Faculty and Staff - COVID-19 Update- March 27

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I hope you have been able to enjoy a safe and relaxing spring break, despite the difficulties and uncertainties we are facing as a nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the world continues to navigate uncharted waters, we want you to know that first, the safety and well-being of our faculty, staff, and students is our utmost concern at JSU. Secondly, we understand and share your personal challenges at home – homeschooling children, caring for immuno-compromised senior family members, and keeping some semblance of normalcy, even as you prepare to return to campus or to work remotely. The idea of returning to work with uncertainty at home is daunting, but we are confident that, together, we can meet these challenges.

We would like to reassure you that your job is intact, and the university will carry on with its current employee capacity. In addition, since critical units of the university must function to ensure business continuity, we have asked that a limited number of employees return on March 30, at their supervisor’s discretion, to continue operations. On April 3, we will reevaluate the possibility of additional employees returning to campus.

As JSU continues to do its part to “flatten the curve,” the university administration decided today that we will not resume in-person classes for the spring semester. Online classes will resume on Monday, March 30. Exceptions to online delivery of instruction will be considered only in those limited cases where direct interaction is required for licensure or certification.

The undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 1-2 will not take place. The university will hold commencement ceremonies for the spring graduating class either in late May or early June. If we are unable to hold the ceremonies then, the spring graduates will participate in an August 1 ceremony.

If an employee needs assistance, they may access six free counseling sessions via the Employee Assistance Program. Please contact Human Resources for more information.

Thank you for all that you do for our university and its students. Together, as always, we remain family, the JSU Family.

Thank you,

Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr.
Acting President

Students received a separate email with details regarding housing, meal plans, etc. This information is available online.