College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu shared the following message with the campus community on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021:ย 

Dear Faculty and Staff,ย 

I hope you are doing well and that this summer has provided moments for you to recharge, re-energize and reconnect with friends, family and loved ones.ย 

The College of Charleston was able to keep campus open and continue the delivery of instruction for the entire 2020/21 academic year by following the advice and direction of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). In continuing that practice and given the current emergence of the delta variant and the most recent guidance of the CDC and DHEC, I โ€“ along with our deans and campus leadership โ€“ strongly encourage all members of the campus community to wear face coverings while around others indoors.ย ย 

This is being encouraged for all faculty, staff and students, regardless of individual vaccination status. This voluntary act allows the College to keep our campus safe by following current federal and state guidelines, while at the same time, staying within the restrictions regarding facemasks passed by the S.C. General Assembly and confirmed by the S.C. Attorney General.ย ย ย 

I appreciate everyoneโ€™s understanding and participation in this voluntary request as we again, together, navigate our way through fast-changing conditions โ€“ and I also appreciate everyone respecting each otherโ€™s individual choice in following this recommendation. In recent days, we have seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases associated with members of our campus community, as reported on our COVID-19 dashboard. We will continue to update the dashboard daily and send weekly updates to campus regarding the current number of reported active cases in our campus community.ย 

As we receive more information in the coming days and weeks, our COVID-19 Leadership Team will continue to communicate any updates regarding our COVID-19 procedures and protocols for the campus community.ย ย 

Sincerely,ย 

Andrewย 

Andrew T.ย Hsu,ย Ph.D.
President
College of Charlestonย