Coronavirus: Stonehill To Restrict Access To Easton Campus

EASTON, MA – Stonehill College will shift to online classes for two weeks following the conclusion of spring break next week in what the school said Wednesday night it hopes is a temporary move amid the coronavirus pandemic. Students are being asked not to return from spring break on March 17 with residence halls tentatively scheduled to reopen on March 29 ahead of in-person classes resuming March 30.

"I recognize that this is a substantial change that will have a deep impact on our community," Stonehill Chancellor Father John Denning said in a statement to the school community. "I ask for your patience and collaboration during this challenging time. Please know that I am committed to navigating a way through the COVID-19 outbreak, while preserving our academic programs and sense of community that make Stonehill such a special place for us all."

Starting on Wednesday, the school will shift to online courses through March 27. Stonehill said students should monitor their email with specific instruction related to each of their classes. A decision whether to extend the remote classes beyond two weeks will be made before March 27.

"At our core, the Stonehill community is one of scholarship and faith, guided by a mission of educating the whole person so that we each think, act, and lead with courage toward the creation of a more just and compassionate world," Denning said. "That work remains central to everything we do, but we cannot fulfill its promise without a safe and healthy campus environment."

Students needing to retrieve items from practice should do so between Sunday and Tuesday at 6 p.m. Students will not be allowed to stay overnight during this time and are asked to limit interactions with others during that time. Students who have traveled through a Level 2 or 3 country are asked to stay away from campus until symptom-free for 14 days.

International students and spring season athletes who wish to remain on campus can file for an exemption. Residence hall access and dining access will be limited.

Athletics are planned to continue as scheduled, but large gatherings on campus are canceled through March 27. Stonehill is suspending all non-essential international and domestic travel, including conferences for faculty and staff, through April 30. All personal international travel is discouraged.

"We will continue to provide regular updates on how we are responding to COVID-19 and recognize that we may need to make further adjustments as the situation continues to evolve," Denning said. "I am grateful for your understanding and confident the Stonehill community will come together and set an example of light and hope for one another and our greater community."

Stonehill is the latest New England school to move classes online, and either partially or fully close campuses, including Wheaton College, Harvard University, Amherst College, MIT and Bryant University.

(More on the coronavirus can be found in this fact sheet from the CDC.)

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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