Concordia Seminary, St. Louis moved yesterday to implement precautions aimed at helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on campus and beyond. Thankfully, at present, there are no known cases of COVID-19 at Concordia Seminary.
“Your Seminary leadership team has examined the anticipated spread of COVID-19, reached out to medical experts, and closely reviewed recommendations from local, state and federal public health agencies,” said President Dr. Dale A. Meyer, in a March 12 email to Seminary staff, faculty and students. “The health and safety of everyone on our campus and the surrounding community is our priority at all times and especially during times such as now.”
Students, faculty and staff have been advised to observe the prevention guidelines offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, those who are sick are encouraged to stay home and observe social distancing until they are completely well.
The following precautions have been put into place, effective immediately, until further notice:
- Visitors from outside of campus will be limited.
- Building access will be limited to students, faculty and staff with an identifying badge.
- Seminary-sponsored travel outside of St. Louis is suspended.
- Students, faculty and staff who take personal domestic or international travel may need to complete a 14-day self-quarantine away from campus.
In addition, following Reading Week – a time when classes are suspended so that students may concentrate on additional academic research and study – and beginning Monday, March 23, all classes will resume through virtual teaching until further notice. All existing online classes will continue normal operations as scheduled. All Seminary offices will remain open; however, most Seminary-sponsored events planned for the near future have been canceled or postponed.
More information on these guidelines and precautions is available on the Seminary website [1]. Seminary leadership is continually monitoring the situation and will share new information as it becomes available.
About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) [2]. To learn more, visit csl.edu [3].