WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., June 9, 2020 — West Liberty University is making adjustments to its fall academic calendar due to the pandemic.
“The most important fact for students and families is that classes will begin one week earlier this August and will wrap up earlier, just before Thanksgiving,” said President Stephen Greiner.
Classes will begin on Aug. 15 at the Highlands Campus and on Aug. 17 on the main campus. Move-in dates will be staggered and details will be shared with students via email once these plans are finalized.
Fall Commencement also has changed and is now scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21.
The last official day of class will follow commencement and is planned for Tuesday, Nov. 24. Final exams are scheduled for Nov. 28 – Dec. 4 and will take place online, allowing students to remain at home after Thanksgiving break.
“Our goal is to mitigate risk and keep our students and staff as safe as possible as we return to campus in August. We will continue to monitor and follow all CDC guidelines as they evolve over the summer and make any further adjustments necessary for safety,” Greiner said.
WLU plans to adhere to the American College Health Association’s guidelines and recommend that face coverings be worn in all residential common areas and in academic settings where social distancing cannot take place.
Additionally, all overnight camps including band and sports camps, originally scheduled for July and August, are now cancelled.
Hilltopper Football is expected to start practice on Monday, Aug. 17.
The WLU campus closed to the public this past spring due to Gov. Jim Justice’s March 23 Stay at Home order as COVID-19 began to spread across the nation. On May 4, the Governor issued his Safer at Home order and West Virginia is now in the West Virginia Strong – The Comeback plan, all explained on the Governor’s webpage.
Currently, WLU employees are returning to campus slowly and on a staggered basis. The campus isn’t expected to open completely to the public until mid-July and only after it is deemed safe to do so by the CDC and all state health experts.
Campus and the public are encouraged to visit westliberty.edu/news for updates. Or email covid19@westliberty.edu with questions. For more information on West Virginia’s cases and response to COVID-19 please visit the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) website. WVDHHR is the official reporting agency for COVID-19.