Kansas State University announced it will begin offering classes remotely beginning March 23. While this change impacts all K-State campuses, all of the campuses will remain open to continue to serve the essential needs of students and faculty.
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY UPDATE; 03/15/20, 5 P.M.
Students in our residence halls were told today they cannot return to the Manhattan or Polytechnic campuses except under certain criteria. Please note that students are not allowed to pick up textbooks or other class materials in order to limit thousands of students coming to Manhattan. They were told that faculty would be in touch with them next week about adjustments to classes and course materials. As faculty adjust their courses for remote instruction, they will need to also consider how to address this concern.
Until further notice, this means that we will have no in-person student-facing operations on our campuses. We must continue to support the students remaining in university housing. All events are cancelled or held remotely. In person meetings should be cancelled or held remotely. In person meetings that are deemed essential and which cannot be moved to an online format or postponed will required implementing social distancing techniques. Visitors will not be allowed on campus. Searches will be suspended or moved online.
The University of Kansas, currently on spring break, has announced it will delay resumption of in-person classes until March 23. During the week of Faculty will spend the time between March16-22 preparing to transition their course content, including lectures, to online instructional platforms. Beginning the week of March 23, courses will be taught remotely using online tools.
Their team will reassess the need to continue remote-only instruction each week, starting March 28. All KU Student Housing buildings (and KU Dining venues will be open, however the university is encouraging students to stay home as they work on their courses.
For the week of March 16-20, Wichita State University will only hold online classes. During that week, faculty, staff and students are to use that week to prepare for online instruction which will begin after spring break, which is scheduled for March 23 – 27.
WSU residential halls will remain open and continue normal operations including food service. However students who are able to move to another location are encouraged to do so during this time. Each week, beginning March 30, WSU leadership will reassess the need to continue online and/or remote-only instruction.
The University of Missouri suspended classes through the end of the week and all courses will be remove from March 16-21. A decision on practices beyond that date will be made and announced later.
That means that students are encouraged not to return to campus and that all in-person classes are cancelled through March 20 at the university campus. The university emphasized that this response is being made out of an abundance of caution.
At Washburn University announced a pause in classes through March 20 with all students not encouraged to return to campus. After March 20, most classes will be conducted via the university’s distance learning systems. The pause in face-to-face classes next week will allow faculty the time needed to adjust to a remote delivery system for their courses.
A decision is forthcoming for the Washburn Tech campus and is expected no later than tomorrow.
Butler Community College’s regularly scheduled spring break March 16-20 has been extended through March 27 for students. During the break, housing is closed; they will officially open again on April 10. Until then, students can fill out a petition to stay on campus starting the week of March 23. Offices will remain open.
Classes will resume Mon. March 30 with all classes utilizing Canvas for course delivery in an online format through April 10.
Friends University has also, extended spring break from March 14 – 29. All classes will resume on Mon. March 30 in an online format. At this time face-to–face classes will resume on Mon. April 6, although there is a possibility that some, if not all courses could be adapted to an online or alternate mode of delivery.
Students need to watch their campus emails and check Moodle for communications from their professors. Regarding housing, students are encouraged to return to their permanent residence. In the event students are unable to return home, the residence halls will be open with limited food service.
On March 12, the University of Missouri – Kansas City announced that classes would move to an online format beginning March 16. Friday classes were canceled to give faculty time to prepare.
The campus, residence halls and dining halls, etc. will remain open; that means all faculty and staff should plan to report to work as usual.
The move to online instruction is open-ended at this point. A decision on returning to classroom instruction will be determined by how the public health situation evolves. In addition, UMKC is cancelling spring and summer study abroad programs for our students.
Park University has been the first to announce that for the rest of the spring and spring 2 courses, all face-to-face and blended classes in Parkville and Gilbert will move online. During the first week, students will be given very limited assignments as faculty convert these classes into our online format. While housing will remain open, they’re recommending that students in Parkville campus housing remain at home, if possible. Housing however, will remain open including dining services for students who cannot return home.
International students who return home and are not able to return to campus based on future travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will be supported with online classes to finish their degrees. For all other University locations, a decision will be communicated by March 16.
Lincoln University has postponed classes until March 23; classes will resume in an unspecified, alternative format.
The deadline for students to vacate on-campus University housing remains Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m; housing is not expected to open for the rest of the semester. Any student who is experiencing an extenuating circumstance – international travel, out-of-state travel, or a student who is experiencing housing insecurities should contact the Dean of Students, Brian Dubenion at 484-365-7705 or email bdubenion@lincoln.edu.
McPherson College is asking that students check out of residence halls no later than 8 p.m. on March 16; they should take all personal belongings in the case of extended lockout. Students who cannot go home due to travel restrictions should contact either Jamie Pjesky or Danielle Sutter in student life.
Students living in other apartment-style residences—including Baer, Terra Nova and Lakeside as well as college-owned homes — are not required to move out.
Classes will resume on Monday, March 30, most likely in online format – indefinitely. Should conditions remain unsafe in Kansas on that date, faculty will be prepared to continue classes through LMS and other digital tools. The college will announce by March 20 whether students will be expected to be on campus for the resumption of classes
As for Metropolitan Community College, the campus is shut down until the end of spring break on March 22. For now, all on-campus activities are scheduled to resume after the break.