In an email to faculty on March 10, Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, announced that St. Joe’s will hold two days of virtual classes to test online readiness in light of the coronavirus.
“On Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, we will be teaching all University classes online to assure we are prepared for significant disruptions to on-ground courses,” McConnell wrote in the email. “The University will be fully operational on those days with all services and events running as usual.”
McConnell also noted that there is a chance the university will need to move fully online before the readiness testing days. Midterm grades have also been extended to March 23.
“At this point, the University has not finalized a change in course delivery method,” Cary Anderson, Ph.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, said in an email to The Hawk on March 10. “It’s important to know, that although the University might move to a virtual format for classes in the future, we will not be entirely closing the University and classes will not be cancelled but moved to a virtual format.”
In preparation, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) is holding Zoom and Canvas training sessions for faculty over spring break and the week following.
“This is an unprecedented situation, and we are committed to facing it together in a collaborative way,” McConnell said in closing. “Patience and a steady hand are required as we work together.”
West Chester University is the first local university to cancel all in person classes for the rest of the semester. The University of Pennsylvania canceled all large on-campus events, including their admitted students days.
In a press conference on March 10, Thomas Farley, Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner, announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Philadelphia.
“The virus is circulating in Philadelphia now,” Farley said. “We expected this, but this does mean that the pandemic has now arrived to the city of Philadelphia.”
Farley also said, “I do not recommend the closure of universities at this point,” adding that due to the changing situation, “That may happen at some point in the future and [universities] may need to plan for that.”
