March 15, 2020
FMU closing campus, moving to online instruction on March 25, 2020
FLORENCE — Francis Marion University is officially closing through March 31, per South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s March 15 Executive Order related to the continuing spread of the coronavirus in the state.
The governor’s executive order closed all public schools in South Carolina. But it does provide individual universities with the authority “to deliver virtual instruction and remote learning” and to provide “housing for out-of-state or displaced students.” Consequently, FMU will continue to operate critical services with essential personnel so as to maintain a limited number of students on campus and to prepare for the implementation its plan for online instruction which is set to begin March 25.
Essential personnel will be notified when to report to campus by their respective vice presidents and department directors. Moving into the week of March 23-29, FMU may broaden the definition of essential personnel to provide for the implementation of online learning.