Dear W&J Students,
At 6 p.m. yesterday Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued an unprecedented mandate ordering “non-life-sustaining businesses,” including colleges and universities, to cease operations in their physical locations. The order provides a grace period until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday for businesses and other organizations to accomplish this.
We will comply by transitioning to fully remote instructional operations over the next 24 hours. After this time period, employees will work from their residences except for campus safety personnel, limited facilities and dining staff, and others needed to support the small group of students who must remain on campus due to significant hardships that prevent them from leaving. Our Student Life Division will work directly with students now on campus to re-evaluate their needs in light of the new state directive.
Online instruction will begin as planned when the academic semester resumes on Monday. All academic buildings and administrative buildings will be locked and swipe access cards will be deactivated for campus facilities, with the exception of limited access to specific areas for our students in residence. I regret that this and other factors mean we will be forced to continue online instruction for the remainder of the Spring Semester, so please keep in mind the following:
- The Clark Family Library resources and staff are still available online. Please visit the library website for information about remote office hours.
- Student Life will be in contact shortly to answer your questions and assist you as needed. Please be assured that staff are focusing on adapting processes as you transition to remote instruction.
- Next week we will post updated FAQs on our website, to include information on retrieving your belongings at the appropriate time, room & board credits and refunds, Spring Semester grading policies, and Fall Semester registration and housing.
- An e-newsletter called Your Connection to W&J (in lieu of W&J Weekly) will be published regularly to keep you updated on information that you need throughout the semester. Please look for this in your W&J email box.
- During the online instruction period, please be diligent about checking your W&J email account as it will be the most consistent source of communication between you and the college, including your faculty.
I am extremely proud of the W&J Community and how everyone has pulled together during this difficult time. You, our students, are always our first priority and you may be sure that your faculty and staff are working hard to provide you with the resources, support, and instruction to complete this semester.
I will be in touch with you again later today to share more of my personal thoughts on the challenges we are all navigating. We will get through this together. Juncta Juvant!
With gratitude for each of you,
John C. Knapp, Ph.D.
President and Professor
