To the Guilford College campus community,

As you know, I have made the decision to extend spring break for one week, with the assumption that coursework will resume virtually on Monday, March 23. I want to provide further guidance about what this means as we prepare to welcome students back to campus on Monday, March 30, which is our current intention.

The most important thing to emphasize is that the College is open during this entire time. In the meantime, all offices serving students must remain open and staffed. We still have approximately 150 students living on campus, all of whom are relying on us for the kind of support and encouragement that Guilford is known for. However for the safety of everyone on campus, campus buildings will soon be accessible by swipe card only to faculty, staff, and students who are already on campus. Should circumstances change in the near future, I will let you know. Students who are not already on campus will only be allowed back on campus in extraordinary circumstances before March 30. If you know of a student who has an extenuating circumstance and who would be safer on campus than off, contact Steve Mencarini.

Much like during previous spring breaks, staff will often take vacation time while there are fewer students on campus, but the services in that department are still available for students. In this unpredictable time, more flexibility in staffing might be necessary in order to maintain those student services; you may be asked to help others in your department, adjust your work schedule, or even help out in another department. We will be relying heavily on all supervisors and managers to be creative and cooperative in order to think broadly about how we can continue to serve our students during this difficult time. 

I cannot emphasize this point enough: If you are sick, stay home. Please stay home. It doesn’t matter whether you have Coronavirus or not, especially since testing is so scarce. Through a combination of current benefits and emergency measures, which Human Resources will share with you by Monday, we will do everything we can to make sure you are not financially disadvantaged for staying home. Our medical insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has confirmed for us that testing for the Coronavirus will be covered as any diagnostic test under our medical plan. 

Of course, the most important thing for all of us is the individual and collective health of our Guilford community. Please remain diligent in practicing a hygiene regimen that greatly reduces your risk of contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  In the meantime, if you have direct contact with anyone who has coronavirus, or if you develop any symptoms of respiratory illness, seek medical treatment immediately using this guidance. In either case, you may consider placing yourself in self-quarantine for the recommended fourteen day period. Such individuals will not be allowed to return to work or classes and must stay home until the fourteen day period has elapsed. 

I am grateful to everyone for pitching in and doing whatever is needed to accommodate our students in this unprecedented time of uncertainty. I can think of no better group of people to help navigate this than the faculty and staff at Guilford College.

In Friendship,
Jane K. Fernandes, President