Mississippi College Responds to Coronavirus

Mississippi College’s Coronavirus task force is meeting daily to retool strategies to address many challenges posed by the deadly worldwide virus.

During an extended Spring Break for MC students, faculty and staff returned to the Clinton campus Monday to receive instruction to enhance online classes starting next week. Online instruction will proceed beginning March 23 until further notice for MC’s nearly 5,000 students on the Clinton campus as well as the School of Law in Jackson.

In contact with the Mississippi Health Department, other government agencies and following Centers for Disease Control guidelines, MC’s leadership team is focused on Coronavirus concerns for the entire university.

There are currently 175,982 confirmed cases worldwide and 6,717 deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak as of March 16. There have been 71 deaths in the United States with nearly 4,000 active cases reported. At least a dozen cases are in Mississippi, but none are linked to Mississippi College. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic.

President Blake Thompson is providing frequent updates to the MC family amid the global health crisis. Multiple facets of life at the Christian university are being evaluated and changes are swiftly occurring, including the creation of a Coronavirus campus hotline. But other challenges will arise as time goes on.

“Please be patient and stay connected – there will be many more questions ahead that we need to address,” Dr. Thompson said in an email to faculty and staff Sunday night. “We will work through them and adapt.”

The MC president thanked members of a Coronavirus working group assembled to battle the health crisis as it impacts the Christian university.

“This group has worked countless hours to guide our campus and it moved quickly last week to protect our students and prepare for the weeks ahead.”

The group meets again Monday afternoon and will issue additional recommendations. Officials cancelled all students activities have limited travel, and taken other steps to protect the university family.

Dr. Thompson encourages people to stay safe, stay informed and stay in prayer during this long ordeal.

“Most importantly, remember that we serve a mighty God who cares for us. He tells us that we are to be known for the way that we care for one another.”

The MC president asked all university employees to regularly phone and check on neighbors and colleagues.

Mississippi College’s Coronavirus hotline can be reached at 601-925-3030 with personnel answering questions from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Other information can be obtained by checking the MC Coronavirus webpage at mc.edu/coronavirus.