Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | November 19, 2020
Surging cases of COVID-19 across Ohio have prompted a statewide curfew, a stay-at-home advisory in the Columbus area, and the declaration that Franklin County has gone purple — reflecting “severe” exposure and spread of the virus.
This is a moment for every Buckeye to help turn the tide. To that end, the university is implementing these additional action steps:
Instruction: Effective Friday, November 20 at 6 p.m., in-person classes will be moved to online or other forms of remote instruction. Exceptions where in-person instruction is permitted include clinical programs conducted under approved safety protocols as well...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | November 17, 2020
I want to express again my thanks and pride in our community as we collectively battle COVID-19. Your efforts to keep our campuses open this fall while learning, teaching, advancing research and scholarship, and caring for patients and their families have been extraordinary.
As students prepare to return home for the winter break, please remember the steps we are asking you to take. Get tested for COVID-19 early this week. If you obtain a negative result and are able to leave campus for the semester early, please do so and update your move-out time on the housing...
Dear Buckeyes: As we wrap up our final days on campus and look toward the holidays, I’d like to remind you of the critical role you play in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Most importantly, we know that household transmission is the primary way that this virus is infecting people. One night at a bar or party means that you can bring the virus home, where it can spread rapidly. You have the power to reduce infections, including among your loved ones who may risk severe illness, hospitalization and death. I cannot emphasize enough that what may be a symptom-free...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | November 15, 2020
Dear Ohio State Community:
As we approach the end of the semester, I would like to thank our students, faculty and staff for coming together to keep our campuses open this fall. It hasn’t been easy to follow all of the guidelines such as wearing a mask, staying physically distant and forgoing many of the activities and events that are part of the experience of being a Buckeye.
I am writing to you this Sunday to express both my appreciation for your efforts and support, and to share our campus-departure guidelines for the winter break. We provide these...
Dear Buckeye, For most of the semester, we have come together as a community to fight the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses. This becomes increasingly difficult as our statewide and local reported cases increase. If you take a look at our Ohio State COVID-19 dashboard, you will see our daily student positivity rates have quadrupled over the past two weeks. Every day on campus I see many students, staff and faculty members following the university’s safe and healthy requirements. Yet there is also behavior that is, quite frankly, irresponsible, disappointing and could be contributing to a rise in COVID-19...
Dear Ohio State Community: We have reached a critical moment in our battle against COVID-19. We have all worked hard to remain on campus to learn, teach, advance research and scholarship, and be Together As Buckeyes. Our collective commitment and spirit to slow the spread of this dangerous virus has been commendable. But COVID-19 is a formidable opponent, and now we need to dig deeper. Ohio, like many states across the nation, is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Today, a record 7,101 new cases were reported in the state in a 24-hour period. That is 600 cases...
Dear Student Leaders: As you may be aware, the COVID positivity rates in our university community and throughout the state have been steadily increasing for the last several weeks. We indicated in our last communication about events and gatherings that we would continue to monitor the situation and pause or make other adaptations as needed. As we near the point in the semester where in-person instruction will be ending and students will be moving away from campus, we must all exercise an abundance of caution to contain the spread of the virus. Effective immediately, all in-person student organization gatherings, events...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | November 9, 2020
We continue to monitor our COVID-19 positivity rates, and we are concerned that student positivity rates have ticked up slightly in recent days. Overall, the seven-day average student positivity rate is 1.94% while the on-campus and off-campus rates are 1.46% and 2.00%, respectively.
Gladys M. Gibbs, MD, MS Director, Student Life Student Health Services | November 6, 2020
Dear Buckeye, As we move into our final weeks of the semester amid rising cases of COVID-19 throughout Ohio and the nation, it’s more important than ever that we stay Together as Buckeyes and continue to do all we can to fight the spread of the virus. We must act not only for ourselves and our campus community, but for the health and safety of friends and family we may be visiting in the coming weeks. Increases in COVID-19 cases in surrounding communities and throughout the state are growing more concerning by the day. We’ve also found evidence of rising...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD President | November 6, 2020
Dear Buckeyes: Autumn commencement is right around the corner. While these are challenging and uncertain times, your graduation from this storied institution is still a remarkable achievement. Congratulations! We are proud of you and look forward to celebrating the Class of 2020. In October, Franklin County moved from orange to red in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, and gatherings in Ohio continue to be limited to 10 or fewer people. With these precautions in mind, we will celebrate your accomplishments during a virtual commencement on Sunday, December 13, 2020, at 2 p.m. The event will be livestreamed and shared...
