Updates on the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

While GCU has transitioned to an online learning environment, effective March 23, for its ground students, the main Phoenix campus remains open on a limited basis to service those students who are unable to leave. Public Safety, residential housing, designated food services, counseling services, the mailroom and the Health and Wellness Clinic remain open. Students other than those from international countries who can’t return home and those who have special circumstances should return home for the final four weeks of the semester.

Individual and small-group tours will continue during the day. Overnight Discover trips have been canceled indefinitely. The University does offer virtual GCU Live tours in a more expanded version for students who want a broader exposure to campus life. Visit https://www.gcu.edu/admissions/visit-gcu-campus for more information.

Orientations scheduled during the summer have been postponed. All orientations will instead take place during Welcome Week in August.

CDC recommends that institutions of higher education should not make any decisions about school dismissal or cancellation of school events in isolation. Those decisions should be made in coordination with local health officials and should be considered on a case-by-case basis using information from health officials about the local conditions. Those conditions vary from state to state and can include factors such as the number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in their particular region, community populous and transportation modes, and learning modality options available.

No. Classes for traditional students will be held online for the reminder of the spring semester.

Yes, all classes immediately transition to your LoudCloud online learning environment only.

Please contact your Doctoral counselor for the most up-to-date information regarding your residency. All other online Doctoral activities remain the same.

All GCU ground campus classes are already established in the LoudCloud learning environment and students should simply log on to their existing LoudCloud classroom for further instructions.

Individual colleges are putting together their academic continuity plans. Students in the few select classes that will need some face-to-face experience will be contacted by their Student Services Counselor directly.

GCU is offering a housing credit for those students who have indicated they are moving off campus by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 25. Please click this link to view the credit being provided for each of the residence halls. We anticipate that the credit will be posted by April 1, 2020 and we anticipate that refunds will be processed for any surplus on the account before April 10, 2020. For those students with a future scheduled payment, the credit will reduce the amount of the scheduled payment.

For students who are leaving campus but returning in the Fall, any Dining Dollars will simply roll over to next year. For students who are graduating and have left campus, they will be refunded the balance of their remaining Dining Dollars at the end of the semester. Students who are remaining on campus will continue to have access to dining facilities and can use their Dining Dollars as usual.

Students from international countries who can’t return home and students who have special circumstances and received a waiver are permitted to remain on campus. All others have returned home for the remainder of the semester.

Most facilities on campus are open, including residential housing, designated dining options, the mailroom, Health and Wellness Clinic, counseling services and other campus resources. Those closing temporarily will be all fitness centers, the Canyon Activities Center, library, E-sports facility, commuter lounge and veterans center.

The campus library floors are closed until further notice. Librarians will continue to be available during normal Ask-A-Librarian hours via phone, email and chat -- 7 am to 10 pm weekdays and 10 am to 10 pm weekends -- and the library’s resources are available 24/7 at library.gcu.edu.

GCU Golf Course, per recommendations from the State of Arizona, is open and has instituted social distancing guidelines within the clubhouse and on the course. The Lope House Restaurant is open for takeout only.

GCU Hotel and the Canyon 49 Grill are temporarily closed to ensure the safety of our visitors as well as our staff and students.

The Learning Lounge will close temporarily. Students who work as Learning Advocates (LEADs) will be able to help tutor in online classes.

Yes. All summer camps have been canceled. All fees will be refunded.

All third-party events scheduled through May, including conferences, concerts, high school graduation ceremonies and large-group community outreach events, have been canceled.

Out of caution to keep our GCU volunteers, Habitat volunteers and the homeowners safe, all Operation Revival volunteer projects have been suspended until June 1. If you have signed up for a project, you will be contacted directly with more information. GCU looks forward to joining together with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona to assess the appropriate steps to take in the coming weeks.

Given the recent developments surrounding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the restrictions placed on travel and large social gatherings, GCU has no choice but to postpone commencement ceremonies. The health and well-being of our GCU community and visitors to campus is of the utmost importance.

Online commencement ceremonies scheduled for April 30 and May 1 have been postponed until October.

For commencement ceremonies involving traditional students that were scheduled April 24, GCU is seeking student feedback on a proposed reunion/graduation weekend in December. Students could travel on a Saturday and participate in a reunion event that evening, possibly surrounding a GCU basketball game. On Sunday morning, a worship service would be scheduled followed by commencement ceremonies, giving students enough time to return home on Sunday afternoon or evening. We realize the on-campus experience has come to an abrupt end this week for many graduating seniors who have studied and lived alongside one another for four years. We hope the December event provides an opportunity to reunite with their classmates and celebrate their accomplishments at commencement among family and friends.

If you are a student and you are experiencing fever, cough, or shortness of breath, call the GCU Health and Wellness Clinic at 844-391-1949 or healthcenter@gcu.edu. If you are faculty or staff and experiencing these same symptoms, seek medical attention by calling a medical professional and do not come to work. Further instructions are available on LopeNet for faculty and staff. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, call 9-1-1 or seek immediate care at the nearest emergency room. If you have traveled to a CDC level 2 or 3 country, do not return to campus. GCU requires that you stay off-campus to complete the 14-day self-quarantine prior to returning.

GCU has taken a number of measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

We have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting common and frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, handles and elevator buttons in residential areas, classrooms, laboratories, restaurants and other high-traffic areas. Our cleaning supplies meet CDC and EPA recommended standards to aid in the prevention and spread of emerging viral pathogens and infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Additionally, we increased the amount of hand sanitizing stations in high-traffic areas. We are continuing an education campaign through social and print media outlining the steps students, faculty and staff can take to help stop the spread of germs. The best way to prevent illness during flu season is to take every-day preventative actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work and school.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

For the latest information from GCU please visit https://www.gcu.edu/coronavirus-disease-2019-information

If contacted by a public health agency, you must follow their quarantine procedures. If you have not yet returned to campus, GCU requires that you stay off-campus to complete the 14-day self-quarantine period prior to returning. Please contact the GCU Health and Wellness Clinic at 844-391-1949 or healthcenter@gcu.edu for further instructions.

If you have received notice of your exposure to a COVID-19 patient after you have returned to campus, immediately call the GCU Health and Wellness Clinic at 844-391-1949. Until you have spoken with healthcare professionals, maintain social distancing rules. GCU will review your circumstances and determine a quarantine location.