Centre College sending students home, will finish semester with online classes
As the outbreak of novel coronavirus continues, Centre College announced Sunday that it will be sending students home this week and that all remaining classes for the semester will be online.
The school will begin an extended two-week spring break on Monday, followed by online courses through the end of the semester on May 12, according to a letter to the campus community from Centre College President John P. Roush.
Students are expected to have moved out by Tuesday evening, according to the letter. Students who need to will be able to request special permission to stay on campus.
“As I said before, this situation brings great sadness,” Roush wrote in the letter. “The highly residential experience that is a hallmark of Centre College means the connections we have with one another are deep and meaningful. I believe they are so strong that our bonds of friendship will not allow this temporary separation from one another to diminish in any way what we mean to each another.”
The college still plans to have a “meaningful graduation experience” for seniors and more information about that will be released at a later date, according to the letter.
This is Roush’s last semester with Centre College. He is set to retire in June after 22 years as the college’s president.
“Susie and I are equally sad to see everyone go – you know how much we love you, but we hope you take a piece of us with you in your hearts, just as you will all remain in ours,” Roush wrote in the letter. “We look forward to the opportunity to reconnect in better times.”
As of Sunday, there were no plans to close campus, according to the letter. Food services were expected to remain available as well as other “essential services.”
