Kean University move classes online due to COVID-19

By Cindy Lazo | Published by March 21, 2020

Kean University announced that all in-person classes will be suspended until the end of the semester as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase in the state and nationwide. 

The announcement sent out to students, faculty, and staff on Mar. 19, cited the new guidelines from the state and federal government for its decision. 

“Although COVID-19 is disrupting our lives, our families, and the delivery method of instruction this semester, it will not change the mission of this institution: Kean will continue to deliver a world-class education to our students during this time,” the email said. 

Faculty will be notifying students with additional instructions for continuing online education, and advisement and registration details will be sent to students to prepare for summer and fall semesters, the email said. 

The Office of Residential Student Services will contact all residents to set up a schedule for retrieving personal items before March 22. International students have special permission to remain living on-campus, according to the email. 

The email instructed students who are financially affected by COVID-19 to contact the Center for Leadership and Service for assistance by phone or email. The announcement also said that the university is currently developing a back-up plan for graduation ceremonies, should it be necessary, and will be shared with the community. 

The announcement followed a number of universities, such as William Paterson University, Rutgers University, and Saint Peter’s University, that had announced a move to online classes until the end of the semester. 

Originally, Kean notified the students, faculty, and staff on March 10 that it was moving all classes online through March 30 in an effort to reduce potential health risks as a result of the outbreak.  

“This decision is proactive and ensures the continuity of our students’ semester,” the email said. Non-essential employees were also notified that they will be working from home, according to a later email. 

Kean faculty, many who were never trained in online education, then had to contact their students with assignments and instructions by March 16. Kean began running multiple training courses for online classes in Blackboard, some of them taught by students.  

Wenzhou-Kean, located about 700 hundred miles from Wuhan, China, where the disease first surfaced in December, had moved fully to online classes earlier this year, also in response to the crisis.  

The Office of Facilities and Campus Planning announced in an email sent out to all Staff, Faculty, and Students that it has begun a deep cleaning of all university buildings, along with a schedule of when each building would be cleaned. 

Many Kean students, meanwhile, began preparing for a potential outbreak as a number of sanitizing and cleaning products sold out in stores all over the state. 

“I have been preparing myself and my family by buying a lot of canned foods, a lot of water bottles, and every other material that is necessary for one’s survival,” Sophomore Mariana Jordão said.  

“I see everyone buying masks, but masks don’t help with any prevention since the disease can enter anywhere in the body, including the eyes and ears,” Jordão said. “However, we have been very careful with our hands. I even carry a hand sanitizer bottle with me, and my hands have become very dry as a result.” 

 

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