Coastal Carolina cancels classes for remainder of week

Coastal Carolina University will not have classes this week as the University is still trying to find an appropriate time to reopen campus to students and restart classes.

In an email sent out to all Coastal Carolina faculty, staff and students, the University intends to open residence halls on the afternoon of Sunday, Sep. 23 and begin classes on Monday, Sep. 24. However, with major flooding across parts of North Carolina and South Carolina making major interstates such as I-95and I-40 impassable, University officials are wanting to give students that evacuated both within South Carolina and out of state ample time to return to campus.

Coastal Carolina University President David DeCenzo sent out an email to all faculty, staff and students after the initial advisory email was sent out on Monday, Sep. 17. President DeCenzo had this to say.

“As we recover from Hurricane Florence and prepare our campus to resume normal operations, it is important that you have a clear understanding of the challenges Coastal faces this week,” DeCenzo said in the email. “While we are very fortunate that the campus has not received significant damage, the surrounding communities have not been so fortunate. Currently, major flooding is causing significant roadway closure throughout Horry County. It is anticipated that road closures in North and South Carolina may cause interruptions in the delivery of supplies to our community, including food and fuel. A supply chain interruption could significantly impact the University’s ability to provide ample food and sufficient shuttle services to our students. These are the reasons why we have deemed it necessary to delay the return of our students and the resuming of our normal class schedule.”

President DeCenzo went onto say that the University does intend to send another email to all Coastal faculty, staff and students on Thursday, Sep. 20 about the University’s final decision on plans to resume normal operations.

The biggest concern in our area – Horry and Georgetown Counties – is flooding. Local rivers such as the Waccamaw River and the Intercoastal Waterway, are expected to surpass the flood stage records that were set back in 2016 after Hurricane Matthew. Should these water levels continue to rise, it could bring catastrophic damage to local communities and roadways.

The University is advising all students that evacuated to not make any plans to return to campus until the University sends out their final plans in an email this Thursday.

In the coming days, students will have many questions about make-up classes and the possibility of weekend classes. The University says that “this information will be made available after CCU returns to normal operations and appropriate plans can be solidified”.

Meanwhile, students will be responsible for all assignments as faculty will continue to communicate to students with details regarding the current status of makeup classwork.

Faculty and staff will report to campus today, Wednesday, Sep. 19. Staff who may be affected by road closures should communicate with their supervisors.

The only building that will be open for students to access as of Wednesday is Kimbel Library. Kimbel Library will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. However, other areas of campus will not be open to students.