Updated 5:05 PM CST March 12, 2020

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is making an impact globally and Seward County Community College is keeping a close eye on it and how it will affect the surrounding towns. 

President Donald Trump has announced a travel ban from Europe to the United states. Cancelations are happening left-and-right. The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and some other Kansas colleges decided to move to online classes due to the virus and have delayed the restart of classes.

Additionally, the NJCAA national women’s basketball tournament — where the Lady Saints were scheduled to play on Tuesday — has been postponed until April 20. 

In a statement from the NJCAA presidents, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, with support from the Presidents Council, announced the suspension of all regular-season competition for all teams, effective Friday, March 13 through April 1.

This will affect SCCC’s baseball, volleyball, tennis and softball teams, who were planning to travel for the spring.

Due to these events concerning the COVID-19, SCCC president Ken Trzaska released an email to the student body. No delays or cancellations will happen so far and the college plans to resume classes as normal on March 16.

The email is as follows:

Hello, Saints students, 

As we watch the Coronavirus situation unfold around the world, I want to keep you up to date about SCCC’s measures to respond appropriately. 

As of this morning, the college has not changed its schedule or its plans to resume classes as usual on Monday, March 16. BUT, our leadership team is meeting regularly to make fact-based, common-sense decisions. We re-evaluate the situation daily. 

To best serve your safety and well-being, be aware that classes might move to an online format after spring break, or at least include more work via the Canvas platform rather than face-to-face group sessions.

How can you prepare for this possibility? 

1. Keep your textbooks and class materials close at hand, whether you are on campus, at home, or traveling. 
2. Make sure any projects that cannot leave campus at SCCC are properly stored.
3. Keep in touch with your instructors, through email and Canvas. 
4. Sign up for SCCC’s alert system (RAVE) so that you know what is happening through our official channels. 
5. If you have not installed the Canvas student app on your phone, be sure to do so for future use. 
6. Avoid gossip and third-hand sources for campus news. 

I will send updates to all students and the campus team via this “Dr. T” email account. Other trusted sources of information are:

• Your RAVE alert, delivered by cell phone and email to you personally
• Our scccnews.com public relations blog site
• The college’s main Facebook page, which is listed as Seward County Community College. 
• Legitimate updates you may see elsewhere should link back to these official platforms. 

Once again, please continue to follow best practices for your own health and safety. Wash your hands frequently for a full 20 seconds, cover any coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and stay home if you feel unwell. 

A last reminder: our able-bodied students younger than 60 are not the main group at risk from this virus. However, we all have a responsibility for our older community members and loved ones who may be vulnerable. That means we should limit our exposure to this virus and do everything possible to slow its spread if it arrives in our community. 

Take care of yourselves, and stay in good spirits, 

Dr. T