Fatalities COVID-19
Chart Courtesy of Think Global Health
UPDATED March 13
United Methodist colleges and universities joined ranks with other institutions to try to contain the spread of coronavirus by switching to online classes, extending spring break and in some cases, closing campuses and sending residential students home.
According to a March 12 article in the New York Times, "Infectious disease specialists said that dormitories, with their communal bathrooms as well as dining halls with open buffets, are like cruise ships, with students squeezed together and facing increased risk of infection. Emptying them out, if only partially, is necessary, they said."
The Times article continued: "Even those on the way to college in the fall felt the impact on Wednesday, as the SAT exam scheduled for Saturday [March 14] was canceled in 18 countries and at more than 120 U.S. schools. In many cases, no alternative locations or makeup dates were offered."
The measures may seem extreme and admittedly are causing hardship to low-income students for home their campus is home. Nonetheless, the closings reflect the counsel of Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a March 10 essay, "Could Coronavirus Kill a Million Americans?" on the website Think Global Health. Among his top ten actions to limit risk of contracting COVID-19, Dr. Frieden writes:
"Cancel large gatherings, with the exception of geographic regions and populations not experiencing community transmission. Making that hard decision now could mean the difference between thousands and tens of thousands of infections in a community. If mass meetings do occur, older and medically vulnerable people should not attend."
Some examples from United Methodist-related schools, colleges and universities:
Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Ala.: BSC has extended spring break to April 3 and and is moving to online classes on April 6. BSC website's said; "The campus will remain open and regular business operations will continue. Faculty and staff should continue to report to work. All athletics activities, including practice and games, will be suspended after March 20." No COVID-19 cases have been found yet in Alabama, but the disease is spreading rapidly across the United States.
Duke Chronicle: "No point burying the lede: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke suspended in-person classes Tuesday [March 10] for the foreseeable future and told students not to stay on campus unless they absolutely have to. Spring break was also extended a week."
Southern Methodist University, Dallas: SMU has a red banner at the top of its website linking to the latest updates about the university's response to coronavirus. On March 11, President R. Gerald Turner wrote: "The SMU campus remains open, and as of now, we expect to deliver classes as usual when we return from Spring Break. ... Many of you have asked why SMU has not chosen to move all classes online or extend Spring Break, as have some other universities. ... We are making every effort to avoid major disruption, while installing webcams in every classroom and providing extra training for faculty ... to support teaching online should that become necessary."
Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC: Claflin also sports a top-of-the-page banner on COVID-19 updates: "Our Emergency Preparedness Team is closely monitoring national and international developments concerning the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). With the safety of our campus community in mind, we have decided to extend Spring Break (for students only) through Sunday, March 22. The residence halls will reopen on Sunday, March 22, at 2:00 p.m. ... All on-ground classes will resume on Monday, March 23, at 8:00 a.m."
Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colo.: From President Tom Wolfe: "Iliff has received permission from its accreditors, the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church, to provide the in-person portion of courses at Gathering Days in a synchronous online format. ... Out of concern for individuals and our community, official Iliff travel is canceled indefinitely as we monitor the situation."
American University, Washington, D.C: On March 12, the university announced: "The previously announced transition to online classes beginning on Wednesday, March 18 will now continue through the rest of the spring semester. There will be no on-campus instruction for the remainder of this semester, and courses will be completed remotely. ... Students currently remaining in the residence halls are instructed to leave campus by Monday, March 23 and return to their permanent addresses for the remainder of the semester. We strongly encourage students to depart campus as soon as possible to help reduce the potential risk of transmission or spread of COVID-19."
United Methodist Insight also requested information from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry regarding any coronavirus precautions it had received from United Methodist colleges and universities. A reply hadn't been received by our weekly deadline, so this article may be updated with new information.
How is your college or university dealing with coronavirus? Send us an email!
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.