CET COVID-19 Update (3/16/2020)
Date: 3/16/2020
Dear CET Students,
Greetings from the College of Engineering and Technology!
The spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 has created tremendous stress and anxiety across our society. You are probably anxious, as well – perhaps worried about family members, or even yourself, who may face higher risk due to their health conditions. You may also be anxious about completing the semester and making progress towards graduation – especially if you are expecting to graduate this May. I’m sure finances are a concern, as well.
We understand your anxiety. Please rest assured that we are here for you, and we will do all that we can to help you succeed as ECU students, no matter the circumstances.
Our faculty and staff are working diligently to move all courses (including labs) and academic advising to “alternate instructional delivery methods.” We will work together to deliver the best possible instruction to you, to help you succeed in your courses, and to help you make appropriate progress toward graduation. Please be patient with us, especially your instructors who may never have delivered an online course before. This will take some time, and there will be hiccups and glitches. We’ll work though them with ingenuity and Pirate spirit.
Please monitor your ECU email carefully. You will receive communication soon (if not already) from your instructors about how courses will be delivered. Lab courses and capstone projects are especially problematic. For now, all courses will be delivered through alternate methods (e.g. online) that maximize social distancing. We will reevaluate the situation periodically and adapt as circumstances warrant.
You will also receive communication next week from the CET Student Success Center (formerly known as the Advising Center) about academic advising and registration, which will be handled almost entirely though video- or teleconferencing.
If you have questions and concerns about university matters (financial aid, housing, and related concerns), visit https://news.ecu.edu/coronavirus-updates/ and contact the ECU Call Center. If you have specific student-advising questions, send email to cetadvising@ecu.edu or contact your advisor directly. The CET Advising email account will be fully monitored, and we will respond to you as soon as we can. Your instructors may need some time, but reach out to them by next Friday (March 20) if you have not heard anything from them.
Lastly, please do your duty to implement effective social distancing. What does that mean? If your home is outside of Greenville and you have good internet for course work, stay there! If internet connectivity, employment, or other personal circumstances necessitate a return to off-campus housing in Greenville, please minimize your time on-campus or in social settings with lots of other people. If you need to stay in the dorms on campus, please follow the protocols for requesting permission to do so (see the ECU web page above). Everyone must do their part to help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Thank you, and best wishes to you and your families!
Harry J. Ploehn, PhD
Professor and Dean
College of Engineering and Technology
East Carolina University
(252) 328-9604