Dear Students,

Praise the Lord! We have successfully reached the end of the Spring semester! I want to take a moment to look back and celebrate what we have accomplished and talk about our plans for the fall.

I think it is safe to say that none of us has experienced the kind of disruption caused by COVID-19. I truly admire the way our students, faculty, staff and board navigated a complicated situation with no clear road map. Students, you found yourselves learning in ways you did not expect, and you did it with determination and resolve. I know that many of you had to work through individual situations that were very difficult. We are grieving with our spring 2020 graduates; however, we anticipate a great commencement celebration August 15 on campus. We love you!

Once we decided to move instruction online in March, our faculty quickly adjusted by learning and adapting every day, supporting you and giving you the best opportunity possible to complete the semester successfully. I cannot thank our faculty enough for the sacrifice and dedication that they exhibited. I saw their love for you in all that they did. I believe we have truly been living out our core value of Prayer & Faith through this time, as they prayed for you, and loved you.

With the end of the semester, I realize that many of you are asking about what CIU is doing in the fall.

I am pleased to announce that CIU will open for fall classes in person, which begins August 24. Our students want to be back on campus, our faculty and staff want to be back on campus, and thanks to our Admissions team, we have a large class of freshmen eager to join us this fall.  

As we anticipate your return, we are praying for you and working hard to provide a safe and healthy environment. We are trusting God to give wisdom, and we have a team working on the challenges of COVID-19.

We are taking steps to minimize all risks, incorporating advice from public health authorities and higher education experts. We will structure life on campus in ways that will keep everyone safe. The plan we’re developing focuses on testing, treating, and tracing as appropriate and reasonable. Here are some elements of the plan so far:

• OUR ENTIRE CAMPUS HAS BEEN THROUGH A DEEP CLEANING.
• We have a plan for testing anyone who shows up with symptoms.
• We have non-touch thermometers on order to assist us.
• We have a full-time, on-campus nurse ready to handle our medical process and safety.
• We have sources for masks if required.
• We are developing social distancing plans if required.
• We have quarantine spaces if needed.

CIU is also located on a relatively isolated and self-contained 400-acre campus. This puts us in a much better position to minimize risks. We will be safe.

I encourage all of us to continue in prayer for our world and CIU. We want to apply to our situation, the words that Paul had for Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7

“God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment.”

Pray that God will give all of us the sound judgment we need to live without fear.

We look forward to seeing you on campus this fall! I can’t wait!!

To God Be the Glory,

President Smith