As we continue to assess the escalating impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are committed to taking responsible action toward mitigating the potential spread of the virus, to proactively safeguard the health of our community and the resilience of our healthcare system.
All domestic students must remain at their permanent home residence until further notice. Students, including our international students, can petition for an exception on their MyHousing page. Food service will be offered for students approved to be on campus. Sodexo is following best practices for enhanced food safety. There will be restrictions including limits on social gatherings, travel, non-IWU guests, etc.
All student events, including athletics, will be suspended through March 29. Other university-sponsored campus events with over 50 attendees will be prohibited. At this time, no decisions have been made about events after March 29, including Commencement.
Students may not return to campus without permission until March 29. Faculty will be providing materials for course instruction electronically as part of distance learning.
We’re requiring all students studying abroad from Europe to return home. They are expected to self-quarantine at home for 14 days prior to a return to campus, no sooner than March 29. We are recommending that all other students studying abroad return home and self-quarantine as well.
Arnold Health Services will remain open.
Students abroad for athletic trips during Spring Break have returned to the U.S., and a Collegiate Choir tour of South Africa is being shortened so that students can return as quickly as possible.
All non-essential travel by employees will be restricted until further notice.
Decisions about May Term and summer travel will be made no later than April 15.
This extended break is intended to allow our faculty time to develop alternative methods for delivering course instruction. As you know, we value our culture as a residential University and the importance of faculty-student interaction, and hope to return to in-person learning as soon as possible. If accessing courses electronically presents a hardship, please contact Scott Walter, University Librarian.
Our response team will continue to comprehensively assess developments as they unfold. We realize many questions remain, and will continue to send followup messages with more details, including information specific to employees. We also have established the email address covid19response@iwu.edu, where you can direct related questions. Information will continue to be assembled on the University website at www.iwu.edu/covid19.
While there are currently no known cases of COVID-19 on campus or in Central Illinois, please remember to follow recommendations to help protect yourself and others from disease, and make personal decisions to reduce opportunities for the transmission of this new virus in our communities.
