Updated March 18, 2020
Hartford Seminary’s educational programs and institutional operations continue. However, effective Sunday, March 15, 2020, our buildings are closed to the public in an effort to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
We will continue to monitor the situation each day, evaluating building closures and when it is safe to reopen to the public. Please check this webpage for updates. Thank you for your cooperation.
Coronavirus
Health officials have warned that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading in the United States. Hartford Seminary is taking steps to prevent the further spread of the disease in keeping with public health directives.
We are constantly monitoring the situation – both domestically and internationally – with great care. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
What Hartford Seminary Is Doing
On March 10, 2020, we directed our faculty to convert all courses to online modalities. Our on-campus students have returned home to be with their families. On-campus student services have ceased, though we will continue with staff and faculty operations to support our students and educational programs, as well as provide online library services. On March 15, our buildings were closed to the public. Our summer session, which runs in May and June, is now being converted to an online format. Information on those courses will be available soon.
In keeping with guidance from the State of Connecticut, we have also decided to postpone public campus events scheduled for March and April. This includes Monday morning chapel. We hope to reschedule these as soon as it becomes safe to do so. At this time a decision about our May 15, 2020, Graduation Ceremony has not been made. However, students should prepare for the likelihood that this event will need to be postponed or conducted in another way.
We are also closely monitoring our local health district guidance and will continue to do so.
What You Can Do
There are basic steps all of us can follow to minimize risk to our HartSem community, and the larger communities with which we connect. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides precautionary advice, including:
- Wash your hands frequently, using soap and water or an alcohol-based rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Keep a distance of a few feet between yourself and others, particular those who are coughing, sneezing, or evidently ill.
- Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing; discard tissues immediately in closed bins.
- Stay home if you feel sick and seek attention from a medical provider if your symptoms warrant it.
- Wash your hands before, during, and after preparing food.
All of us should pay attention to our overall health and wellness at this time.
Travel
The situation regarding travel is changing daily. In keeping with State of Connecticut recommendations, International and Domestic business travel funded directly by the Seminary is restricted until further notice.
Students and employees are strongly discouraged from personal travel. If you are planning personal or other travel, please refer to the CDC’s Coronavirus Information for Travel and geographic reports on the CDC’s Coronavirus Disease in the U.S. page. Please note that the Seminary reserves the right to request quarantine or otherwise restrict the movement of employees or students who have traveled and/or are deemed to pose a health risk to our community.
Please check in with Ann Crawford (contact information below) regarding any pending travel plans you have.
Stigma and Discrimination
Guidance issued from the Centers for Disease Control offers a reminder that people of Chinese and Asian descent, as well as travelers returning from areas more affected by the virus, could be at risk for stigma and discrimination. If you are experiencing any concerns along these lines, please contact Liza Arulampalam at earulampalam@hartsem.edu.
Additional Resources
For more information about the Coronavirus, please use these reference links, which are updated continually:
World Health Organization Coronavirus page
State of Connecticut Coronavirus page
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
Ann Crawford
Interim Director, Administration & Facilities
Hartford Seminary
anncrawford@hartsem.edu
860-509-9501 (this phone # will be monitored during business and non-business hours)
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