Coronavirus prompts Berea College to shut down for the year ‘out of an abundance of caution’

Berea College President Lyle Roelofs announced Tuesday that the private college in Madison County will end the academic year Friday and send students home out of concern over the coronavirus.

“Concluding, after careful analysis, that it will not be possible to adequately assure student and employee safety in the circumstance of a case of COVID-19 occurring on campus, we have decided that the College will cease instructional activities as of the end of the day on this Friday, March 13,” Roelofs said in a letter to the college community.

Berea spokesman Tim Jordan said there were no cases reported on campus and the action was being taken “out of an abundance of caution.”

The letter said instruction should not continue, although assignments for students to complete and submit can be part of the plan and electronic communications may continue. The due date for final grades will not change.

Students are asked to return home Saturday and to vacate residence halls. Jordan said school officials anticipate that as many as 200 of the college’s 1,600 students won’t be able to return home immediately and they will be allowed to stay on campus until they can make arrangements. The school may help with travel costs.

Universities across the United States were canceling in person classes for the remainder of the year and transitioning to virtual courses including Harvard University. Transitions from in-person classes to virtual learning were also being made at Princeton, Amherst, University of California, Berkeley and Indiana University.

After Indiana University’s spring break from March 15 through March 22, students on all IU campuses will be taught remotely for two weeks. Face to face teaching is expected to resume April 6. Students were encouraged to travel home during the remote learning period.

Vanderbilt University at Nashville has canceled classes for the rest of the week. From at least Monday through March 30, the University is suspending in person classes and moving to online and other alternative learning options.

Conversely, the University of Maine system is recommending that students stay on campus during spring break.

Author Silas House said on Twitter that he teaches at Berea College, and he responded to social media critics of the school’s decision.

“A lot of people are criticizing us for closing instead of going online,” House said. “Those people don’t seem to understand that not everyone has the same amenities as them. A lot of students don’t have WiFi access. So hush.”

Ishara Nanayakkara is a senior and executive president of Berea student government. On Monday , students got an email saying there were no immediate plans to close but professors could do lessons online.

On Tuesday at noon, students received another email saying the school would close through the end of the semester.

“We’re going to work through this together, but we aren’t sure what to do right now,” Nanayakkara said.

She said seniors got a separate email saying that seniors will be able to graduate but commencement is canceled.

Nanayakkara said she is sad personally to miss her last few weeks at Berea, but supports the decision.

“Berea doesn’t shut down easily, it won’t close unless they feel like have to,” she said. “I think it’s too dangerous to take a chance on, Berea is a residential campus, we all live in the dorm so if one student has it, it puts everyone at risk.”

Her family is in Sri Lanka, so she is still trying to figure out what she will do. The community and school is being very helpful, letting students stay in the dorms for now, or inviting them to their homes.

She said she thinks Berea would not move online because some students don’t have access to the internet.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said he was “a little bit surprised” with Berea’s decision.

“That’s an extraordinary step,” Stivers said. “I’m a little bit surprised that they would do that because your ratio is actually greater with the flu than it is with the coronavirus.”

Asked about Berea’s decision, Gov. Andy Beshear said, “We have to give space for every institution, business or other entity to make what they believe is the best decision based on the information we have at the moment.

“The administration is not currently recommending that universities or colleges shut down. Whatever they can do through the Internet, through teleclasses, we strongly suggest they consider that and look at its feasibility.”

Beshear noted that Harrison County canceled its schools when the county had two coronavirus cases.

“That was obviously the right decision with what we now see as five” he said. “We are going to give the best guidance we can, the best information we can, and then give room and certainly not criticize those who make decisions like Berea did today.”

Senior Chris Malpartida said the decision came out of nowhere. He said the cancellation of graduation was particularly sad for seniors, many of whom are first generation. “So now we don’t get that moment of graduation, or get to have that moment with our parents,” he said. “It’s pretty sad and I’m not sure it’s the right decision for the students. It might be the right decision for the community.”

Berea College staff should plan to continue to fulfill their job responsibilities until further notice from their vice president, the letter said. Berea’s administrative committee made the decision.

Commencement ceremonies that would have been the first weekend in May will also be canceled, or at least postponed to a date when a gathering can be conducted safely. Classes would have typically ended the week prior to commencement.

Athletics contests scheduled through Thursday of this week may be completed, but Berea won’t participate in scheduled games beyond that point.

This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 1:01 PM.