WSU officials announced students will not have to pay the first late tuition fee on Sept. 7, giving students who are late on tuition an extra month to pay. This announcement came during WSU’s ninth online town hall Wednesday afternoon.

WSU temporarily changed its policy so students’ awards will apply for two semesters at a time instead of one, said Stacy Pearson, WSU Vice President for Finance and Administration. 

“What we’re hoping for is better news, but meanwhile our job is to just plan and make sure we can manage with the information we’ve currently been given,” Pearson said.  

Mary Jo Gonzales, WSU Vice President of Student Affairs, said Week of Welcome will continue virtually. Events include virtual exercise and yoga classes, cooking classes, and several social services on campus, such as GIESORC, the Women*s Center and Cougar Health Services. 

WSU Provost Elizabeth Chilton said a career fair will occur virtually in October, and students will still have access to remote advising and tutoring services. Financial resources such as the computer loan program and hotspot learning will also continue to be available online for students. 

David Cillay, WSU Vice President for Academic Outreach and Innovation, said WSU faculty has experience in distance learning. WSU’s learning system helps encourage distance learning and will make classes easier to adapt to, he said. 

“Access is a part of our DNA,” Cillay said. “Online is just another way of extending that access.”

No course will allow students to work at their own pace, Cillay said. Online courses will follow much of the same format as they would for in-person learning. 

Gonzales said Pullman is now in a “red zone” for COVID-19, and if students want to see the Chinook Student Center or Student Recreation Center permanently open, they must abide by community safety measures. 

Students must wear masks and wash hands regularly, and continue to do so on- and off-campus, WSU President Kirk Schulz said. 

“I’ve gotta be careful, not just for me, but for the people around me,” Schulz said.

Schulz also said the decision to postpone fall sports was the right one for the university and for students, but it will have a fiscal impact on what WSU can provide students. However, the administration does not know the state of the budget yet, Schulz said, and will offer information to students as soon as they decide. 

“I don’t want people to feel that we have information that we’re not giving,” Schulz said.