Limestone Students Will Continue Remote Learning For Remainder Of Semester

Charles Wyatt
Limestone Students Will Continue Remote Learning For Remainder Of Semester

March 18, 2020:  

Limestone College announced today that it will extend its Day Campus virtual student instruction for the remainder of the current semester.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Limestone officials decided last week to transition to online learning for at least three weeks. That time period has now been expanded through the spring semester.

Limestone faculty members have developed online lessons for every class for the next six weeks. Students are instructed to log-in to Blackboard (used by Limestone as its virtual learning management system) to receive lesson plans, submit course work, and to communicate with their respective professors. Students are also asked to provide their instructors, through Blackboard, with their most up-to-date telephone numbers.

The College will continue to be open for students who feel safer remaining on campus than traveling home. While there will be no face-to-face classes, residence halls, dining services, academic support, and other limited services will remain open and available for students who stay on campus.

“The residential experience at Limestone provides meaningful student connections to last a lifetime,” said Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker. “But for those who cannot be here with us in person for the rest of this semester, this temporary separation from one another will certainly not diminish those bonds. We look forward to having our entire Saints family back on campus with us as soon as possible to renew those relationships and to build new ones.

“Limestone is very fortunate that we have the experience, the technology, and the resources to continue this semester entirely online,” he continued. “Our faculty and staff are working diligently to keep our students on track toward their degrees, and we appreciate the hard work and flexibility from our entire campus community, including our dedicated students.”

Parker added that Limestone officials are aware that students will likely have additional questions, so news and updates will be communicated on a regular basis.

Limestone still plans to have a meaningful graduation experience for seniors, and more information about that will be released at a later date, Parker said.

The College’s leadership and crisis response team continue to monitor the situation, maintaining contact with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and other health and safety officials in the state.

Limestone’s onsite operations staff will continue its efforts to regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. 

It was announced last week that the College has cancelled all athletic competitions and practices for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

Parker said that students who have departed their residence halls to return home can be assured that their belongings left behind will be held safely until such time a plan is developed for students to retrieve those items.

Regularly updated information from the College will be available at www.limestone.edu/corona and on the students’ Blackboard accounts. Limestone is also asking that its students, faculty, and staff check their email regularly for updates.