Office of Communications and Marketing

Office of Communications and Marketing

COVID-19 Update from the President – March 16 | 7pm

Dear BC Tigers,  

First, a sincere thank you to the Trustees, staff and faculty for your proven and true commitment to the wellbeing of Benedict College everyday, especially in crisis times such as these!  A special note of appreciation for our students for demonstrating patience, thoughtfulness and compassion during an unprecedented situation – you are the #BESTofBC.

In our efforts to keep the BC community apprised of the most recent updates, below are the updates that have been compiled based upon information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),  the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC), and accordance with the recent Executive Order issued by the Governor of South Carolina closing all public K-12 schools, colleges, universities and technical colleges.

Therefore, please be advised: BENEDICT COLLEGE WILL CLOSE on WEDNESDAY MARCH 18 until APRIL 3, 2020. THIS DATE MAY BE EXTENDED BASED UPON INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AND STATE OFFICIALS.

Faculty and Staff

  • Effective Wednesday, March 18, based on the Emergency Operations Plan of the College, persons in positions that are categorized as Essential Personnel will report to campus, and persons in positions that are categorized as Non-Essential personnel will work remotely. Divisional Vice Presidents will work with their respective staffs on duties and responsibilities.
  • Instructional sessions on working remotely will begin tomorrow, Tuesday March 17 at 10 a.m. Notifications for training sessions will be disseminated by the Office of Information Technology. Check the website, email and with your Divisional Vice President for specific department times and locations.
  • Please stay abreast of campus and public health updates and, if you present any symptoms as outlined by the CDC and SCDHEC, please see your health care provider

 Classes:  

  • Faculty reported to campus today to work on the implementation of Online and Virtual Course Instruction to begin on March 23, 2020, through at least April 3 (depending on the direction from federal and state officials as we are under a State of Emergency).
  • Students, that elect not to return for the remainder of the semester please, even if state and federal officials deem that colleges and universities are able to reopen on or after April 3, contact Mr. James Winfield, in Academic Affairs james.winfield@benedict.edu, 803-705-4945 to notify him of your decision. 

Residence Halls & Dining:  

  • 8 a.m. tomorrow, March 17, is the last day, if you require emergency travel assistance, to contact tanedra.washington@benedict.edu (803) 705-4390
  • Remove any perishable items and/or medication from your dorm rooms.
  • While your belongings may remain in your rooms for the duration of the semester, you must return to check out of the residence halls on or before the end of the regular semester the first week of May, 2020.  Please continue to check the BC website for notifications on when campus will reopen.
  • Students must go through the normal check out procedures and return all textbooks now or in May.
  • Dining will be suspended beginning at the end of the dinner serving on Wednesday, March 17.

Travel:

  • Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use the same caution with your personal travel for the safety and well-being of the larger community. Please be mindful that national travel restrictions are changing every day. cdc.gov

Events:

  • All BC-sponsored events have been canceled until further
  • The Founder’s Day Convocation and the Founder’s Day Rally has been rescheduled to September 3, 2020.

Emergency Preparedness & Prevention:

  • If a widespread outbreak occurs in our region, we encourage students, faculty and staff to take emergency preparedness measures, and anticipate possible disruptions in supply Plan to have medication, food, personal hygiene products available for a three-day period, at a minimum.
  • Please follow CDC and SC DHEC,scdhec.gov, www.cdc.gov for recommendations to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 such as:
    • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and
    • Avoid close contact with people who are
    • Stay home when you are
    • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the
    • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Keep in mind that the timeframes and protocols outlined above are subject to change due to the rapidly changing information.

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis

President and CEO

Benedict College

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