In light of the current situation, we have decided to extend the postponement of face-to-face class meeting for two weeks, until Monday March 9. Doing so puts us in line with the Korean Ministry of Education guidelines for Korean public schools, and is beyond what the MOE has required for universities. We are also making this decision in consultation with other our peer institutions on the IGC campus, which are also re-examining their timelines.
It is important to note that nearly all the new cases causing concern are located in the southeast region of Korea. We are seeking to ensure that we protect our community by following effective techniques to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
You can help by doing the following: wash your hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer, always cough or sneeze into your elbow, consider wearing a face mask, avoid tobacco products, and get plenty of rest.
If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, please remain out of class, consistently wear a face mask, and avoid contact with others for the duration of the illness and for 24 hours after symptoms end. Rest assured that your faculty will excuse your absence from class and will work with you to help you keep up with the coursework until you can return to class.
If you are experiencing anxiety because of the current situation, please reach out to Mason’s Counseling and Wellness Center. For more information, please contact +82-32-626-6142 or visit https://masonkorea.gmu.edu/resources-and-services/counseling-and-wellness. For the latest on the covid-19 situation see the World Health Organization’s information page on the subject at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.
International students should register their presence with their embassy in order to stay informed of communications from their countries.
As a reminder, Mason is a diverse institution with students, faculty and staff from all over the world. As always, we encourage everyone to treat others with dignity and respect and to not ostracize specific communities based on unconfirmed reports or suspicion of illness.
We will continue to monitor the situation and advise you if anything changes. Please let us know if you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Robert Matz
Campus Dean
George Mason University Korea
February 25, 2020
