Lee extends Zoom classes until April 13, screens over 200 students for COVID-19
Photo by Sydney Pressley
In a Thursday morning livestream, Dr. Paul Conn announced a modified schedule that will delay the return to campus. Online course instruction via Zoom will now continue until Monday, April 13.
“We’re going to change our schedule and once again readjust our approach to what we’re doing here,” Conn said. “The chance to start classes and resume our normal operations on March 30 at this point does not seem plausible — it’s not possible.”
According to Conn, the fast-paced nature of the crisis means updates are coming in hourly, causing Lee to reexamine and amend the schedule as needed. Conn said classes will move online for three weeks and commencement will proceed as scheduled.
“That’s pretty ambitious, and right now that’s our goal,” Conn said. “We’re trying to decide how much of the semester we can salvage and how much time do we need back on campus to make it worth it for all of you to come back and make it worth it to us to try to salvage.”
Additionally, Conn said Lee Day will shift to an online format to accommodate the new schedule.
Conn reiterated that students who returned to campus from Spring Break Global Perspectives trips were screened at Lee’s Health Clinic upon arrival. Several students were sent for full COVID-19 testing, but there have been no confirmed cases.
“We’ve screened over 200 students and there have been no positive tests,” Conn said. “We think we’re set up to deal intelligently with whatever this crisis brings us … I’ll be coming back to you frequently to keep you updated with what’s happening.”
“I’ve been saying all along, be flexible and be in touch,” Conn said. “This is another example of how we are having to make changes as the situation unfolds.”
For immediate questions, email pconn@leeuniversity.edu or Dr. Murray at debmurray@leeuniversity.edu. For ongoing updates, follow @LeeClarion on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
