Indiana University announced late Sunday that it is extending the suspension of in-person classes through the end of the spring semester. Classes will move online.
The university says that spring break will be extended an additional week to allow faculty time to transition to online instruction. Spring break will now run from March 14 until March 29. Virtual classes begin on March 30.
“Students in courses with clinical experiences or field work will receive further instruction from the academic leaders in their program,” IU president Michael McRobbie says in a statement.
In addition, IU is closing on-campus housing beginning on March 20. Student housing residents will receive move-out procedures via email no later than Tuesday. Finally, all IU events will either be canceled or conducted online.
“We understand how very difficult and deeply disappointing these steps will be for many students, staff, and faculty. Thank you for your understanding and willingness to navigate the disruption caused by this virus,” McRobbie adds.
The decision to transition to online for the rest of the semester is a change from just a few days ago. Last week, Indiana University announced that it was transitioning to virtual learning at all of its campuses for two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak.
However, the situation nationwide has worsened since then with states like Illinois and Ohio closing dine-in restaurants. Locally, K-12 public schools have either already shut down or will shut down this week.
For more information on IU’s coronavirus response, visit coronavirus.iu.edu.
