Presbyterian College moves summer classes online, plans for on-campus classes this fall

Presbyterian College will transition summer classes online and cancel summer camps, PC president Bob Staton announced in an email to the campus community on Monday, April 27.

“Over the last two months, our world has changed in dramatic, unexpected, and challenging ways,” Staton said. “The safety and well-being of our community remains our top priority.”

Classes in the undergraduate program and the physician assistant studies program at PC transitioned to online earlier this year and will remain online throughout the summer. Classes scheduled for the month of June at the School of Pharmacy will also be held online. The president said that the College will make a decision for July classes at the School of Pharmacy at a later date.

Undergraduate and graduate students will continue to receive remote academic assistance throughout the summer, and students involved in summer research will work remotely, according to Staton.

In addition, all camps scheduled for the summer have been cancelled.

“To comply with social distancing guidelines and maximize safety for our guests,” Staton said, “we are not offering programming or on-campus camps and activities through our Campus Life office or Athletic department for the months of June and July.

“Coaches will not hold their summer sports camps, nor will off-campus groups host camps at PC.”

The CHAMPS program, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2020, will not be held on the PC campus this summer. CHAMPS families and those working with CHAMPS are being contacted now to investigate the possibility of virtual engagement opportunities for June.

“With all the work to move online for the summer, the fall semester will be here before we know it,” Staton said. “I know many of you are wondering what PC plans to do for the next academic year, especially if the COVID-19 outbreak remains, as expected, an ongoing concern for the next several months.

“As of today, our plan is to open on-campus, as scheduled, for the fall semester.”

Still, Staton says those plans could change.
“If the last two months have taught us anything, it is that we will need to be responsive to changes in our environment, nimble in offering options that meet the needs and challenges of our students, staff, and faculty, and flexible in developing creative alternatives that meet our situation head-on,” he said.

“Most important, though, we can, and must, be committed to maintaining a first-quality education that delivers on our mission and prepares students more than ever for responsible contributions to a world community that needs them more than ever before.”

According to Staton, PC will “plan to proceed as normal for the fall,” while leadership officials continue to monitor the pandemic.

“The group will determine different strategies for us to consider and provide us those creative alternatives to explore so that we can, and will, deliver the best education we may for our students next year,” Staton said.