In a letter to students, faculty, and staff, Bishop State Community College President Dr. Reggie Sykes announces the cancellation or postponement of the following activities and events:
- Graduation is postponed to a later date, hopefully in August*.
- The spring Bishop State Lineworker Training Program was scheduled to begin in June, but it is now postponed. It is now scheduled to begin sometime during the summer*.
- The Bishop State Community College Foundation Scholarship Gala is now postponed until this summer*.
- All athletic games, practices, and scheduled events on campus have been canceled.
- Phi Theta Kappa All-Alabama luncheon has been canceled. Students will still receive their state recognition.
*Events rescheduled for this summer will be held depending on the public health orders at that time.
The letter follows the announcement by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday, March 26 that all state public schools will be in session beginning April 6. However, schools will use alternative methods of instruction as established by the State Superintendent of Education. So while schools will remain closed, they are not canceled and learning will transition to an in-home instruction format.
Bishop State is currently working to make adjustments to its schedule while ensuring students continue to receive a quality education. In the letter, Dr. Sykes acknowledged how the COVID-19 has "interrupted our normal life as we know it and having us to re-think and restructure our lives in order to remain safe."
"As president of Bishop State, it is my desire to make this life-changing impact on your academics to be as seamless as possible with your studies," writes Dr. Sykes. "Please note that the College’s most important goal is the safety and health of students, faculty and staff; but at the same time, I want students to be able to complete this semester."
Dr. Sykes goes on to mention the college is currently planning for the summer semester and the use of different formats including mini-terms, total online instruction, and face-to-face, if possible.
Bishop State will still observe its Spring Break as scheduled for March 30 - April 4. Dr. Sykes encourages students to continue checking their Bishop State emails and the College's website for the latest updates. All campuses are closed, but students can reach faculty and staff via email.