President Updates Campus on Pandemic Response
University of Scranton President Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., provided an update regarding the University’s pandemic response, campus active cases and contingency planning in a video message sent to members of the University community on Sept. 8.Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, provided an update on University’s pandemic response, campus active cases and contingency planning in a video message sent to members of the University community on Sept. 8.
In the video message, Father Pilarz noted the number of positive cases reported on campus was “concerning,” however “the level of case activity so far is manageable … If activity were to rise sharply from current levels during the course of this week then we may need to pivot to online learning for all classes for two weeks to let things settle down. I hope pausing in-person classes will not be necessary, but I wanted to alert you to the possibility.”
Father Pilarz discussed the University’s screening tests of all students, faculty and staff on campus as a proactive approach that “helps to limit the spread compared to testing only individuals who develop symptoms.”
“From the start of the semester, we expected that we would have positive cases. The virus is too widespread nationally to avoid it. Our hope then and now is that our case numbers would be manageable and that anyone impacted would be spared the more serious effects of COVID-19,” said Father Pilarz.
Father Pilarz ended the message by thanking faculty for their “flexibility in working with individual students who need to isolate or quarantine;” staff for their “dedicated, mission-driven work across campus;” and students for “embracing our plan so seriously, for dialing back your social activities in responsible ways and, most importantly, for continuing to display the care and concern for each other that is a hallmark of the Scranton community.”
Father Pilarz’s full message can be seen here and below.
