College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu shared the following message with the campus community on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, reminding students to continue taking steps to guard against the spread of COVID-19:

Dear Students: 

I hope you are all doing well and that your first week of spring classes was a success. 

As we approach a long weekend in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 18), I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of a few things, especially for those students living here in Charleston.  

As was the case last semester, our campus community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to our College’s overall success and our ability to stay open for in-person/hybrid classes and on-campus activities. Therefore, I encourage you to continue to be diligent in:

  • wearing face coverings 
  • practicing social distancing  
  • washing your hands frequently  
  • monitoring your health 

For those of us living in the Charleston community, it is imperative that we be good neighbors. In particular, that means being mindful of current city ordinances requiring face coverings and respecting size limits of gatherings. With the rise of cases in the state and region, local officials have stepped up enforcement efforts and are issuing more tickets/citations as part of their Phase 2 response.   

As a reminder, beginning January 25, students will be selected weekly for mandatory testing throughout this semester. You will receive an email message later today with more details about this mandatory testing process. 

I also encourage you to review our Back on the Bricks return-to-campus plan and also read (or re-read) and take (or re-commit to) the Cougar Pledge, written by the Student Government Association and student leaders.   

The start of any semester is an exciting time with new classes, new professors and new friendships – even during a pandemic. But, please remember to follow both our campus and city’s safety and health guidance – because by doing so, together, we protect our community and we help ensure another history-making semester at a history-making institution.  

I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you soon. Go Cougars! 

Sincerely, 

Andrew

Andrew T. Hsu, Ph.D.
President
College of Charleston