UPIKE Newsroom

UPIKE Family, 

Thank you for coming back to campus today and for the many ways in which you have worked to care for each other! There is never a one-size-fits-all solution for the situations in which we find ourselves, and this week has proven that once again! We deeply appreciate the flexibility you have shown to our students as well as toward one another as we struggle through a difficult week.

At eleven this morning we met with officials from across the state to assess damage related to the flood and the impending winter storm. We are being told that Pikeville may receive anything from 4 – 8 inches of snow coming in two back-to-back storms. On the heels of the snow, we are expecting low temperatures in the teens. Usually, this would mean that we would shift to online instruction for a day or two. However, much of the county does not yet have internet restored, many do not have power, and some do not have reliable water. 

Therefore, we will suspend all undergraduate classes, labs, and clinicals through the end of the week. This means that undergraduate students will not be attending online classes. Masters programs will operate online as usual; however, students should reach out to program coordinators if they need more time to complete assignments. 

KYCOM and KYCO lectures will be online Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Labs and clinicals will be rescheduled. Please note the KYCO eye clinic will be open for emergency cases only. 

All staff should stay home as well unless you are specifically asked to report by your supervisor. 

We are asking everyone to consider four things: 

1. Please stay safe on Wednesday. Travel will be difficult for many, but there are still people in need of assistance in our region. As you move around, please be careful.
   
   
2. As the snow comes to an end, please consider volunteering in the flood recovery efforts. Some people will want to help clean up homes and businesses. Others may want to serve in shelters, food pantries, churches, or with their families. Our friends and neighbors need our help, so let’s do what we can to serve them.
   
   
3. Some of us carry this stress heavily. Please allow people who need to rest the freedom to take these days and do so. Cyberattacks, snow, rain, flood, and more snow is a lot to handle. Some people have lost loved ones. They need to grieve and be loved by others.
   
   
4. Remember, campus is dry and safe. We have water, power, and the internet. The food service outlets on campus will be serving meals (with the exception of Food Lab). Facilities personnel will work to keep the walkways passable, and campus safety will be here as well. Students, faculty, and staff who want to be on campus are welcome here. A few offices may have someone answering phones, but supervisors will speak to those people directly.

This has been a tough semester. We made it through COVID, the flood of 2022, a cyberattack, and we will make it through this – together. 

Striving to serve,

Dr. Burton Webb
President