Christian Universities Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic (UPDATED)

(This article was updated on Wednesday morning, March 18.)

Johnson University is suspending face-to-face classroom instruction for one month. Hope International University has tacked on an additional week of spring break. Great Lakes Christian College will be teaching all classes remotely from March 16 through April 3. And Milligan College is extending its current spring break until March 20 and transitioning to online classes through April 5.

These are just a few of the actions Christian universities have announced in response to the COVID-19 (or coronavirus) pandemic. Several of these announcements have been issued just today. Below are short excerpts from these schools’ online announcements. We’re also providing links for accessing more complete information.

It’s likely additional Christian colleges and universities will be announcing their plans shortly. (Share them with us at [email protected].)

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Alberta Bible College

abccampus.ca — Alberta, Canada

(Updated March 16)
“In accordance with the latest restrictions and recommendations coming from Alberta Health and from the City of Calgary, as of 9:00 this morning, ABC’s campus is closed. At this time, the campus will be closed until further notice. Staff and faculty will be working from home whenever that is possible. Classes will run on their normal schedule, but now remotely, via Zoom.”

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Boise Bible College

boisebible.edu — Boise, Idaho

(Updated March 13)
“In broad terms, we plan to operate normally through Friday, March 20. We will then enter into Spring Break. When we reconvene on the Monday following Spring Break (March 30), we will do so in a synchronous online format utilizing Zoom software. This means that classes will meet at normal time slots, in Zoom “classrooms.” Making these adjustments will impact staff, faculty, and students in different ways, and we will try to address the key issues for each group below.”

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Carolina Christian College

carolina.edu — Winston-Salem, N.C.

(Updated March 15)
“Classes will resume in an online format beginning March 23, 2020. Classes will end at its original scheduled time. All communication for classes will be through Google classroom and official communication will only be done through CCC’s email.”

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Central Christian College of the Bible

cccb.edu — Moberly, Mo.

(Updated March 17)
“. . . As of March 17, 2020, the following guidelines are in place.
1. CCCB is planning to continue and complete the Spring 2020 semester.
2. CCCB’s campus will remain open for the Spring 2020 semester.
3. CCCB will help each student complete the Spring 2020 semester in one of these methods of the student’s own choosing . . .

• Stay during Spring Break in areas without confirmed cases of COVID19. (This can include staying on campus or with someone in our local area.) After Spring Break, complete courses with appropriate on-campus precautions, i.e. “Prayer and Purell.” . . .

• Choose to stay home after Spring Break and complete courses via the methods that the professors will use to deliver instruction online. . . .

• Students who travel during spring break to areas with confirmed cases of Covid19 can petition to return to campus after Spring break if they are asymptomatic and have no exposure. Otherwise, they are asked to stay home and finish their classes there.

4. Each student will have to determine their own course of action, and complete [a] form notifying CCCB of that decision by Wednesday at 4:00pm.

5. CCCB will begin Spring Break 2020 on Wednesday, March 18 at 5:00pm. Classes will resume on Tuesday morning, March 31, with instructors delivering instruction with an online option. . . .”

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Dallas Christian College

dallas.edu — Dallas, Texas

(Updated March 16)
“All residents must make arrangements to move off campus by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17th. Access to dorms will not be available after this date. Exceptions will be made only in cases of extreme hardship and must be approved by the Residence Hall staff team. . . . Campus food service will not be available after lunch Tuesday. Room belongings may still be stored in rooms at this time. . . .

Students we want to remind you that Monday, March 23, 2020 all Traditional and Flex classes will be held online only. There will be no classes on campus until further notice, with a tentative start date of April 6, 2020. We will re-evaluate status at that time should it need to be extended. Faculty will need to make adjustments and use the Moodle learning platform to communicate with students regarding completion of assignments, course requirements, and grading. . . .”

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Great Lakes Christian College

glcc.com and Facebook — Lansing, Mich.

(Updated March 12 via Facebook)
“Beginning Monday, March 16 and continuing through April 3, we will be teaching all classes remotely and students will be responsible for all homework. Large gatherings like chapel and small groups are cancelled until further notice. The Doty Center and bookstore will be closed to students as well as activities in the student mall. Commuters and visitors are encouraged to stay off campus as much as possible. Administrators and staff will still be available during the weekdays and we recommend that you call or email first before coming on campus.”

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Hope International University

hiu.edu and Facebook — Fullerton, Calif.

(Updated March 12)
President Paul Alexander announced to students that spring break will be two weeks long rather than just one week. (See video on Facebook.)

“Here are some steps that HIU is already taking or that we will be taking shortly:

• The Emergency Response Team has met and will meet regularly.

• Custodians are using industrial disinfectant and taking extra steps in cleaning.

• Informational videos will be made available to students, faculty, and staff about how to reduce the spread of viruses through email links that will be sent out and placed on Canvas.

• We have ordered additional disinfectant supplies that will be made available on campus.

• Offices on campus are preparing plans for the continuation of essential operations in the event of a campus shutdown of two weeks or more.

• Faculty are preparing to move on-campus instruction online, if necessary.

• Cafeteria staff is ensuring there are enough food supplies on campus. . . .”

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Johnson University

johnsonu.edu — Knoxville, Tenn. & Kissimmee, Fla.

(Updated March 12)
“Face-to-face classroom instruction will end at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, March 13 and will resume April 13. [Here are] details:

Week of March 16-20: Spring break begins early for on-ground students on both campuses [Knoxville, Tenn., and Kissimmee, Fla.]. Limited food service and dorms open. Staff reports as usual subject to health department guidelines. (If you get sick, stay home!) No athletic games or practices. Online courses proceed on their established schedule.

March 23-27: Spring break as previously scheduled. No food service. Dorms open with limited staff. Staff reports as usual subject to health department guidelines. No athletic games or practices. Online courses proceed on their established schedule.

March 30–April 3: No face-to-face classes on either campus. Face-to-face classes will move to temporary remote instruction. Faculty will be communicating with students about assignments, due dates, and course expectations. Limited food service and dorms open. Staff reports as usual subject to health department guidelines. . . .

April 6-10:  No face-to-face classes on either campus. Face-to-face classes will move to temporary remote instruction. Faculty will be communicating with students about assignments, due dates, and course expectations. Limited food service and dorms open. Staff reports as usual subject to health department guidelines. . . . Online courses proceed on their established schedule.

Right now we plan to resume face-to-face classes on April 13. We will adjust this plan if needed and we will communicate any changes to this plan as quickly as possible.”

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Kentucky Christian University

kcu.edu — Grayson, Ky.

(Updated March 16)
“In addition to extending our Spring Break through March 29th, KCU is announcing that all classes will be offered remotely from March 30 through at least April 12th with onsite classes scheduled to begin on April 13th. Students are not to return to the dorms or the campus while instruction is being offered remotely. We will announce whether or not we will extend the period of remote instruction on April 6th based on the conditions as we know them at that time. “

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Lincoln Christian University

lincolnchristian.edu — Lincoln, Ill.

(Updated March 13)
“We will be extending spring break to include the week of March 16. There will be no classes on campus during this week (current online courses will proceed as planned). Residential undergraduate students should use this time to collect their things and return home to their permanent residence. . . . All students must be out of the residence halls by March 22. International students or other students who cannot leave may request permission from the Vice President of Student Development to remain in Student Housing; these cases will be treated on a case-by-case basis, and for these students, our food service provider has agreed to continue service through the end of the semester. . . .

Faculty will use this week to bring the semester’s remaining courses online. Thus beginning March 23 through to the end of the spring semester, all LCU instruction will occur online. We are working on a fair approach to pro-rating this semester’s room and board and crediting or refunding students. . . .

Similarly, all campus events from now through the first week of May are cancelled including the Vine, the Christian Women’s Conference, and various partner events.”

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Manhattan Christian College

mccks.edu — Manhattan, Kan.

(Updated March 12)
“Due to the growing concerns of the impact of the coronavirus in our world and in our nation, and our concern for the safety and health of all in the MCC family, we will be extending Spring Break for one more week. Face to face classes will not be held on MCC’s campus the week of March 16th – 20th. If you are taking an online course, those will move forward as scheduled, however all face to face classes have been suspended for next week.”

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Maritime Christian College

mccpei.com — Prince Edward Island, Canada

“. . . All in-person classes at the MCC campus at 503 University Avenue will be suspended for the rest of this semester. Alternate arrangements for online classes will be made during the coming days and you will be informed of the specific details for accessing the online classes. . . .”

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Mid-Atlantic Christian University

macuniversity.edu and via Facebook — Elizabeth City, N.C.

(Posted on Facebook March 13)
“The campus is closed effective today, Friday March 13.

Classes will migrate to an online format on Wednesday, March 18th.

Directions for accessing online classes will be sent by close of business Tuesday, March 17th.

Campus will reopen for students to return on Monday, April 13th and classes will resume oncampus Tuesday, April 14th.

Students needing to retrieve items from their dorm room may do so, but only with prior approval or notice to Dorm Parents, VPSL or Student Life Director. . . .

All Sports activities and events have been postponed until after April 14th. . . .

Faculty & staff will report for work as normal on Monday, March 16.”

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Milligan College

milligan.edu — Milligan College, Tenn.

(Updated March 17)
“As of now, we continue to be hopeful that face-to-face class meetings will resume April 6. However, we continue to monitor public health developments and know that this is a fluid situation. We will provide daily updates of any changes.

. . . Residence halls are now closed and will not open until April 5. Only students who have official approval from the Student Development Office are permitted to be on campus and in the Residence Halls at this time. All other students should not return to campus prior to April 5.”

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Nebraska Christian College

nechristian.edu — Papillion, Ne.

“Here are some steps [the college] is already taking or that we will be taking shortly:

• The Emergency Response Team has met and will meet regularly.

• Custodians are using industrial disinfectant and taking extra steps in cleaning.

• Informational videos will be made available to students, faculty, and staff about how to reduce the spread of viruses through email links that will be sent out and placed on Canvas.

• We have ordered additional disinfectant supplies that will be made available on campus.

• Offices on campus are preparing plans for the continuation of essential operations in the event of a campus shutdown of two weeks or more.

• Faculty are preparing to move on-campus instruction online, if necessary.

• Cafeteria staff is ensuring there are enough food supplies on campus. . . .”

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Northwest Christian University

nwcu.edu — Eugene, Ore.

“NCU is closely monitoring the situation, actively planning for the potential that COVID-19 could affect our campus as well as our study abroad and mission trips. We are working with public health authorities and are following their informed guidance. We are also working with our staff to keep our campus clean and students healthy. We have encouraged any staff and students with respiratory illnesses to stay home.”

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Ozark Christian College

occ.edu — Joplin, Mo.

(Updated March 16)
“All OCC events and all events hosted on OCC’s campus are canceled through April 30.”

(Updated March 11)
“Our goal is to make proactive—but not premature—decisions that will, first, ensure the safety of our college family and second, continue our educational mission in the most effective way possible. . . . In our meeting this morning, we decided to extend OCC’s spring break by one week, through Saturday, March 28. This extra week will allow us to monitor the situation and determine the best way for classes to resume on Monday, March 30. Please check your my.occ.edu email and this coronavirus webpage daily over the next two weeks for updates as they are communicated.”

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Point University

point.edu — West Point, Ga.

(Updated March 16)
“ACADEMIC: All coursework will continue online through the end of the spring semester.

Students can expect to hear from faculty about plans for the continuation of their classes. All questions should be directed to your faculty members, who will then relay them through the proper channels.

The University is developing contingency plans for students and faculty who might need technical assistance and support during online learning. . . .

RESIDENCE LIFE: All students remaining in Point residence halls should collect belongings and move out of their rooms between now and Wednesday, March 18, at 5:00 p.m. Residence halls will close at this time and will remain closed for the spring semester. . . .

For students who have already left campus, we ask that you not come back to campus until Thursday, March 19, as we are following CDC guidelines for social distancing. . . .

ATHLETICS: Effective immediately, the NAIA cancelled the spring season. . . .”

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St. Louis Christian College

stlchristian.edu — Florissant, Mo.

(Updated March 16)
“We will continue to strictly follow the CDC guidelines and all on-campus or SLCC sponsored gatherings will be limited to under 50 people.

The campus remains open and classes will continue. Until further notice, however, all day and evening students will be given the option to complete their coursework remotely. Instructors will generally still show up for class at their scheduled times unless they have been out of the country or otherwise exposed to the risk of contacting COVID-19 as described below, in which case said instructors will arrange to offer their classes by an alternate remote format or through a substitute instructor. Students may choose to attend any class or instruction session in a face-to-face format, or they may use Zoom software to join the class remotely. Instructions for utilizing Zoom will be distributed shortly. As stated previously, social distancing of 6 feet should be observed in classrooms and any other on-campus or SLCC sponsored gatherings. Both students and faculty should expect that classroom assignments may be adjusted to allow for social distancing.”

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Summit Christian College

summitcc.edu & Facebook — Gering, Neb.

“Our college campus and classes are open. We will run a short schedule of classes on Tuesday, March 17, mandatory for all Gering on-campus students. Students will receive daily email status updates. . . .”

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William Jessup University

Jessup.edu — Rocklin, Calif.

(Updated March 12)
“All in-person classes in the Rocklin traditional undergraduate program are suspended for next week, March 16-20, in order to give the faculty additional time to convert courses for remote access. Remote learning options for all classes will be made available by Monday, March 23.

. . . Faculty members have been instructed to reach out to their classes to inform their students how classes will continue remotely. Some of your instructors may be using Zoom. . . .

Residential housing remains open for all residential students. Residential housing (halls and apartments) is closed to guests and is restricted to Jessup students, faculty, and staff only. . . .

All athletic competitions have been canceled through March 26.