BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Board of Trustees at West Virginia Wesleyan College voted on Friday to resume in-person, on-campus instruction for the Spring 2021 semester.

The decision comes after careful consideration of information and input from WVWC administration, faculty and students, as well as advice from medical and public health professionals and an ongoing review of the impact of COVID-19 on the local community and with schools of similar size around the nation.

“The decision by the Board of Trustees for students to return to campus for in-person learning for the Spring 2021 semester is a welcome one and it comes with great personal responsibility for our entire Wesleyan community,” said Caroline Rapking (‘79), Chair of the College’s Board of Trustees. “It will take all of us doing our part to ensure that we can create and maintain a safe learning environment for our students, faculty and staff.”

President Joel Thierstein echoed Rapking’s sentiment and outlined a cadence of information flow to students and parents, faculty and staff and the Upshur County community as a whole.

“Over the next several weeks, the college will roll out the Spring Academic Calendar as well as the comprehensive Campus Safety Plan to provide for a successful and healthy return to campus,” Thierstein said. “We have missed having our students on campus this fall and we welcome the opportunity to bring students back to Buckhannon in a safe, responsible way.”

The board voted on August 28 to complete the Fall 2020 semester virtually out of an abundance of caution and concern regarding community spread of COVID-19. The college will continue to monitor the public health situation and make future decisions accordingly.