Conn announces no return to campus
Photo by Sydney Pressley
In a Thursday morning chapel livestream, Dr. Paul Conn announced students will not return to campus to finish the spring semester. Lee will continue to conduct classes online via Zoom for the remainder of the semester.
“I’m really sorry to have to announce that we are not going to come back on April 13, and we’re going to have to stay in the mode we’re in now till the end of the semester,” Conn said. “I’ve struggled with this decision, and we’ve delayed this to give ourselves every opportunity to feel confident that you can come back on April 13, but our highest priority is your safety and your health. We have a responsibility to all of the other people in your family.”
Conn said April 13 is too early to resume life on campus and it “wouldn’t do much good” if students could not gather in chapel, sporting events or in fellowship.
Conn said Lee is working intently to develop a plan for students who rely on on-campus housing. Students can expect move-out instructions from their Resident Directors soon.
“We just can’t [come back] and guarantee the health and safety of our students and of their families, so we have to do the responsible thing,” Conn told Mix 104.1 WCLE Thursday morning. “We’re all having to make our own decisions about this and if there’s ever a time to give one another grace, it’s now.”
Lee Day weekend is scheduled to follow an online format on April 17 and 18.
“Don’t forget about Lee Day even though it won’t occur on our regular schedule,” Conn said. “We’re working on a really robust exciting Lee Day weekend that has lots of different moving parts and bells and whistles. We’ve set the schedule for April 17 and 18.”
Conn said the scheduled commencement on May 9 is the largest commencement ceremony in Lee’s history, and Lee will make the final decision on commencement on April 9.
“We know, seniors, how much this means to you and your families,” Conn said. “I’m not going to give up on commencement easily, and I’m not going to give up on commencement yet.”
Conn presented three options for commencement for seniors to consider. According to Conn, if spring commencement cannot take place, Lee can either postpone spring commencement into the summer, combine it with summer commencement or host a virtual commencement.
Seniors are invited to email questions, comments and concerns to studentfeedback@leeuniversity.edu.
The announcement comes one day after a female Lee student tested positive for COVID-19. According to Conn, three other students have been tested and are currently awaiting COVID-19 test results.
“Be safe and be careful,” Conn said. “If you develop some of these symptoms or have other reasons to believe you should be tested… We hope you’ll be tested and we hope you stay in touch with us.”
Conn will return to students in a Q&A livestream on Monday at 2 p.m. to address global perspectives trips, summer school, student refunds and the $2 trillion bill expected to pass this week.
“In that $2.2 trillion bill that was passed last night, there’s a lot of good news for a lot of you,” Conn said. “There is good news about paying student workers, student loans, direct help for families, good news for so many of your parents who are finding themselves unemployed or with personal financial issues that came out of Coronavirus. Hang on and watch the news. When we can unpack this bill. We’re looking for good news in all of this and this is good news!”
