Category: Alerts

Dear Clemson Family:

I hope this Clemson update finds you and yours well during this difficult time.

Faculty, staff and administrators continue to work diligently to support our students and serve our great state. I am exceedingly grateful for the work being done by my outstanding teammates across the university, even in the face of the growing uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s been another busy week for all of us. Our second week of online instruction has gone well and our students and faculty have been amazing in handling the abrupt change of course. Still, we know the change has been very disruptive and has placed additional strain on many students, faculty and staff.

In response, yesterday we announced a new grading policy for the spring semester that provides students with the flexibility to choose a final grade option that best meets their academic and career goals. The policy creates three grade classifications – Pass, Special Pass and No Grade – in addition to the option of accepting the traditional letter grade earned.

The options available depend on a student’s performance in a given class. Our academic advisors will help students determine which grading strategy is best for them based on their individual academic goals. This is just one more way we are working to address the unprecedented situation in which we all find ourselves.

Our Board of Trustees, which has provided great counsel throughout this crisis, also moved to support our students this week by unanimously voting to give the University administration the ability to refund unused student and employee fees, including housing, dining, recreation, parking and more.

Immediately following the Board’s approval Wednesday, I announced that we would be refunding more than $15 million in such fees. Our guiding principle has been, and always will be, to do right by our Clemson family and there can be no doubt this is the right thing to do. I appreciate the patience of our students and their families as we worked through the complex set of issues involved with this decision.

As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters, our thoughts are especially with those who need a little additional support – whether it be our students, our Clemson employees or their families. In that spirit, I wanted to remind you that we have created two emergency relief funds – one for students and one for employees.

Anyone interested in donating to either – or both – funds can do so here.  We are still finalizing application details for both funds and will share those as soon as they are available.

In closing, I want to say once again that I am in awe of our amazing faculty, staff and students. They continue to rise to the occasion in times of great stress and uncertainty, and they make me proud to be a Tiger.

Very best wishes to everyone. Stay positive and stay safe – I look forward to us all being together again as soon as possible.

Go Tigers!

Jim Clements
President

Dear Clemson students, instructors and academic support staff:

I am amazed at how well we have been able to quickly move to a completely online manner of instruction in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty, staff and students are all to be commended for meeting this challenge head-on, in true Clemson fashion.

At the same time, however, the disruption caused by the abrupt change of course and the ongoing daily uncertainties and stress caused by the pandemic have made life difficult for many of our students.

In order to provide additional support and peace of mind, Clemson is announcing the creation of a new special grading policy for the spring semester.

The new approach provides students the flexibility to choose a final grade option that best meets their academic and career goals, while preserving the integrity of the University’s grading system.

The policy creates three grade classifications – in addition to the option of accepting the traditional letter grade earned – depending on a student’s performance in a given class:

• Pass: Available to undergraduates earning grades of A, B, or C,  and graduate students earning grades of A through C-.
  • Passing grades count toward credit requirements but will not affect a student’s GPA.
  • Typically accepted as transfer credits.

• Special Pass: Available only to undergraduates with a course grade of D.
  • Course credit, but no impact on GPA
  • Usually not accepted as transfer credits
  • Not eligible for academic forgiveness

• No Grade: Available to undergraduates with grades of D or F, or graduate students with a grade of F.
  • No course credit and no impact on GPA.
  • Not eligible for undergraduate academic forgiveness.

At the end of the semester, students will have the option of converting their traditional letter grade in each course to Pass, Special Pass or No Grade, following the parameters outlined above. Academic advisors will help students determine which grading strategy is most advantageous based on the individual student’s academic goals.

To provide students maximum flexibility, we also are extending the deadline for course withdrawals to April 17.

I am grateful to faculty, staff, and student government leadership who participated in developing and approving the new policy. Detailed information on the process will be made available in the coming days.

To all our students, know that the faculty and staff are here to help you get through this difficult period with as little disruption to your academic life as possible. This is just one more way we are working to address the unprecedented situation in which we all find ourselves.

Best of luck for a great finish to the semester.

Sincerely,

Bob Jones
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

As I shared last week, the University has been working closely with the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education to address the important issue of providing reimbursement for certain student fees as result of the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak.

I am pleased to announce that Clemson’s Board of Trustees this afternoon voted unanimously to give the University administration the authority to provide prorated refunds for a range of student fees. Those fees include unused portions of housing and dining plans, as well as student activity, recreation, parking and transportation fees.

The refunds will reflect the unused portion of each fee-based service as of March 23, the first day of classes following spring break. Those students who remain in Clemson’s on-campus housing will not receive a refund for their housing or dining plans.

Our finance organization will begin the refund process this week and we expect to have completed all refunds by April 10. Clemson students can expedite their refunds by setting up a direct deposit account through the “Student Billing” section of iRoar.  Detailed instructions on how to establish a direct deposit account and answers to other questions about the refund process can be found at the Student Resources portion of the University’s COVID-19 web site.

I very much appreciate your patience as Clemson’s administrative team has worked through what has been a very complex set of issues. Our guiding principle is always to do right by our students and their families; in this case we first wanted to coordinate with the state and our partner institutions of higher education across South Carolina and ensure that we understood the full scope of the situation before finalizing our plan.

On a personal note, I hope that you and your families are doing well during this difficult time. The measures we are taking as a society will hopefully help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and save lives, but that doesn’t make it any easier to be separated from our students, especially during this time of year.

To our degree-eligible students, finish strong and know that we will find a way to mark your achievements. To those students who will be returning to resume your studies when the situation allows, we can’t wait to see you.

Stay safe and healthy – and Go Tigers!

Jim Clements
President

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has assessed South Carolina has entered the acceleration phase of COVID-19, meaning community spread is occurring. DHEC displays case counts, however, every case of COVID-19 is not reported because there are many untested people who have the virus. Everyone should take the recommended precautions for protecting against COVID-19 seriously.  

Because most students and employees are seeing their personal doctors, Clemson University may not be informed of every case in our Clemson community.   

To provide the most transparent and accurate picture possible, the COVID-19 website will no longer display the total number of confirmed “Positive Tests at Clemson University.” This was replaced with information about the acceleration of COVID-19. All members of the Clemson community should continue to follow recommended precautions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DHEC and Clemson University officials.  

To provide support and notifications to our at-risk populations, Clemson officials request all students contact Redfern Health Center (864) 656-3571 and employees contact the Joseph F. Sullivan Center (864) 986-1218 in the following instances: 

• they have significant reason to believe they have been directly exposed to a positive COVID-19 case; or,  

• they have been tested for COVID-19; or, 

• they are confirmed to have COVID-19. 
  

Learn more by visiting Clemson University’s COVID-19 website. 

Upon consultation with law enforcement and emergency management agencies, Clemson University has temporarily closed access to recreation areas, including the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex (formerly known as Y-Beach), the rowing facility, and public areas of the Clemson Experimental Forest (CEF). These closures are effective immediately. Parking areas, both designated and roadside, are also closed in the interest of public health and slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier this week Governor Henry McMaster issued an executive order stating, “law enforcement has the ability to disperse groups of people who pose a risk to the public’s safety and to the safety of others.” Additionally, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism announced all state parks are closed through April 30.  With the previous closing of other public lands, parks, and forests in the area, Clemson has begun experiencing unsafe and overcrowded conditions which tax local resources. This is contributing to an unsafe situation with groups gathering in excess of the numbers permissible under the current state regulations. Local officials have reported crowds gathering along the beach, on trails and in parking areas, which compromises the degree of social distancing needed to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Other areas are currently being evaluated for closure should excessive use create an unsafe situation.

Clemson University officials regret that this temporary closure is necessary and will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the University’s recreation spaces are reopened as soon as conditions allow. While this decision has not been made lightly, it is in the protection of public safety and is temporary. We appreciate your patience and understanding. For additional information and updates on Clemson University’s response and policy, can be found at Clemson.edu/coronavirus.