EIU Media Relations

Joint Message from EIU's President Glassman and City of Charleston's Mayor Combs

April 2, 2020

A brief message to our community members—

The City of Charleston and Eastern Illinois University share a solid partnership. That remains the case, even in these unprecedented times. To update our community, we wanted to share the following information.

To keep its students, faculty, staff and community members as safe as possible, EIU transitioned the remainder of its Spring 2020 semester to an online format on March 19. Students living on campus were asked to remain at their permanent homes following Spring Break. Illinois Executive Order 10, issued March 20, further limited EIU students’ ability to return to campus. Anticipating what became an extended State response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EIU also cancelled its Spring 2020 commencement ceremonies.

Of the EIU students who live off campus, many are full-time residents who live and work in Charleston year-round. Those students also have been guided by consistent EIU messaging emphasizing the importance of following best-practice CDC guidelines. Likewise, our citizens of Charleston are encouraged to continue following the guidance from the Governor’s Office and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

As of April 2, there continue to be no documented cases of COVID-19 in Coles County. However, experts are quick to remind us that no community is immune. Following CDC guidelines – students and community members alike – remains the best and most proactive course for keeping ourselves and those we most care about safe.

Stay at home. Practice physical distancing. Avoid close contact. Refrain from gathering in groups. Cover coughs and sneezes. Wash your hands often. Clean and disinfect common surfaces. These common-sense approaches remain our most reliable safeguards at this time.

It’s never been more apparent that we live in an interconnected world. Let’s continue to support each other by following these critical guidelines. Together, we will emerge from this as a stronger and even more cohesive community.

Thank you, and please stay safe.

Dr. Brandon Combs, Mayor, City of Charleston
Dr. David Glassman, President, Eastern Illinois University