I'm wondering about our HBCUs especially those in confirmed states (which is just about all of them now).
Here Are The Schools Going Online Amid Coronavirus Fears
Across the country, colleges and universities are electing to offer classes online rather than in person to avoid spreading the disease.
A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are switching to online rather than in-person courses in response to the spread of
coronavirus across the United States. As of Monday afternoon, at least a dozen institutions of higher learning have either canceled in-person courses entirely or shifted the majority of their operations online.
Colleges and universities across the country are closing down their classrooms to avoid spreading coronavirus.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. rose to more than 550 Sunday, including 22 deaths, but the true scale remains unknown largely because the
Trump administration continues to downplay its impact.
Regardless, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidance to colleges and universities on how to cope with campus closures, class cancellations and the transition to courses offered online. Here is a list of the colleges and universities that have elected to go online amid fears about coronavirus.
Amherst College
Daytime view of the the Johnson Chapel standing at the center of College Row on the Amherst College campus.
On March 9, Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, announced it will transition to online courses when spring break ends on March 23 out of concern for the spread of the coronavirus. Amherst President Biddy Martin said in a
statement that classes would be canceled March 12 and March 13 to allow faculty and staff time to develop “alternate modes of delivering courses.”
Brandman University
Brandman University’s campus in San Diego. Most of the university’s classes in California and Washington are already online.
On March 6, Brandman University, a private college based in California and Washington, announced the school will suspend the majority of its on-campus courses. About 85% of Brandman’s courses are taken online, according to the university.
“University leaders developing Brandman’s response to this public health crisis anticipate the switch to entirely online course delivery can be achieved with minimal or no disruptions to students’ academic progress,” the university
said in a statement.
Columbia University
Columbia University in New York City suspended classes for two days to prepare for online instruction.
Columbia University, based in New York City, suspended class on March 9 and March 10 to prepare the university for a week of exclusively online courses.
“This suspension of activities will allow us to prepare to shift to remote classes for the remainder of the week,” Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger
said in a statement. There have been more than 100 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York to date and
at least 20 confirmed case in New York City specifically.
Harvard University
The Harvard Widener Library on Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On March 10, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
announced in an email to students that it will move to remote instruction beginning March 23 out of concern for the spread of the coronavirus. The university is reportedly also asking students not to return to campus when spring break ends on March 22.
Hofstra University
Hofstra University’s campus on Long Island has canceled in-person classes.
On March 8, Hofstra University, located on Long Island in New York, announced it would cancel in-person classes following a student’s reported symptoms of coronavirus after attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.
The American Conservative Union, which hosts CPAC,
announced one of its attendees tested positive for coronavirus. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
recently entered self-quarantine after discovering they had interacted with the infected individual at last month’s conference.
Middlebury College
On March 10, Middlebury College in Vermont
announced it will dismiss students for spring break on March 13, one week earlier than scheduled. Students returning for the rest of the semester will begin taking courses remotely on March 30. University President Laurie Patton said the school has an obligation to provide quality education and a safe, healthy environment.
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“The rapidly developing circumstances of the novel coronavirus now require extraordinary changes to our usual practices to fulfill those obligations,” Patton said.
Princeton University
A student walks toward Princeton University’s Nassau Hall. The college plans to begin “virtual instruction” starting March 23.
On March 9, Princeton University in New Jersey
announced it will offer its courses exclusively online when students return from spring break on March 23.
The transition will include “a mandatory, temporary move for all lectures, seminars, and precepts to virtual instruction starting on Monday, March 23,” the university said in a statement.
Rice University
Rice University in Houston is preparing for the possibility of online classes only after an employee contracted the virus.
Rice University in Texas
announced on March 8 all of its classes for the week of March 9 will be canceled as the university prepares to possibly offer all of its courses exclusively online.
One employee at the university was confirmed to have contracted the virus, and
Rice has since closed the hall where that employee worked until further notice.
Seattle University
Seattle University campus suspended in-person classes on March 9 after several coronavirus cases were confirmed in Washington state.
On March 9, Seattle University in Washington announced it will suspend all in-person classes and offer its courses online from March 9 until March 20. Despite the discovery of several coronavirus infections in Washington, Seattle University said there have been no confirmed cases in their “campus community.”
In a
statement, the university said it is taking these steps “out of an abundance of caution and to support public health efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the region, including social distancing.”
Smith College
On March 10, Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts,
announced it will offer in-person classes through March 13, but all courses will be delivered through “alternate modes” beginning March 30. Smith College President Kathleen McCartney said the decision to suspend in-person classes was made “to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us — those students, staff and faculty on the CDC’s list of those who are at a higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19.”
Stanford University
Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, has suspended in-person classes for the rest of the current semester.
On March 9, Stanford University announced it will suspend all in-person courses for the remainder of the winter semester,
effective immediately. In a statement, university Provost Persis Drell said California public health officials recommended encouraging good personal hygiene “but also minimizing close contact among groups of people.”
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, will hold classes remotely.
Officials from the University of California, Berkeley, told students Monday that they were
suspending nearly all in-person classes until after spring break ends later this month.
“There are no confirmed cases on our campus at this time; however, as local, national, and global public health recommendations shift to include mitigation of transmission, the campus is proactively taking steps that will help to protect the community,” Chancellor Carol Christ wrote in an email to students.
Most classes will be conducted online. Those that require in-person instruction ― arts, physical education or lab sciences ― will continue to meet in person when necessary.
University of Washington
The University of Washington’s main campus in Seattle. It also plans to suspend in-person classes for the rest of the current semester.
On March 6, University of Washington announced it will also suspend in-person instruction for the remainder of the semester, effective immediately.
“These actions are being taken in response to recommendations from public health agencies to avoid bringing large groups of people together in close proximity for events and gatherings,” university officials
said in a statement.