Greenway provides COVID-19 update

In a May 10 letter to the Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College community, President Adam W. Greenway provided a coronavirus update, noting an “overall easing of many COVID protocols.”

While encouraging “each of you to take whatever steps you feel necessary to keep yourself healthy and safe,” Greenway outlined several changes on the campus with the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Further details will be provided later, he noted.

The entire letter follows.

Dear Southwestern Family:

I pray this email finds you well. This past Friday, we marked the end of the Spring semester with a wonderful Commencement day of celebration on Seminary Hill as we commissioned just under 300 graduates. This event marked not only the end of programs of study at Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College for these graduates; it marked the end of an academic session unlike anything we have experienced in our 113-year history.

With the close of the Spring semester, I am pleased to announce that we are moving to the next phase in our reopening plan, and beginning today you will see additional changes on campus and an overall easing of many COVID protocols. Most notably, effective today we are no longer requiring masks to be worn in common areas on our campus.

In addition to rescinding the mask mandate on campus, we are adjusting the social distancing standards in classroom spaces from six feet to three feet and many common spaces will be returned to normal operation. Other details about this next phase will be posted online in the coming days at swbts.edu/covid19.

As we ease the on-campus protocols, I want to encourage each of you to take whatever steps you feel necessary to keep yourself healthy and safe. We want to maintain a sensitivity to those who are in high risk categories and are especially vulnerable as we continue to fight this global pandemic.

In that spirit, I want to commend those of you who have already received the COVID-19 vaccine. I have been encouraged by the number of faculty, staff, and students who have told me and others that they have already received at least one shot, if not both. While we will not be requiring faculty, staff, and students to be vaccinated for the fall semester, I still cannot urge you strongly enough to consider doing what I have done and get your vaccine doses this summer.

The vaccine is being offered free of charge through Tarrant County Public Health. Additionally, we have recently confirmed that Walmart, Sam’s Club, CVS, and Walgreens are offering the vaccine and will soon be offering it on a walk-in basis. I would encourage you to seek information from any of these sources on how you can schedule an appointment.

The decision to reopen the campus further is not a decision we have taken lightly. After consultation with public health experts and consideration of all options, we feel that this step is the right one to take and now is the right time. We know the past 12+ months has been a difficult season for all members of the Seminary community. Our prayer is that as we move back to some greater sense of normalcy, you are able to get back on track and continue with your full focus on that to which God has called you.

As always, if there is anything we can do to serve you, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office or the Office of the Dean of Students. I am praying that you have a wonderful and refreshing summer as you serve the Lord wherever he has placed you, but a special blessing to all who are taking summer term classes which begin today.

Blessings,

Adam W. Greenway
President