COVID-19: WCC suspends on-campus operations

WCC moves to alternative instruction formats starting Monday

Illustration of microscopic COVID-19 electron. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

By Lilly Kujawski
Editor

WCC is suspending on-campus operations due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Starting Monday, face-to-face courses are suspended and will be replaced with alternative instruction methods until April 6.

Online courses will continue as scheduled. Employees should not report to work either unless contacted by their supervisor. The only building on campus that will be open is the Bailey Library. A limit of 50 currently enrolled WCC students will be allowed in at a time from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The college has developed a variety of plans based on many scenarios associated with COVID-19 while continually monitoring recommended actions,” said WCC President Rose Bellanca in an alert to the campus community. “We have more decisions to make and planning is happening in full force, with our top priority being the safety of our students, faculty and staff.”

The move to suspend classes at WCC follows similar actions from other colleges in the state. All public universities in Michigan, including the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Michigan State University have suspended face-to-face courses because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Our friends at the universities nearby have announced they’re moving classes online and to other alternative formats,” Bellanca said in the alert. “The ability for a community college to make that same decision is complicated by the many hands-on, occupational education courses that we offer students.”

COVID-19 prevention tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tuesday night, Gov. Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Michigan after two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the state. The World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic on Wednesday. WHO defines a pandemic as the “worldwide spread of a new disease.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention provides COVID-19 prevention tips and updates to the situation. Find more information about COVID-19 on the CDC website.

The Voice will continue to publish online. The print edition is on hold until the campus reopens.

This story has been updated to reflect that on-campus operations at WCC have now been suspended.