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Living Through History: Houghton Campus Closes due to COVID-19 Pandemic

The Houghton campus sits empty several weeks from the end of the spring semester. A pandemic viral respiratory illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (also known as 2019 novel coronavirus and abbreviated as COVID-19), has led to school and business closures across the U.S. and travel restrictions around the world.

Houghton students, faculty and staff are aware at this point how changing circumstances and rules have resulted in their seclusion away from the main campus. All instruction, as well as a variety of support services and student engagement opportunities, have moved to online formats. Here is the timeline of key events in New York State and within the Houghton community:

February 1, 2020: Houghton College publishes a Frequently Asked Questions page to address concerns about planned response to the novel coronavirus, of which no cases had been reported in New York State.1

February 27, 2020: First meeting of Houghton’s Emergency Management Team.2

February 28, 2020: The Emergency Management Team emailed faculty to inform them that over February break (February 29 to March 8), they should begin considering how they might transition to online instruction.2

March 1, 2020: First case of COVID-19 in New York City confirmed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.3

March 4, 2020: Nine people who were in contact with one infected Westchester County, NY attorney test positive for the virus.3

March 6, 2020: Cuomo announces that 4,000 people across New York State are in “precautionary quarantine” (healthy people who recently traveled through affected countries), as well as “dozens” in mandatory isolation.3

March 9, 2020: Following Houghton’s February break, students who traveled to countries with a CDC3 rating (at that time, China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea) self-isolated away from main campus residences. The recommended quarantine period was 14 days.4

March 12, 2020: Cuomo bans all gatherings of 500 people or more, and says that facilities below a 500-person seated capacity should reduce occupancy by 50%.3

Houghton’s Emergency Management Team makes the decision to bring home all students studying abroad.2

March 13, 2020: On Friday morning, an email from Dean of Students Marc Smithers is sent with an attached letter from President Shirley Mullen, announcing that Houghton would be moving to online-only instruction starting Monday, March 23. All chapels are cancelled (as gatherings of over 500 people). The plan at this time is to have regularly scheduled classes March 16 through March 18, with students required to move out of college residences by noon on Thursday, March 19. All college-sponsored international travel, including Mayterms, is suspended through at least July 1, 2020.5

March 15, 2020: On Sunday evening, two Houghton students enter self-isolation– one who developed a cough after traveling internationally during February break, and that student’s roommate as a precaution. The ill student was tested for COVID-19.6

March 16, 2020: Early Monday morning, an email from President Mullen announces that all classes are cancelled due to infections in Allegany County and the one ill student being tested.7 Over the following few days, further emails urge students to leave campus as quickly as they can, while residence halls and dining services remain open for students unable to leave earlier than Thursday, March 19.

Cuomo, in coordination with CT and NJ governors Murphy and Lamont, orders restaurants to close except for take-out and delivery, and all gatherings over 50 people banned until further notice.3

March 17, 2020: College housing past March 19 is opened to some students: international students unable to travel to their home countries, students whose homes include people at high risk for coronavirus, and students whose home situations are “disruptive to their flourishing.”8

March 18, 2020: With 3,437 confirmed cases in New York State, Cuomo orders non-essential businesses to have at least 50% of employees work from home.3

March 20, 2020: An email from Marc Smithers and Dale Wright announces that room and board costs for the spring semester will be prorated; the costs of services not received will be credited to the accounts of returning students as discounts on next year’s charges.9

New York State reports 8,300 COVID-19 cases and 53 deaths.3

March 22, 2020: By 8pm on Sunday, all non-essential businesses in New York State are ordered to close.10 Non-essential gatherings “of any size for any reason” are banned.11

In response to these restrictions, Houghton professors move out of their offices to work from home.2

New York State caseload reaches 16,278 (10,764 of these in New York City).3

March 23, 2020: On Monday, all classes resume in fully online formats.

For the time being, approximately ten students remain in college housing and continue receiving food from Metz, under the special provisions described on March 17. (This does not include any students being quarantined due to possible COVID-19 exposure.)2

March 25, 2020: An email from Betsy Sanford announces that New York State restrictions on gatherings over 50 people, lasting into May 2020, will prevent the Houghton College community from gathering in person for commencement and other end-of-year ceremonies. Virtual ceremonies on the previously planned dates are promised to celebrate class of 2020 graduates, the reunion class of 1970, senior student athletes, Hall of Honor athletes, and faculty and staff retirees. In-person celebrations will be rescheduled to other dates.12

March 26, 2020: New York State’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reaches 37,258 (21,393 in New York City).13

All four Houghton students who were being tested for COVID-19 receive negative results.14

  1. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important: Response Plan and Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Coronavirus.” February 1, 2020, 9:11pm.
  2. Emails from Marc Smithers to the STAR, March 25-27, 2020.
  3. NBCNewYork.com, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/timeline-tracking-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-tri-state/2313123/ (accessed March 26, 2020).
  4. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important: Ongoing College Response to COVID-19.” March 9, 2020, 8:54am.
  5. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Letter from President Mullen Concerning COVID-19 | Student Q&A at 11am and 12pm.” March 13, 2020, 9:10am.
  6. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Further Information for Students, Staff, and Faculty Regarding COVID-19.” March 15, 2020, 9:59pm.
  7. All-campus email from Shirley Mullen: “Updated memo to the community.” March 16, 2020, 7:44am.
  8. All-campus email from Shirley Mullen: “Next Steps in our COVID-19 Journey.” March 17, 2020, 7:49am.
  9. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important Information Regarding Pro-Rated Room and Board Credits.” March 20, 2020, 5:16pm.
  10. News12.com, http://www.news12.com/story/41924579/restrictions-on-gatherings-businesses-take-effect-as-ny-cases-surge-past-15000 (accessed March 26, 2020).
  11. NYC Health, https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-main.page (accessed March 26, 2020).
  12. All-campus email from Betsy Sanford: “Memo from President Mullen.” March 25, 2020, 10:16am.
  13. New York Magazine, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/new-york-coronavirus-cases-updates.html (accessed March 26, 2020).
  14. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Final Update on COVID-19 Test Results.” March 26, 2020, 10:50am.