USC only holding online classes after Thanksgiving because of COVID-19 concerns
The University of South Carolina announced it’s making significant changes to the fall semester schedule because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, USC President Bob Caslen released a statement saying the university’s canceling fall break and suspending all face-to-face classes after Thanksgiving.
Caslen said these changes, and more, were made from recommendations by the Future Planning Group and with “the full support of the Office of the Provost and our public health experts.”
The decision to return to only a virtual classroom after Thanksgiving was made because the university’s models show a spike in cases of COVID-19 at the beginning of December, which is also the start of traditional flu season, Caslen said.
There will be two remote class days on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, followed by reading days before final exams are held from Dec. 7-14. Those tests will also be held remotely, according to the statement.
That is not the only time when USC will hold its classes online. Labor Day and Election Day will also be remote class days, according to the statement.
Concerns about the spread of the coronavirus were also the primary factor in canceling fall break, which had been scheduled for Oct. 15-16.
The public health risks associated with thousands of students and faculty returning to campus after traveling for those days “could jeopardize the continuation of the semester,” while posing a threat to students and members of the Columbia community, it said in the statement.
“I realize that students and faculty look forward to getting away and recharging in the middle of the semester, and I appreciate that many of you will not be pleased with the decision to cancel fall break,” Caslen said in the statement. “These changes are part of the new normal that all of us must embrace as we return to campus for work and study, and they are necessary for us to successfully resume in-person instruction. Most importantly, they reflect our top priority: your health, safety and well being.”
Plans for a commencement ceremony in December have not been finalized. Caslen said more changes are possible as USC reacts to developments that impact public health of students, faculty, employees in addition to residents of Columbia.
USC has held all of its classes online since mid-March. The university has plans to reopen campus in phases over the summer, beginning with the return of essential employees. But USC’s Human Resources department said employees should not return to campus “unless they have been specifically notified to do so by their supervisor.”
Since testing began, several University of South Carolina students are confirmed to have COVID-19.
A student living in a on-campus residence hall tested positive for the coronavirus on March 20, USC officials said. That student and 17 others residents of the building were placed in quarantine.
Additionally, 11 other students and one faculty member, living in other states or off-campus, tested positive for COVID-19, according to USC.
“This virus continues to ask a great deal of us, and we must be ready to respond thoughtfully to any development or situation,” Caslen said. “I am extremely proud of the Future Planning Group and am grateful to every participant in this impressive group of leaders. These experts have given me a new level of confidence in our capacity to resume in-person classes on August 20 and to accommodate those students, faculty and staff who choose to work and study remotely.”
On Sunday, 163 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in South Carolina, bringing the statewide total to 8,816 confirmed COVID-19 cases in all 46 counties, according to DHEC.
DHEC also announced that five people died after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising that total to 385.
“There is currently no cure or vaccine,” the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said.
There have been 118,986 combined negative tests at DHEC’s public health laboratory and at private labs.
As of Monday morning, 4,730,968 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 315,488 people have died, while 1,739,890 recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with 1,486,742 people who have been diagnosed with the novel virus. In the U.S. 89,564 deaths have been reported, including 28,232 in New York City, according to Johns Hopkins.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 7:37 AM.
