MSJC Closing All Locations Until 4/6
Sent 03/13/2020
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
MSJC will close all campus and off-site locations until April 6 following an order from Riverside County Public Health officials on Friday afternoon. The order was issued to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
MSJC had announced on Thursday that it would be closing March 16 and March 17 for faculty training, but we have canceled that decision in light of today's order from public health. To be clear, we will not have faculty training those two days and will remain closed until April 6.
Classes that were originally held online will be the exception. Those online courses, along with 60 short-term online classes scheduled to begin on Monday, March 16, will continue as planned.
The campus closure includes credit, noncredit and not-for-credit classes at all of our campuses and sites. Student services, including counseling, enrollment and financial aid, will close as well. Nursing students will be asked to refrain from their clinical studies in hospitals. The childcare center on the San Jacinto Campus will also close until Monday, April 6. All events, including athletic games and practices, will be postponed or canceled.
Since the college is closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease, students, faculty and staff are asked not to visit any of MSJC’s campuses and sites during this time. Essential personnel will be notified by their supervisors with further work instruction.
All District employees sign an Oath of Allegiance as public employees, so although you will be on paid leave during this period, you are an employee of the District and, as such, you are expected to respond to telephone calls from your management team, and to come to campus as requested upon reasonable notice.
This has been a challenging and constantly evolving situation. We respect Riverside County Public Health’s decision to shut down all county schools. We will send additional notifications as we update information.
The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is my top priority. We will take all the necessary steps to minimize the spread of the virus and we appreciate everyone’s collaboration and cooperation at this time. We are a community and we will get through this together.
The order from Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser came as the county announced it now has 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases – mostly in the Coachella Valley – and the White House declared a national emergency to respond to this pandemic.
All updated information will continue to be posted on MSJC’s website: msjc.edu/coronavirus.
Information also will be regularly shared on the District’s main social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
We thank you for your patience and your continued understanding as we navigate this situation as it changes by the minute. Stay well, be safe, and we will continue to provide updates as necessary.
Sincerely,
Dr. Roger Schultz, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President
Mt. San Jacinto College