To our students, faculty, and employees:

Many parts across the world are experiencing an expanding outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

This virus can spread from person-to-person, and the number of cases detected in the U.S. and many other countries is growing.

Administrators for Coahoma Community College and Coahoma Early College High School will do their part to keep our community safe and healthy.  We are carefully monitoring reliable information and developments, on a daily basis, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Mississippi State Department of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, and other entities providing guidance to institutions of higher learning with regard to the spread of, and appropriate responses to, this disease.  When making decisions to protect your health, our administrators rely on facts, not fear or rumors.

The schedules which apply to our campus community are as follows:

All faculty/staff will report to work on March 16.

College classes will resume on March 23.  This time prior to the resumption of classes will provide opportunities for our faculty and staff to assess our institutional options for minimizing disruptions to our educational and program schedules.

The College cafeteria and dorms will reopen on March 22.

High School students will report to class on March 16.

In the meantime, please know that the immediate risk to the general public in Mississippi, and to our campus community, is considered to be low.  Students and employees in good health should report to work and for classes in all locations.  All facilities in all locations will be open.  All business operations will be normal.  Any closures or restrictions upon attendance at College- and School-related activities and functions will be communicated to students and employees.  Administrators, faculty, and employees will explore the development of online course instruction for deployment, if necessary, in the coming days or weeks.

  • College travel in- and out-of-state is suspended until further notice. Any travel deemed essential must first be approved by the Office of the President.
  • The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges has announced the suspension of regular-season practice and competition for all athletics through March 30.
  • All campus activities and events at all locations are canceled until further notice.

When classes resume, please know that our custodial staff will continue to perform their hard work by maintaining planned cleaning schedules.  Additionally, we are working to purchase and provide wipes to clean shared computers in as many areas as possible, as well as provide accessible sanitizer in shared spaces.  We are also working to make disinfectant and sanitizing products available and directly accessible to students on campus and in our facilities.

Avoiding illness:  Remember that the best thing you can do for yourself is to thoroughly and frequently wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (the water doesn’t have to be hot); to cover your coughs and sneezes; to avoid touching your face (if you need to touch your face, you can first cover your hands with a tissue); to avoid close contact with those who are sick; to seek medical attention when you are sick; and to stay home if you become sick to protect others from illness.  If you haven’t yet gotten a flu shot, it’s not too late.  Stay in good overall health by eating right and staying active.  If you are living with diabetes, heart disease or other condition, keep in touch with your doctor and stay current with your treatment.

You may wear a face mask if you believe that you are especially vulnerable to illness, but please know that the CDC does not recommend the use of face masks for the general U.S. public to prevent the spread of coronavirus.  The indiscriminate use of face masks by the general public is interfering with the supply and availability of these masks to medical personnel.  Don’t wear one unless you need to.

Travel precautions and restrictions:  Without prior notice, travelers could be quarantined or experience sudden and serious travel disruptions, and returning home from some destinations could be a challenge.  Currently, there are no limitations to domestic travel, but be aware of any areas of the U.S. that are more affected than others when making your travel plans.  As a precautionary measure, you should avoid close contact with friends or family members who have returned from traveling to areas of the U.S. that have been affected by the coronavirus.

College and High School administrators are aware of no planned official travel by faculty or employees to countries for which the CDC has issued a Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Warning related to coronavirus.  At this time, these countries include:  China, Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea.  Personal travel by College and High School students, faculty, and employees to these countries is strongly discouraged.  Any College or High School students, faculty, or employees who have traveled to any of these countries since January 1, 2020, or who have plans to visit any of these countries, should report their travel to Michael Houston.  Administrators will continue to evaluate the risks of travel outside of Level 2 or Level 3 countries.

We will continue to share updates as they relate to coronavirus.  Thank you for doing your part to keep our communities, campus, and facilities safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Valmadge T. Towner, Ph.D.
5th President
Coahoma Community College