College of Charleston Campus Updates Related to COVID-19

College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu sent the following message to the campus community on Friday, June 26, 2020:

Dear Campus Community:

I hope everyone is staying safe. As you may be aware, there has been a lot of activity at the College (albeit, most of it done remotely, of course!) in preparing our return to campus workplans, and there have been important developments here in Charleston to slow the transmission of COVID-19.

Here are a few important updates:

Requirement of Face Coverings in Charleston: On Thursday, June 25, 2020, the Charleston City Council, after working with the College’s administration and student leaders, passed a temporary ordinance requiring face coverings when in public places, effective Wednesday, July 1. The ordinance applies to our campus and requires the use of a face mask within the city for the following conditions:
- All restaurants and retail stores that include but are not limited to salons, barber shops, grocery stores, pharmacies or other buildings open to the public.
- While interacting with people in outdoor spaces, including but not limited to, curbside pickup, delivery and service calls.
- While providing public or commercial transportation, including tours.
- While walking in public where maintaining a six-foot distance between people is not possible.
- When participating in a permitted or allowable gathering (which follows our university’s guidelines for faculty, staff and students interacting in person on campus).

I want to personally thank the leadership of Mayor John Tecklenburg and City Councilmen Mike Seekings, Peter Shahid and Keith Waring and all those that voted in favor of this provision for working on behalf of the College and other downtown businesses to get this temporary ordinance passed. What we do now in Charleston will have an impact on our plans for the fall.

Back on the Bricks plan: Back on the Bricks outlines the College’s plans for students, faculty and staff returning to campus this fall. These plans cover various aspects of campus – from classroom set-up, to cleaning protocols, to pedestrian traffic flow, to residence hall occupancy, to dining services, among much more. The plans will be published online on Wednesday, July 1.
Extending the Suspension of In-person Campus Events: With the current spike of COVID-19 cases in Charleston County and across South Carolina, the College of Charleston is extending its moratorium on campus events through July 15.
Next Round of Virtual Town Hall Meetings: We will host our next round of virtual town hall meetings for faculty/staff and for students/families next Thursday, July 2.
- Faculty/Staff: 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. (EST), Thursday, July 2, 2020 https://go.cofc.edu/faculty-staff-virtual-town-hall (CofC credentials required)
- Students/Families: 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. (EST), Thursday, July 2, 2020 https://go.cofc.edu/student-parents-virtual-town-hall (No login required)