Sept. 20, 2020, Letter to Campus Community
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or are experiencing symptoms yourself, you need to contact your health care provider or local health department to determine the appropriate course of action.
You may have been exposed to COVID-19 if you were in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. According to the CDC, the following count as close contact:
- You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more;
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19;
- You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them);
- You shared eating or drinking utensils;
- They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.
You may also be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Watch for symptoms such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider or local health department to discuss the best course of action.
Once you have contacted your health care provider or local health department if you are diagnosed with COVID-19, or placed into quarantine, you must also contact the West Virginia State University Office of Safety and Compliance so that the appropriate actions are able to be taken on campus to keep our campus community safe.
You can contact The Kanawha Charleston Health Department at 304-348-1088, this is the COVID-19 Hotline
Reminder: If you are an out of state student, please use your campus address when testing so that the local health department can access your information quickly, otherwise the information will go to your home health department.
You can contact the office at (304) 204-4060 or joseph.davenport@wvstateu.edu.
Thank you.
Joseph Davenport
Safety & Chemical Hygiene Officer
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August 4, 2020, Message to the Campus Community
Dear West Virginia State Family:
With the start of the fall semester next week, I want to remind everyone of the important health and safety measures we have put in place to protect our campus and one another.
Starting Thursday, August 6, and continuing for the duration of the fall semester, health screening points will be in place at buildings throughout campus. On Wednesday, please continue to report to the screening stations located in Ferrell Hall and the Integrated Research and Extension Building. When you enter a building, you will come to a screening station where you will have your temperature checked and answer a series of health questions. Screening stations may become crowded at times so please allow yourself a few extra minutes to get to class, or to your office. Once you pass the screening station you will receive a sticker, so you will only have to go through the station once each day.
In order to expedite the flow of people through these screening stations, the University is using the #Campus Clear app. If you use a smartphone, download the #Campus Clear app from the App Store for iPhones and IOS devices, or Google Play for Android. Once the app is downloaded, you will be asked to enter your West Virginia State University email address and will receive a confirmation email. Once the app is activated, you can answer the health screening questions on the app before arriving at the screening station. Once you have successfully answered the questions, you will receive a badge with the day's date indicating you are "Good to Go." Simply show this at the screening station and have your temperature checked and you will be able to go about your day on campus.
As a reminder, masks must be worn at all times when you are on campus unless you are in your private office or residence hall room. If you refuse to wear a mask, campus security will be called and you will be asked to leave our campus.
Please maintain social distance when you are on campus, and wash or sanitize your hands regularly. Hand sanitizer is available throughout classrooms and offices.
This semester will be unlike any the University has faced before, and the administration will continue to monitor developments as new information continues to evolve about COVID-19, and will adapt if additional changes are necessary.
I look forward to welcoming you back to this place we love so dear next week for the start of our fall semester.
Take care, stay well.
R. Charles Byers, Ph.D.
Interim President
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July 27, 2020, Message to the Campus Community
Dear West Virginia State Family:
As we approach the start of the fall semester on August 10 there are several updates I wish to provide on the steps we are taking to protect our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus.
To begin with, as you return to campus, you will notice that all campus buildings will have clearly defined entrances and exits to direct traffic flow. Upon entering a building you will come to a screening table where you will undergo a temperature check and be asked a series of questions about your health. Once you pass the screening you will be given a sticker to wear for the rest of the day so you will only have to go through the process once per day. If you cannot pass the screening, you will be asked to return home, or in the case of resident students to a specified quarantine area.
Screenings throughout campus will begin on Monday, August 3, and will continue for the duration of the fall semester. For the remainder of this week, those who are on campus will be asked to check in and undergo screenings at Ferrell Hall beginning Wednesday, July 29. Screenings will start at 7:30 a.m.
You will also notice signage throughout campus reminding all of us to maintain social distance, to wear a face covering and to wash hands regularly or use hand sanitizer. Signage has also been placed throughout campus buildings to direct traffic flow through hallways, to designate stairways as either ascending or descending, and to set limits on the numbers of occupants in offices, classrooms and elevators. Please follow all signage and help us protect one another.
In addition, all students, faculty and staff have been assigned training on awareness and prevention of COVID-19 through the University's safety training system, SafetySkills. If you have not already done so, please complete the online training before returning to campus.
To further ensure safety for the campus community, students, faculty and staff are required to undergo testing for COVID-19. To make this as convenient as possible the Kanawha Charleston Health Department will be on campus this Thursday and Friday, July 30-31, to administer testing.
The testing will take place in Lot C (the large lot across from Wallace and Ferrell Halls) and will occur from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
On Thursday, July 30, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. all University administrators are asked to be tested. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. testing will be open to all faculty and staff, as well as students whose last names begin with the letters A-G.
On Friday, July 31, testing will be open to all students whose last names begin with the letters H-Z, and to anyone who was not able to be tested on Thursday.
No appointments are necessary to be tested. The tests are free, but everyone being tested is asked to bring a photo ID as well as proof of insurance (if you have insurance). The Health Department is using a nasal live-virus anterior swab test.
WVSU Public Safety officers will direct traffic Thursday and Friday. Drivers will enter on Barron Drive and will exit onto Rehabilitation Center Road following the concluding of testing. Please note that Lot C will be closed to parking both days while testing is occurring.
If you have already undergone COVID-19 testing and obtained a negative test result in the past 14 days there is no need to undergo testing again.
By having yourself tested you are showing your willingness to not only protect yourself, but the health and safety of everyone in the West Virginia State Family.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the University's Office of Academic Affairs at (304) 766-3146, and if you have not already done so I encourage you to read our full reopening plan, Focus on WVSU Reopening This "Place We Love So Dear."
Take care, stay well.
R. Charles Byers, Ph.D.
Interim President
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July 9, 2020, Message to the Campus Community
Dear West Virginia State Family:
For the past several months the West Virginia State University (WVSU) COVID-19 Response Team has been working on a plan for a safe reopening of campus for our students, faculty and staff. The work began in March with a small group that was eventually expanded to include broad representation from more than 20 different campus areas that reviewed specific topics. In mid-June the Leadership Team met and reviewed recommendations from these 20 different areas to identify the best plan for the reopening of our campus. This reopening plan has since been reviewed by a cross section of community leaders as well higher education leaders and local and state health officials to ensure completeness and attention to detail.
"Focus on WVSU - Reopening 'This Place We Love So Dear,'" is our plan for reopening for in person classes for the fall 2020 semester on August 10. I encourage you to read the full plan, which can be found on the University's website at www.wvstateu.edu/focusonwvsu, but I will outline here some of the important measures that it contains.
In order to best protect the health and safety of our entire campus community, including visitors, the University will take the following actions campus wide to insure health and well-being:
- Sanitize and prepare all buildings for reopening and increase the frequency of such cleanings to meet established protocols;
- Enforce social distancing protocols of six-feet spacing where possible;
- Require face coverings for all who enter campus properties;
- Install Plexiglass shields at all appropriate administrative offices and teaching spaces;
- Control access points of entrance and exit of all buildings for the purpose of screening those who enter;
- Perform temperature checks at each building;
- Develop signage in order to control flow of traffic in hallways and stairwells;
- Develop a central dispensary for personal protective equipment (PPE) and provide the same to all campus users, giving special consideration for those who deal with the public and those in at-risk populations;
- Increase the frequency and availability of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and other cleaning products;
For our students and faculty, as WVSU reopens for the fall 2020 semester, safety will be the top priority and outweigh all other considerations. Classrooms and instruction will follow all CDC and State guidelines for re-opening and resuming education.
Some specific actions included in "Focus on WVSU" for classroom instruction include the following:
- All classrooms will have sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer stations available and stocked;
- Students will utilize provided sanitizing wipes to clean their work area before and after each class;
- Masks will be required in the physical classroom for all students and instructors;
- Each classroom will have signage that indicates maximum capacity;
- Available seating options will be marked in each classroom so that a minimum of six-feet distance is maintained between all instructors and students;
- A "Statement of Expectations" will be issued to students;
- Faculty will discuss all expectations with regard to COVID-19 with students;
- Faculty in all in-person classes will keep accurate and dated attendance records for contact tracing;
- All classes will have the option for online streaming instruction;
- All instructors will assign a backup faculty member for each class;
- Class times will be scheduled so that use of classrooms is staggered;
- Faculty unfamiliar with online instruction will take Moodle training; and
- Faculty will minimize or eliminate the handling of hard copy paperwork.
For our staff, we will begin a phased in approach of returning to operate offices on campus to ensure appropriate social distancing, availability of PPE and testing capabilities for COVID-19. Contingent on the readiness of campus, the first phase of employees returning would be as early as this week with a goal of having 100 percent return by August 3, 2020. This also depends on the individual needs of a particular office and required duties. These staffing decisions, once approved, will be communicated through respective Deans, Vice Presidents, or the Associate Provost. At the same time we are preparing for returning to campus, "Focus on WVSU" also provides recommendations for remote work, alternating days, and staggered reporting and departing times. In addition, through the offices of the Vice Presidents, WVSU will adapt flexible return policies and practices for staff to work remotely that include staff with underlying conditions; employees 60+, and employees with day care issues.
The administration will continue to monitor developments as new information continues to evolve about COVID-19, and will adapt if additional changes are necessary.
I encourage everyone to read and familiarize themselves with our full reopening plan, and I commend all of those who leant their time, talent and expertise to its development. Together, we will triumph through these unprecedented times and reopen "This Place We Love So Dear."
Take care, stay well.
R. Charles Byers, Ph.D.
Interim President
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May 4, 2020, Message to the Campus Community
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
As we come to the close of the spring 2020 semester, I hope that you are continuing to stay safe and healthy in these unprecedented times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students, I want to wish you good luck on your final exams this week. I know the spring semester is concluding differently than you envisioned, but together we made it through a truly historic time in our University's history shifting from in-seat to all remote learning in just a matter of weeks. I want to remind you that enrollment is underway now for both the summer and fall semesters. Continuing your education during this time can help you remain on track to graduate on time, or shorten your time to complete your degree.
All of our summer courses will be delivered online, and please keep in mind our first summer session begins May 18. Also, for the summer, all face-to-face camps on our campus are cancelled.
Faculty and staff, Governor Jim Justice has announced his plan to permit businesses and organizations to reopen in West Virginia as early as May 4. As a result, we are currently developing our plans for the fall semester and will make the final decision based on what is best for the safety and health of STATE students, faculty and staff, but until further notice we will continue to work remotely.
The Yellow Jacket Nation is a strong and caring community and never has that been more evident than your response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Together we will get through this and become even stronger.
Take care, be well and Go STATE,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President
R. Charles Byers, Ph.D.
Interim President
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April 27, 2020, President Anthony L. Jenkins
Message to the Campus Community
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education provided the higher education community with guidance regarding how colleges and universities can disperse emergency financial funding they will receive through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. At this time, West Virginia State University, has not received our CARES Act funding.
My administrative team is finalizing a process to administer these funds expeditiously once they are received. I am hopeful, we will receive our funding sometime this week. According to the CARES Act, only those students who are eligible to receive federal financial aid under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, are permitted to receive a refund grant from the University's CARES Act funding. With this new change, we are working to confirm how many of our students meet the criteria for eligibility, and I have every reason to believe that the vast majority of our students do.
Let me also take this time to clarify another matter. Earlier this month, in an effort to help STATE students who are dealing with personal financial matters as a result of COVID-19, we created our own WVSU Emergency Assistance Fund. We established the WVSU Emergency Assistance Fund to support our students and their families who are struggling. Thanks to the generous financial gifts of alumni, friends, faculty and staff we were able to help many of our students. Please note, the WVSU Emergency Assistance Fund is completely separate from funds the University will receive through the CARES Act. Currently, all funds available through the WVSU Emergency Assistance Fund have been awarded at this time. However, all applications that were submitted through the online portal will remain on file and continuously be reviewed as additional funding becomes available. The portal will also be re-opened at that time, and students will be notified that applications are again being accepted.
Please continue to monitor your University email account for updates.
Take care, be well and Go STATE,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President
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March 31, 2020, President Anthony L. Jenkins
Message to the Campus Community
Dear Yellow Jacket Nation:
First, I want to commend our entire campus for coming together and displaying incredible resolve in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we are working to ensure that quality instruction for our students remains our top priority during these unprecedented times.
As per my earlier communications, remote delivery of courses utilizing a variety of alternative learning options began this week, and I appreciate the cooperation of our students, faculty and staff for working so closely together to ensure that our classes will continue through the remainder of our spring semester.
Also, for the remainder of the spring semester, only employees deemed crucial to carry out the needed functions and safety of the University will be permitted on campus. All others will continue to work remotely from home for the duration of the spring semester. Your immediate supervisor will continue to provide direction regarding work assignments and expectations. Campus buildings and offices will remain locked for security purposes, and all office functions are being carried out remotely.
Students, I know you have questions regarding services, financial aid, reimbursements and other important topics. My team is working with the appropriate federal and state departments to resolve all of your questions. I encourage you to keep forwarding us your questions.
I want to remind everyone that we have established a webpage with more information about COVID-19, please visit it regularly at
www.wvstateu.edu/coronavirus for official updated information. In addition, please continue to monitor your University email account for updates.
Take care, be well and Go STATE,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President
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March 20, 2020, President Anthony L. Jenkins
Message to the Campus Community
Dear Yellow Jacket Nation:
With the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and with additional guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as well as state government and local health officials, West Virginia State University is implementing several changes to protect the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff for the remainder of the spring semester.
Classes will not resume on Wednesday, March 25. Instead, beginning Monday, March 30, and for the remainder of the semester, all face-to-face classes will be delivered remotely utilizing alternative learning options. These options will vary from class to class and may include online, email, or other means. Students currently taking online courses should continue to do so with no change or disruption to their courses.
Students will be receiving additional information directly from their faculty member regarding class delivery method, assignments and expectations. These instructions will be coming to students' official wvstateu.edu email accounts, and all are encouraged to check your University email accounts regularly for important updates and information.
Residential students who have left campus for spring break are not required to return to campus, and we advise those resident students to not return to campus, if possible. If you choose not to return to the residence halls this semester, please contact the
Office of Housing and Residence Life to arrange a time to retrieve your personal belongings. All residence halls will be securely locked. For residential students who are leaving the residence halls, we are working to develop a financial solution and will follow up with those affected in late April.
If you need to return or remain on campus because you have no other alternative, the University will work with you; however, please know that space and services will be extremely limited. At this time the Goldston Dining Hall, Keith Café, Chopped & Wrapped and BRB are closed until further notice. "To-Go Meals" will be available for pick-up outside of the Goldston Dining Hall at the cashier's stands during posted hours.
Through the end of the spring semester, all campus events and programs, both internal and external, including athletic competitions, are cancelled. We have also made the difficult decision to cancel our May 9 commencement exercises. Our graduating seniors will be invited to participate in our December commencement exercises, and we will look forward to your return to campus.
Only employees who are deemed crucial to carry out the needed functions and safety of the University will be permitted on campus. All others will work remotely from home, effective Monday, March 23. Your supervisor will be in contact to develop a work plan.
The University has established a webpage with more information about COVID-19, and I encourage you to check it on a regular basis at
www.wvstateu.edu/coronavirus. In addition, please continue to monitor your University email account for updates, and if you have not already done so, enroll in the University's emergency notification system in
MyState.
These steps to protect the Yellow Jacket Nation are born out of this unprecedented time in which we find ourselves. During this time, I ask that we continue to support one another and follow the CDC's
guidelines on health, safety and social distance. The Yellow Jacket Nation is a strong and caring community, and together we will get through this and become even stronger.
I will provide further updates as they are available.
Best regards,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President
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March 14, 2020, President Anthony L. Jenkins
Message to the Campus Community
Dear Yellow Jacket Nation:
As the situation regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to evolve, in conjunction with my senior administration team, I have made several decisions that I believe will help protect the health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff. While we have no reason to panic, there is every reason to take precautions.
First, next week's spring break for students will be extended through Tuesday, March 24, with classes resuming Wednesday, March 25. During the week of spring break, campus will be closed to all but essential personnel, and staff are being directed to work from home. Staff are to coordinate with their supervisors and respective vice presidents on assignments that can be worked on remotely. On Monday, March 23, campus will reopen for staff and faculty.
When classes resume on Wednesday, March 25, students who are ill should not attend class. Instead, send an immediate notification to the instructor via email or phone to discuss appropriate adjustments for course work completion. Faculty will make the appropriate adjustments for course content delivery, including the use of technology to allow students to participate in class discussions remotely, or to move courses to an online delivery method in the short-term, if possible. The University's Office of Academic Affairs has prepared information on technical support, course alternatives, and next steps to share with faculty. This modified delivery method for courses will remain in effect until at least April 13. Please note that regularly scheduled fully online courses will continue as usual.
At this time, until further notice, all official University business travel, and/or student related travel, has been suspended. This includes both domestic travel outside the state of West Virginia and international travel. If you have already made travel plans and need to cancel these arrangements, please refer to the travel guidelines provided by the University and Title III.
For those faculty or staff planning personal, non-university travel, it is highly recommended that you utilize extreme caution and judgement during your domestic/international travel, taking care to avoid travel to places identified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as being high risk for COVID-19. Please understand that should you do so against the advice of the University, self-quarantine protocols and testing will be recommended before you are able to return to campus.
Beginning Sunday, March 15, and extending through Sunday, April 12, we are cancelling external events on campus, as well as student and organization activities that could draw a large crowd in order to limit the potential spread of the virus. At this time, normal operations should resume on April 13, but that will continue to be evaluated.
The University has established a webpage with more information about COVID-19 and I encourage you to check it on a regular basis at www.wvstateu.edu/coronavirus. In addition, please continue to monitor your University email account for updates, and if you have not already done so, enroll in the University's emergency notification system in MyState.
As this is an evolving situation I will provide further updates as they are available.
Best regards,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President
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March 11, 2020, President Anthony L. Jenkins
Message to the Campus Community
Dear Yellow Jacket Nation:
As public concern continues regarding the Novel Coronavirus (also referred to as COVID-19), my office has been in regular contact with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC). HEPC is working with local and state health officials to monitor the latest information being made available to the general public. Information regarding preparedness, response efforts, and outreach to public health partners is being discussed but, as of yet, we do not have specific state-level guidance.
Current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continue to advise the general public to follow these everyday actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
* Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
* Stay home when you are sick.
* Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
* Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
* Follow CDC's recommendations for using a facemask.
-- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
-- Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers.
The CDC is providing updates regularly online at
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
The state of West Virginia through the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) has created a website to share the latest information available in the state at
www.coronavirus.wv.gov. In addition, DHHR has established a toll-free hotline that you can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the latest information at 1-800-887-4304. DHHR announced this past Saturday that testing for COVID-19 can now be performed in-state by DHHR's Bureau for Public Health's lab.
Here at the University we have also created a webpage where we will provide updated information about COVID-19 as it becomes available. This can be found at
www.wvstateu.edu/coronavirus.
I want to encourage everyone to follow the CDC's advice, especially as it relates to staying home if you are sick, without fear for our faculty and staff of not having enough sick days, or for our students of missing class too many times.
For our faculty and staff who have exhausted all of their paid time off, I am extending three additional days of paid leave to be utilized so that you have time to stay home and care for yourself. If you have any questions about this, I encourage you to contact the University's Department of Human Resources at (304) 766-3156.
For our students, if your professor has stated in their class syllabus that you will be penalized for missing too many classes, I am suspending those penalties for absences. If you are sick, stay home. This does not relieve you of completing class assignments; please work with your professor.
As this is an evolving situation, I will provide further updates as they are available.
Best regards,
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D.
President