PULLMAN, WASH – Washington State University will be moving to online learning after spring break.
Effective on March 23, 2020, WSU courses at all five campuses across Washington state will be online, due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus.
After spring break, students have the option to go home, and possibly not come back.
But how do these students feel about the change?
Asia Fearrington, a student on the Pullman campus, originally had plans to go home with her boyfriend over break, but those plans changed in just a few hours.
“My parents are pretty concerned about everything, especially because my boyfriend lives in King County,” Fearrington said.
King County is the so-called epicenter of the virus in Washington State. This is where some the first cases of the virus in the United States were first recorded.
Some students are staying on the Palouse, and some are leaving. As of right now, classes have moved online through the end of the spring 2020 semester, so students don’t technically have to return.
According to Phil Weiler, Vice President of Marketing and Communication at WSU, the Pullman campus will remain open. This includes libraries, computer labs, residence halls, dining halls, and some other services.
Basically, anything essential to students’ way of life on campus will remain open for the time being, according to VP Weiler.
A common question many senior students at WSU have is: What about graduation? A Friday statement from WSU said that would be a determination made at a later date. Commencement is scheduled for May 9 on the Pullman campus.
Students like Ariana Andrade, a senior at WSU in Pullman, are concerned about what this change could do to her graduation plans.
“It’s also kind of frustrating just because you go in your senior year thinking, ‘Oh, I have all of these things planned’, you know these certain events are gonna happen and within the last couple of weeks or days, now all of that is sort of turned upside down,” said Andrade.
As for what students need to know for the time being, VP Weiler said there are three main things students should keep in mind over the coming week.
Number one, if you are sick, stay home. Number two, check your email over break. More specific information will be sent to your WSU email. And number three, for more background information, students can go to wsu.edu and click the COVID-19 link. According to VP Weiler, this has every communication regarding WSU and the virus since January.
VP Weiler also said ultimately, social distancing is most important for students and others involved with university operations.
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