PHCC extends spring break, announces sanitizing days in response to coronavirus

MARTINSVILLE, VA – Patrick Henry Community College announced Thursday that the college will extend spring break through March 21 and will close the campus for deep cleaning and sanitation on Friday, March 20.

College officials say they have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak for weeks. 

After identifying best practices across the country and participating in state-wide conversations with other colleges, these measure were deemed necessary to mitigate potential risks.

The leadership team will continue to address concerns as they arise.

“This situation is fluid and changing constantly. We are fully committed to making the needed changes quickly and efficiently as they arise. At this point in time, we will focus on limiting possible exposure [and] expanding our regular cleaning and sanitizing regimen,”  President Dr. Angeline Godwin wrote in a statement to employees.

Godwin explained that having an uninterrupted day of deep cleaning is considered a “best practice” in mitigating the spread of unwanted pathogens.

She also explained that having a planning period for faculty and staff – made possible by the extension of spring break – will be critical for preparedness.

As of March 12, Patrick Henry Community College announced the following modifications to its standard operating schedule:

• Spring break will be extended for students in all classes by one additional week, March 16-21. All academic and dual enrollment courses will not meet March 16 through March 21. Classes will resume normal schedule on Monday, March 23. All campus offices – including the testing center – will remain open during the extended spring break.

• The campus will be closing on Fridays for deep cleaning and sanitizing. In order to provide housekeeping with the optimal time and space for deep cleaning, PHCC campuses will be closed on the following Fridays: March 20, March 27, April 3, and April 10. Rescheduling of class material and assignments will be determined on a class-by-class basis by the faculty. All faculty and staff will be asked to work remotely on these days. Students can reach off-campus employees via email. All events and classes scheduled for Saturdays or Sundays will proceed as scheduled.

• Starting March 23, all classes will be held on their regular schedules Monday-Thursday. Friday classes will be modified and/or adjusted by individual faculty to allow the campus to be sanitized.

To monitor the situation for any further changes, visit www.patrickhenry.edu/COVID-19.