WASHINGTON — Howard University will have all classes go online effective March 23 through April 6, following the lead of other local universities and schools amidst the coronavirus impact.
The Hilltop, Howard's student-run newspaper, first tweeted out the news on Wednesday afternoon. The university ran an official statement shortly after.
Dormitories on campus will remain open but classes will transition to the online-only curriculum. University officials will reevaluate on March 25 to determine if a longer extension is needed.
"Over the period of online instruction, we will also assess impacts of the change in instructional methodology, and status of the outbreak locally, during this time," the statement read. "A status update will be provided to the campus community by March 25, 2020 to determine if any further extension of the implementation of online instruction will be warranted, as conditions evolve."
The university announced they will also provide accommodations for students whose financial circumstances may prevent them from having a place to stay until April 6, as well as assisting international students living on campus who will not be able to go home for the break.
Other universities across D.C. have taken measures to reduce the virus's impact -- Georgetown announced classes would be moving to all online platforms after spring break on March 16, and D.C. Public Schools said that all schools have March 16 off.
DCPS officials said March 16 will serve as a planned Professional Development Day scheduled from Friday to Monday, March 16 as one component of COVID-19 emergency preparedness planning.
The University of Maryland announced Wednesday that there are 0 confirmed cases or pending cases of the virus on the campus and that the university had no planned schedule of moving to the online curriculum at the time being.
The University of Virginia announced Wednesday it will not be holding classes on UVA Grounds for the “foreseeable future" due to coronavirus concerns. UVA President Jim Ryan says online classes will begin on March 19, and that the university will reassess the situation on April 5.
George Washington University announced that they'd be moving most classes to an online platform after the school's scheduled spring break from March 16-March 21 as well.
American University on Tuesday announced that all classes will temporarily move to online platforms following spring break, with the following steps effective immediately.
After March 21, all residence halls will close until regular class schedules resume. Any student wishing to continue living in on-campus housing will need to submit an application by March 18.
