MACON, Ga. — Mercer University is no longer waiting a week to begin virtual learning after outcry from its student body.
In an email sent Sunday night to students by President Bill Underwood, he says all classes are suspended until March 23 so faculty can complete the transition to a virtual format.
Class instruction will then be delivered online from March 23 until April 3.
A decision on extending virtual classes until the end of spring term has NOT BEEN MADE YET.
Students with difficulty moving to a virtual format can call Dr. Kelly Reffit in the Provost’s Office at (478) 301-2110.
Underwood writes, “Many students in our residential community in Macon do not have the option of leaving. Some have nowhere to go. Some don’t currently have a home to which they can return. For some, their home is not accessible with current travel restrictions. For others, their home is not situated to allow virtual classwork. We have others whose parents have told us their son or daughter is safer here than they would be at home. We have others receiving needed student services that are not available at their homes. A number of our students have articulated how important it is for them to complete research and design projects they have been working on for months and even years. I will not exclude students from campus in these circumstances, something that other institutions have been reasonably criticized for doing.”
Therefore, students who choose to remain on campus during that time can do so, and all student services will be available.
Students who choose to go are asked to inform the Office of the Dean of Students at 478-301-2685.
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