Coronavirus Information: Commencement, Octoberfest Cancellation and Updated COVID-19 Numbers

Commencement

We are excited to offer congratulations to our Gardner-Webb graduates from May and August; we celebrate them this weekend. The University will hold its first-ever virtual Commencement on Saturday, October 24. The ceremony will be shown on the 24^th at 10 a.m. for May 2020 graduates and at 2 p.m. for August 2020 graduates. It will be available on the Gardner-Webb website, on Facebook, and on YouTube. The guest speaker for the event will be Gardner-Webb graduate, minister and prolific author Clayton King. As we salute the graduates, we officially welcome you to Gardner-Webb University Alumni Association. The office of Alumni Relations looks forward to nurturing a life-long relationship with each of you in Bulldog Nation.

Octoberfest Cancelled 

Octoberfest has been an annual tradition throughout the Gardner-Webb community for many years. Over 100 GWU students work to pull together and operate this event for hundreds of families each year. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming number of anticipated participants and the safety of everyone involved, the University will not be hosting Octoberfest this year.

University Coronavirus Update

As of Friday morning, October 23, Gardner-Webb has one undergraduate student in isolation on campus who has confirmed positive for COVID-19. We also have two residential undergraduate students who have tested positive and are in isolation at home.

There are currently 11 undergraduate residential students in quarantine on campus and 10 in quarantine at home. Some are showing mild symptoms, and some are awaiting testing or test results. Some are asymptomatic and waiting for quarantine to end.

We have no (zero) commuter/graduate students who have tested positive for COVID-19. We have three commuter/graduate students in quarantine at home awaiting testing or test results.

We currently have no (zero) positive cases of COVID-19 among our faculty, and we have two staff members currently positive for COVID-19 in isolation at home.

We have eight staff/faculty who are quarantined at home waiting for quarantine to end, or awaiting testing or test results.

Notification Process

As a reminder to faculty and staff, individuals with actual or potential exposure to COVID-19 should notify their supervisor immediately, and their supervisor will then notify David Wacaster (704.406.3235), Barry Lane (704.406.2266) and Human Resources—Scott White (704.406.4259) or Frances Sizemore (704.406.3502). Faculty may also use [email protected] for any questions or concerns you may have regarding quarantine dates for your students. 

As a reminder, if you are a residential undergraduate student who has tested positive or who has had exposure to a positive case of COVID-19, contact Interim Vice President of Student Development Brian Arnold (704.406.3552).

If you are a commuter or graduate student who has tested positive or who has had exposure to a positive case of COVID-19, contact the Director of Safety, Barry Lane.

Healthy and safe days are in our hands; we’re all here to help each other move through this.  Wear your mask, wash your hands and practice physical distancing.

Remember, we are stronger together Bulldogs!