University of Houston-Clear Lake, UH-Clear Lake at Pearland and all off-campus locations will not hold in-person or online classes next week, according to a news release sent to the campus community around 10 p.m. March 11.

When classes resume March 23, they will be offered remotely “until further notice,” UHCL President Ira Blake said in the release. Events and programming funded and sponsored by UH-Clear Lake are also cancelled through April 30, per the release.

All UHCL campuses, offices and services, as well as research labs and related services, will continue to operate.

The decision, Blake added, was made in an effort to allow faculty, staff and students to address professional and personal matters in response to city of Houston and Harris County emergency health declarations, as well as helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“I understand that these precautionary measures may be inconvenient and disappointing to you, but we hope that these efforts can help minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Blake said in the release. “Your health and safety are our priority.”


There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at UH-Clear Lake or any other system university, the release said. Approximately 14 cases have been confirmed in the Greater Houston area. None have been reported in Galveston County, which is continuing to operate as usual, according the the Galveston County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Facilities will be maintained using sanitation and hygiene protocols as recommended by authorities, including increased custodial cleaning and hand sanitizer dispensers at all entrances, common areas and elevators.

Students are asked to stay at home. Hunter Hall and Dining Services will be open for student residents who need it. Faculty and staff can work from home to the extent that they are able to perform their functions remotely, per the release.

Further communications for the UHCL community are expected to come some time March 12, per the release. More information from UHCL can be found here or by emailing [email protected].
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