Letter to students regarding continuing academic instruction

March 19, 2020

March 18, 2020

Office of the Interim Academic Dean

Dr. Solomon Jackson, Jr.  Administration Building

100 West College Street

Sumter, SC 29150

Dear Students:

In response to the COVID-19 situation, you were advised via electronic communication dated March 17, 2020 that Morris College extended the Spring Break through March 31, 2020 in keeping with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s closure order to the state’s public educational institutions. During this time, no on-campus face-to-face academic instruction is being provided.

However, despite the current public health emergency, Morris College has made arrangements for the instruction of students to continue remotely through its on-line Learning Management System (LMS). Over the past several days, faculty have loaded assignments and other instructional material for their classes on the LMS for students to access so that they might remain engaged in their studies while face-to-face instruction has been temporarily suspended. Therefore, students are directed as follows:

• Immediately begin going on-line to the college’s LMS in order to secure materials as well as assignments for your current courses and complete them as directed.
• Begin keeping a written record of your learning activities (i.e., study logs or journals) that document dates and times you engaged in assigned activities. Your study journal/log should also summarize the major points on the topic you studied as well as what was learned on the subject. This documentation process is very important.
• Submit questions, concerns and assignments to your professors through the LMS or through the professor’s Morris College email address.

• If you have problems with your Morris College email, please call Mr. Golden at (803) 934-3403. If you have problems with LMS access, please call Ms. Washington at (803) 934-3220
• If you have questions or concerns about any academic matters besides your specific class assignments, please contact the Academic Affairs Office at (803) 934-3213 or jbutler@morris.edu.

While the above information specifically deals with the academic process, students should also be aware of the following as they relate to other aspects of student life during this emergency period:

• If students have questions about matters relating to the residence halls, they are to contact the Director of Residence Life, Mrs. Tonia Washington at (803) 934-3175. Until further notice, no students will be permitted onto the campus to enter any residence hall for any reason after 4 p.m. on Friday March 20, 2020.
• Students who have been authorized to pick up packages from the campus mailroom may do so between the hours of 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily until Friday March 20, 2020.
• No student will be allowed to return to campus for any reason during this period where face-to-face classroom instruction is being suspended without prior request to the Office of Student Affairs and permission from the Dean of Student Affairs.
• Access to the campus is closed to all persons after 5 p.m. every day until further notice.

As we continue to deal with this ever-changing COVID-19 situation, please consult the Morris College website for additional information or updates. Be sure to stay abreast of information from public health officials and follow their recommendations. Be wary of information circulated via social media and other sources about infection prevention measures and treatments that comes from unofficial sources.

We look forward to your return to campus and the resumption of regular activity when conditions allow. In the meantime, be safe.

Dr. Jacob E. Butler, Jr.

Interim Academic Dean