UPDATED: APSU suspends classes until March 23, then moves instruction fully online

(Updated March 16, 2020)

Last week, Austin Peay State University announced it was temporarily moving all classes online on Monday, March 23. Following new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop the spread of COVID-19, the following decisions have been made:

• All classes will remain online for the rest of the spring semester – including the University’s shortened Spring II and Spring B semesters.
• All classes – both online and previously on-ground – remain suspended until March 23. We want to remind everyone that any assignments that were due this week should have a new due date. Faculty are encouraged to communicate changes with their students as soon as possible.
• The University’s Office of Distance Education is hosting a series of webinars via Zoom this week to help with the move to online education. Information is available at apsu.edu/godigital.
• Students in courses that require clinicals or hands-on instruction should contact their academic departments for information specific to their situation.
• Faculty and staff members who can perform their duties from home should consider telecommuting. Discuss options with your supervisor. Keep in mind that not all roles are suited for telecommuting due to specific job duties that cannot be performed at home or because of the operating requirements of the unit. See the telecommutingwebpage for details.           

University Business:

If anyone needs to conduct University business, such as meeting with the Office of Financial Aid or the Office of the Registrar, please call or email those departments before coming to campus. This will help with the CDC’s recommendation for social distancing, and you may be able to complete your business remotely. Because this situation is leading to a high volume of phone calls and emails to campus, responses may be delayed. Please know that the University will respond to all enquiries, though we might not have all the answers at first. Like most of our peer institutions across the country, we’re working through a situation with no precedent, and we appreciate your understanding as we move through this challenging time.

(Posted March 12, 2020)

President Alisa White sent the following letter to the campus community at 10:58 a.m. today:

Dear Austin Peay Community,

We are continuing to monitor the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in consultation with federal, state and local health officials, and our COVID-19 Task Force. At this time we are not aware of any members of our campus community who have the new coronavirus. We are joining the state and national efforts to slow the spread of the virus. After considerable deliberation, we have decided to suspend classes until March 23 and move all classes to fully online instruction. Spring B and Spring II registration will be extended until classes begin March 23. A new academic calendar will be posted by the end of the day. Students in clinicals, field experiences and student teaching should contact their supervisors for information specific to their situation. We will provide advanced notice if we decide to reconvene on-ground classes. I realize this will not be an easy task, and I appreciate everyone’s flexibility for taking on the extra burden in a compressed timeframe.

Additionally, all non-athletic University-sponsored events are canceled until further notice. If it is possible to reschedule events, details will be forthcoming. A decision about commencement will be made in the weeks to come. In following precedence set by the NCAA, sanctioned indoor athletic events will be held without fan attendance through the remainder of the academic year. Only student-athletes, coaches and essential personnel are allowed in the indoor sports venues.

Students living on-campus who can travel to their home or permanent residence are encouraged to do so. However, if leaving campus is not an option, we are prepared to continue supporting residential students, including access to limited dining options. The Office of Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services will be providing details in the days to come through campus email. Regardless of whether you relocate or stay on-campus, the CDC suggests social distancing as an important strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The University remains open, but employees are to consult with their supervisors regarding alternate work arrangements as needed. Essential personnel are still required to report on a normal schedule. 

The CDC has identified certain populations likely to be more susceptible to the new coronavirus or to be less likely to recover from the virus, and I encourage members of those populations to take extra precaution. Senior citizens, people with compromised immune systems, heart patients, diabetics and others need to be especially cautious.

I understand how disappointing many of these cancellations and changes may be to members of our community. I do not take these decisions lightly, and they are based on our collective understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. These decisions are in the best interest of public health, including that of students, faculty, staff and administration.

Thank you to our Coronavirus Task Force for continuing to monitor the environment and to post updates to the University’s website at https://www.apsu.edu/coronavirus. This situation is quickly evolving, and we endeavor to provide the safest environment possible.

Alisa White

President

Austin Peay State University