West Virginia University President Gordon Gee sent a letter Wednesday announcing no in-person classes through the summer while praising the WVU community’s COVID-19 response. The letter also noted measures will continue through June 30 to ensure safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff and community.
“This is our second week in an alternative learning environment, and I am so pleased with the ingenuity and dedication with which our faculty and staff have approached this change. You have demonstrated time and again the commitment you have to our students,” the letter states. “I am equally proud of our students who have accepted this unexpected and unprecedented change to their learning experience. The resiliency and adaptability you are demonstrating now will serve you well in the years ahead.
“In addition, words are inadequate to share the appreciation and gratitude we feel for our healthcare colleagues at Health Sciences and WVU Medicine. They are true heroes in action — taking care of our patients, as well as thoughtfully planning so that we are prepared across the state to handle this public health crisis. Their partnership and leadership during this time is unparalleled.”
Summer term to move online
West Virginia University and its divisional campuses will extend the alternative delivery of courses through summer term. With the possible exception of some programming at the Health Sciences Center, there will be no on-campus classroom instruction for the entire summer term scheduled to run May 18-Aug. 7. In addition, courses slated for the “Maymester” term originally scheduled for May 11-29 have been canceled.
The Office of the Provost is in the process of determining which courses originally slated for on-campus delivery can be transitioned to an online format for summer. Students will be notified next week if a course for which they are registered is not being transitioned online or if it is moving to a different part of summer term. For courses that are being transitioned from on-campus to online delivery, student registration will be transferred automatically. Courses originally scheduled for online delivery will continue to be offered as planned.
Students should work with their advisors to explore the next steps for their summer coursework. Students who require departmental approvals for online course sections should contact WVU Online at 1-800-253-2676 or by email at WVUSummerSession@mail.wvu.edu.
Also, there are a variety of student resources that can be found online, including tutoring, mental health counseling, library access and online learning tips.
Summer camps
The university is canceling all events and camps through June 30. This includes all events sponsored by WVU Extension, as well as on the Beckley and Keyser campuses. Some colleges or units may convert events to remote delivery, but cancellation will occur if remote delivery of material and programming is not possible. If anyone has questions regarding a specific summer program, they should contact the sponsoring unit for details.
Scheduled on-campus, in-person WVU Athletics camps in June also will be canceled. This includes camps slated for baseball, football, gymnastics, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, tennis, track, women’s basketball, women’s soccer and wrestling. Participants should visit WVUcamps.com regularly for updated information on the remaining athletic camps in July and August. Information for any rescheduled dates or virtual camp opportunities will be posted on WVUcamps.com. Campers who preregistered for the canceled June sessions will receive refunds.
All First-Year Trips also have been canceled for the month of June. If you have already registered, you will receive information from Adventure WV staff.
A decision will be made by the end of April for events planned for July.
New student orientation
The university will move its New Student Orientation program to an online experience, replacing the on-campus experience that is typically held in the month of June.
