BUCSAFE Update from the President

By President Dondi Costin | January 17, 2022

Given the current surge of COVID-19 cases in our area; the relative scarcity of testing resources in the Charleston area; limited on-campus isolation/quarantine housing for students because of this surge; and the ability of our university infection control coordinator to maintain timely notification to individuals impacted by the rapid rise in cases, we have decided to decentralize decision making regarding in-person and virtual class attendance until this surge passes. In short, from Tuesday, January 18 through Friday, February 4, individual faculty members are authorized to determine if their class(es) will be held in person or virtually, and individual students may choose whether to attend their scheduled in-person class(es) in person or virtually.

To be clear, this accommodation does not mean all classes will be offered virtually. Rather, during this period, individual faculty members will determine the format of their classes and communicate a plan of action with their students on a class-by-class basis. Students in clinical programs will continue to report in person as appropriate and at the discretion of the clinical sites and/or program director.

All classes will continue to be recorded so that students who choose to attend virtually or who are isolated/quarantined can maintain academic progress. Written accommodation letters are not necessary during this three-week period, but students should inform their professors as a courtesy if they plan to attend scheduled in-person classes remotely.

All students, faculty, and staff members should continue to communicate with Dr. Laurel Glover if they are symptomatic, test positive for COVID-19, are exposed to COVID-19, or need to work remotely due to a household member isolating or quarantining.

I continue to be impressed by your faith and am increasingly grateful for your resilience as we navigate yet another bump in the road. This, too, shall pass! Until it does, we remain steadfast in our goal to offer our students the highest quality education possible in even the most challenging times.

As always, stay BUCSAFE as you do your part in preparing servant leaders to pursue significant lives.