Dear Members of the Campus Community,

Following yesterday’s announcement of the first known case of COVID-19 in Pierce County, I have continued to consult with campus leadership, our planning team, and leadership at other institutions in our area.

At this time there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Puget Sound campus. We continue to receive guidance from local, state and national health organizations that the risks of contracting the virus for healthy individuals remains low. That said, we also are aware that there is a high level of uncertainty around the COVID-19 virus and need to be vigilant in supporting all members of our campus community during a very challenging time.

To this end, over the coming week campus leadership, faculty and staff will work together to consider and develop alternate plans for course delivery to finish the spring semester should that become necessary. To support this work, we are making the following changes to our course schedules this week:

  • Classes will be held virtually Monday, March 9 – Friday, March 13, in advance of spring break the week of March 16.
  • Students may choose to remain on campus this week or complete course work from home or another location. All regular campus services will be available to any students remaining on campus this week and/or throughout  spring break.
  • Students, faculty and staff will be advised during spring break if there will be any ongoing changes to the spring course schedule.
  • Additional information for faculty will follow from Provost Behling.

Campus will continue to remain open and all activities other than in-person classes will go forward unless notified otherwise. This includes athletic events, music performances, and admission tours.  Campus meetings will also go forward; some may be conducted via video or audio teleconferencing if needed. If any events are cancelled, the sponsors of those events will notify affected parties.

Please continue to check the campus website at pugetsound.edu/coronavirus for information.

Thank you for your continued flexibility as we balance competing demands to ensure the health and safety of our campus community.

Sincerely,

Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President