Faculty and staff at Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind., continue to monitor the coronavirus pandemic even as students have returned home, classes have been moved online, and many employees are working from home. Dr. Bill Katip, president, sent this update yesterday (March 19, 2020).
Dear Campus Community,
Yesterday was our first day of remote instruction and learning. I’m so thankful for our faculty who have been working overtime to move classes to virtual environments.
We continue to monitor campus and make any necessary adjustments. We now have fewer than 40 students currently living on campus. Meals are no longer being served in Alpha Dining but offered “carry-out-style” to ensure we abide by foodservice guidelines from our Governor. Some students are getting pretty creative with microwave meals too! Most employees are working remotely and meeting together through Google Meet and Zoom.
Updates continue to be posted to our website and on our social media sites. We are receiving reports daily about various students and families being impacted by COVID-19. As we are notified of individuals who have contracted COVID-19 while potentially in contact with students and employees, either on-campus or at campus-related activities, we are notifying those individuals. We are also advising them to contact their local health department to decide how they should proceed. Please let us know of any such cases so we can continue to be proactive.
We want to continue to be the Christ-centered environment we all love at Grace so we are creating new ways for us all to connect. Online chapels will be starting this week via YouTube, Residence Life is finding virtual ways to connect with residents, and Student Involvement is planning virtual events for students. I hope you will stay engaged and stay in contact with your friends, classmates, and professors. It’s more important than ever that we be “Together.”
I want to encourage you to follow CDC Guidelines as it relates to how each of us can help “flatten the curve.” This is an important way we can love our neighbors. If you or your family are being affected, let us know so we can pray with you and for you. We love you and miss you! – from grace.edu.
In His Service,
Bill Katip, President