Walla Walla University (WWU) announced Thursday afternoon, March 12, in a campuswide email from the university’s president, John McVay, that it will end its winter quarter face-to-face instruction on its campuses at the end of the day, Friday, March 13, as part of its efforts to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Final exams, normally scheduled for the week of March 16–18, will be administered online. For spring quarter, classes will begin as scheduled on March 30 via online instruction. Further, the university plans to resume face-to-face instruction on April 27. Provisions have been made for students who wish to stay on campus.
At the time of the announcement, there were no confirmed nor presumed positive cases of COVID-19 among WWU students, faculty and staff. The action was taken as part of the university’s efforts to fulfill its commitment to the overall health and safety of its campus community.
All university-sponsored international travel has been suspended until further notice. University-sponsored domestic travel is strongly discouraged but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
“Walla Walla University remains fully committed to supporting our students, faculty and staff,” says McVay. “We are family, and I invite you to keep us all in your prayers in the coming weeks.”
“As we’ve been processing this decision, the words of a particular song have been echoing in my mind: ‘He’s got the whole world in His hands!’ That includes this global pandemic,” adds McVay. “I am praying that God will bind our hearts together and continue to bless and nourish this amazing community of faith and discovery.”
Walla Walla University currently has 1,864 students enrolled across five campuses in the Pacific Northwest, including College Place, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Anacortes, Washington; and Missoula and Billings, Montana.
