St. Edward’s University will be closed Friday, March 13, and classes will be canceled, according to an announcement by the university.
Original post: March 12, 11:02 a.m.
In a letter posted March 12, St. Edward’s University President George Martin told students there will be no classes held in person following spring break in response to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
St. Edward’s students are off for the break between March 16-20. Classes will be held online, Martin said, until April 4.
“We encourage students who leave for Spring Break not to return to campus during this time, but instead to take their classes remotely,” Martin wrote.
According to the letter, faculty can choose to either teach from campus or another location after the break, and campus services such as residence halls, the library and dining halls will stay open for students who have to remain on campus on a modified basis.
On March 11, The University of Texas announced that it will extend spring break by a week in light of the concerns regarding the spread of the disease. There are no confirmed cases in Travis County as of March 12. According to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, which is tracking the worldwide spread of the global pandemic, there have been more than 127,000 worldwide cases, including more than 1,300 in the U.S.
"The university will continue to monitor what is happening locally and regionally and make decisions that are in the best interests of our students, faculty and staff members,” Martin wrote in the letter. “We will communicate with you by March 31 to confirm our plans for resuming on-campus classes.”
