Methodist University will be delaying the opening of campus for the Spring Semester after a spike in the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Faculty and staff will return to campus on Jan. 10 while undergraduate students will return on Jan. 18. Graduate programs will begin on Jan. 10 and online programs will begin on their original start date.

"I am certain we will have cases on our campus this spring, but as promised all along, we are working daily to remain as open as possible while also being as safe as possible," President Stanley Wearden said in a university announcement. "Delaying the full opening of campus by a week affords us multiple opportunities to mitigate risk."

Faculty and staff are expected to be tested anytime before Jan. 10, preferably 72 hours before returning to campus. Students who will be on campus must show proof of full vaccination and will need to be tested for COVID-19 before Jan. 18.

Students who live in residence halls will be asked to return to campus in four phases, beginning Jan. 13.

At Fayetteville State University, classes have been delayed and will now begin on Jan. 19 to allow time to conduct re-entry testing for students, faculty, and staff. COVID-19 testing is required for all employees and students. They must complete a COVID-19 test within 72-hours of returning to work on campus in January. This is for vaccinated and unvaccinated employees. Unvaccinated students must participate in mandatory testing twice a week.

Between Jan. 4 through Jan. 18, staff are required to check-in at the re-entry testing site at Seabrook Auditorium prior to reporting to workstations. From Jan. 10 through Jan. 18, all residential students are required to complete a re-entry health screening and COVID testing in the Student Center.

Commuter students and faculty members are required to check in anytime between Jan. 10 through Jan. 19. Faculty will test in Seabrook Auditorium. Commuter students will test in the Student Health Center.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, all faculty and staff must undergo a COVID-19 test on or after Jan. 5. This policy applies to all faculty and staff, regardless of vaccination status. All fully vaccinated faculty and staff will be required to wear masks until they can produce a negative test.