SALISBURY – Livingstone College announced Friday that it was suspending classes this week (March 16-20) so that students can prepare to return to their permanent residences due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter to students from Dr. Orlando Lewis, vice president of student affairs, residential students are encouraged to vacate on-campus housing and return to their permanent residences. The original deadline of Wednesday, March 18, has been extended to Saturday, March 21, for those students who are moving out.

International students and those with transportation limitations will be allowed to remain on campus upon approval of the Office of Student Affairs. Those students must complete a form that has been provided in a letter to all students via email and the college’s website: www.livingstone.edu.

Remote teaching will begin on March 23. All students are expected to check Blackboard on or before March 20 for details from their professors for their remote learning plans.

This coronavirus has been a “fluid situation that has required examination of the best course of action,” said Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “As we seek to create a safe, living learning community, and understanding the sensitive population we serve, we have to be strategic in how we execute processes on this campus.”

A team of college leaders, including emergency management and campus health officials, have been meeting daily all week monitoring the situation to determine how best to safeguard the health of students, faculty and staff, and to ensure quality and continuity of the students’ academic experience.

“Livingstone College’s top priority is the well-being and health of our students, faculty and staff,” Jenkins said.

The college announced and posted earlier this week its coronavirus protocols, which included canceling all student activities and sporting events until further notice, which remains in effect.

Spring Open House, scheduled for April 4, has also been canceled. The college will contact those high school students who were registered with an alternate plan of introducing them to campus life.

Livingstone College students returned from spring break on March 9.

For more information, visit www.livingstone.edu

About Livingstone College

Livingstone College is a private historically black college that is secured by a strong commitment to quality instruction, academic excellence and student success. Through a Christian-based environment suitable for holistic learning, Livingstone provides excellent business, liberal arts, STEAM, teacher education and workforce development programs for students from all ethnic backgrounds designed to promote lifelong learning, and to develop student potential for leadership and service to a global community. For more information, visit www.livingstone.edu.