May 29, 2020
The HST campus will re-open June 8.
Beginning Monday, June 8, our faculty and staff will return to campus and resume our regular work schedule on campus. The mansion will be open, and offices will be staffed as before.
The HST library will be open to students and the public on July 1. During the month of June, the library staff will be working to prepare the library for its opening in July. Until then, books and other materials are still available to students. Please let the staff know of your needs through e-mail.
COVID-19 Campus Guidelines for all employees, students, and guests are as follows:
- For now, when interacting with others, walking down hallways or conducting business on campus, all students, faculty, staff, and guests are required to wear a face covering (mask) that covers your nose and mouth. If you do not have one, a disposable mask will be provided to you.
- Avoid entering the facility if you have a cough, fever, or other signs/symptoms of COVID-19.
- Maintain a minimum six-foot distance between individuals.
- Practice good hygiene including frequent handwashing with soap and water and avoid touching your face or eyes.
- Sneeze or cough into a cloth or tissue or, if unavailable, into one’s arm.
- Do not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact.
All summer courses will be offered via HST LIVE only. No students will attend classes on campus.
April 8, 2020
Harding School of Theology is open! Classes are in session and our staff is working. However, due to the global health crisis and our concern for the welfare of the HST community, classes are meeting online and our staff is working from home. We are still accepting applications for fall enrollment.
Our campus is closed to the public.
All on campus events for Spring 2020 semester have been postponed or canceled.
Commencement has been rescheduled for August 8 (along with other events surrounding the graduation ceremony). Students who apply for May graduation and complete all requirements will still have the date “May 16, 2020” on their diploma and their transcript will still include the notation “Degree conferred May 16, 2020.” Students who complete their degree requirements during summer semester may also participate in the August commencement.
All summer courses will be offered via HST LIVE only. No students will attend classes on campus.
As a course that is only available on campus, 5990 Advanced Theological Research (ATR) will not be offered this summer. There will be both a weekly version and an intensive version offered Fall 2020. The fall ATR intensive is October 12-17. (See course schedule here.)
If you need to contact HST personnel, please email, text, or call them to make arrangements.
March 17, 2020
Harding School of Theology is open! Classes are in session and our staff is working. However, due to the global health crisis and our concern for the welfare of the HST community, classes are meeting online and our staff is working electronically.
Our campus is closed to the public. If you need to meet with HST personnel, please email, call, or text them to make arrangements.
March 13, 2020
Dear HST Students,
Yesterday you should have received an email from President McLarty describing the steps being taken on Harding’s Searcy campus in response to COVID-19. The purpose of this message is to describe what we have decided to do at HST, based on our particular circumstances. As in the case of the Searcy campus, we are taking these actions because of increasing concerns related to COVID-19 and in order to reduce the risk of its spread.
Our use of Zoom makes our response for the rest of this semester straightforward and relatively easy to implement. It has two parts:
1) Beginning this Monday, March 16, we are requiring local students who normally attend physically to use Zoom rather than come to the classroom.
2) Beginning the same day we are suspending chapel.
We plan to return to normal as soon as possible, but we don’t know when that will be. No decisions have yet been made regarding graduation ceremonies or summer intensives.
The library and the school offices will continue normal operations. Student workers (GAs and library workers) may continue their work. Students may remain in the school apartments.
Our use of Zoom has placed us in a good position to respond to the current crisis with relatively minor changes. We are thankful, and hopeful that we can return to normal operations before the end of the semester.
We recognize that this situation is not static. We will monitor and respond to new developments as they occur.
Allen Black
Dean, Professor of New Testament
Harding School of Theology