West Virginia Wesleyan and Fairmont State have both issued plans for re-opening campus in the fall. Below are statements from each school.

 

FROM WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

 

West Virginia Wesleyan College is beginning to take steps toward reopening for the fall semester. Wesleyan President Dr. Joel Thierstein announced the establishment of a Safe Campus Task Force last month. The group, which includes faculty, staff, and students, is charged with developing and implementing a plan for students to return safely to campus in the Fall. Campus safety remains the highest priority at WVWC. The College will carefully monitor all recovery guidelines outlined by West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the President of the United States.

 

“We are excited to have the students return to our campus,” said President Thierstein. “I think I speak for the entire Wesleyan community when I say, “we miss you and can’t wait to see you again in the Fall.”

 

Wesleyan moved to an alternate delivery model with academic coursework online in mid-March and celebrated the Class of 2020’s accomplishments during the Virtual Commencement Ceremony last Saturday. The ceremony recognized 320 members of the Class of 2020, including 270 undergraduates and 50 graduate students. The Virtual Ceremony was the first of its kind in the school’s 129 year history and also marked Wesleyan’s first two doctor of nurse practitioner graduates.

 

Since closing the campus in mid-March, Wesleyan offered a full range of academic support services to assist students. Wesleyan also partnered with United Methodist Churches in West Virginia and surrounding states to provide internet access for those who had limited services at home.

 

“I want to say again how impressed I am with the grace and strength the entire Wesleyan community showed during this unprecedented situation,” added Thierstein. “I am humbled to be part of such an amazing organization.”

 

Since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Wesleyan has worked closely with the Upshur County Emergency Services, the Health Department, and health care providers along with the Governor’s Office and the Center for Disease Control. Wesleyan will continue to partner with local groups throughout the summer months as the school prepares to reopen its campus.

 

FROM FAIRMONT STATE UNIVERSITY

 

Since the imminent arrival of COVID-19 to the Mountain State, Fairmont State University has continued to work with the Marion County Health Department and state health officials, in addition to monitoring CDC guidelines in order to make decisions that will keep the Falcon Family safe.

 

Monday, the Governor’s Stay at Home order expired and a new Safer at Home Order began. With this, it is now time to look to the future and begin planning to bring our Falcon Family home.

 

“As we have since first responding to this historic global pandemic, we are moving forward with our usual brand of Falcon optimism tempered with an abundance of caution,” Mirta M. Martin, president of Fairmont State University, said. “Our goal has always been to safely return to our cherished, face-to-face, on-campus method of delivering a transformative educational experience. We are hopeful we can resume doing so this fall.”

 

FALCONS COME BACK—Fairmont State University’s Plan for Phased Reopening is separated into three phases and is based on current recommendations from the Governor’s Office and local health officials.

 

“We are passionate about upholding our mission to provide an education to anybody who seeks it,” said Martin. “But our top priority is the safety and wellness of our Falcon community, as well as the surrounding community and region who support us so loyally. So, we’re weighing that responsibility with each decision we make, whether it’s employees returning to campus, a potential move-in this fall, summer camps, or modifying our system of residence hall move-out.”

 

Phase one will begin on May 8 and will allow residence hall students to schedule a three-hour appointment to return to campus and retrieve all items from their dorm rooms. Phase two begins on June 1 with a limited return of employees. The plan culminates with a full return of all employees and students for the start of the fall semester.

 

“We are monitoring the situation several times each day,” Martin said, “and making constant adjustments, always with the goal of keeping people safe. It is a true team effort, and this type of administrative agility and institutional flexibility can only be possible with the skilled and dedicated team we have at Fairmont State.”

 

As the State of West Virginia moves toward a systematic reopening, we have every hope and expectation of safely resuming in-person classes this fall. In the following weeks, Fairmont State will continue discussions with local and state health officials. Their guidance will lead Fairmont forward to being able to safely return this fall.

 

“We all miss our One Falcon Family, and I am no different,” said Martin. “We miss seeing each other on our cozy hilltop campus, gathering in the Falcon Center for an event, or cheering on one of our many excellent athletic teams. We’re not just ‘surviving a crisis,’ right now we are positioning Fairmont State University to emerge a stronger, more united and a more compassionate institution dedicated to educating the next generation of leaders.  In many ways, Fairmont State University is stronger than we’ve ever been before. Our Falcon cast has shown us the infinite capacity of the human spirit.  I cannot wait to welcome our #OneFalconFamily back home to Fairmont State University.”

 

To view the entirety of FALCONS COME BACK—Fairmont State University’s Plan for Phased Reopening, visit www.fairmontstate.edu/comeback.