Dr. Stanley T. Wearden

Dear Members of the Methodist University Community,

While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Methodist University or in Cumberland County, the university is, until further notice, postponing events previously open to the public that were set to draw large crowds. We recognize this will cause inconvenience to many, and we apologize for that. However, our first duty is to the health and safety of the Methodist Community.

At this time, MU Athletic teams will continue to operate under the guidelines set forth by the NCAA and the USA South Conference. Conference teams are in constant communication to assure that travel is safe for student athletes.

The Methodist University Epidemic Response Team (ERT) is meeting daily, and staying in constant communication throughout the day and evening as it monitors the movements of COVID-19. The ERT is dedicated to making up-to-date, informed decisions concerning the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and community members.

What Else is the ERT Doing?

  • Meeting with students, staff, and faculty to discuss COVID-19.
  • Staying in constant communication with state and local health departments.
  • Cancelling or postponing on-campus events hosted by off-campus entities, as well as on-campus events hosted by MU entities that draw audiences from off campus.

Reminder About Methodist University Resources

Methodist University offers a number of resources to students, faculty, and staff that could be beneficial as the Epidemic Response Team monitors the spread of COVID-19. These include:

Please watch this short, informational video from the World Health Organization and the informative video put out by Fort Bragg. For more information, please review our messages, or contact us directly.

At present, classes and other exclusively on-campus events will continue as scheduled. The ERT will continue its close monitoring of the situation. If the team, in consultation with county and state health authorities, decides a change to the normal schedule is necessary, we will inform you immediately.

Some students are asking about being able to graduate and about commencement. Whatever decisions are made about how we will offer classes, we will continue to offer all of our current classes through the end of the semester, and grades will be turned in on time. It is impossible at this time to predict the state of public health on May 2, which is the date for commencement. We will notify you by early April if the ERT determines that event needs to be canceled. Please know that your ability to graduate is not dependent upon your ability to attend commencement.

Please continue to monitor the MU coronavirus webpage, and please know that we are in constant planning mode regarding how to deal with this. At this time, we still consider the MU campus to be a safe environment.

Sincerely,

Stanley T. Wearden, Ph.D.
President

William H. Walker, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students