Harvard Moves Classes Online, Asks Students Not to Return After Spring Break In Response to Coronavi

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Harvard Crimson

Harvard Moves Classes Online, Asks Students Not to Return After Spring Break In Response to Coronavirus

By The Crimson News Staff, Crimson Staff Writer
2 hours ago

All Harvard courses will move to remote instruction beginning March 23 as a result of a growing global coronavirus outbreak, University President Lawrence S. Bacow announced in an email Tuesday morning. The University will also ask students not to return from spring break.

The move follows both similar decisions at other Ivy League universities in recent days and rapid changes on campus. As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Massachusetts rises, events and venues have closed, travel restrictions have tightened, and University affiliates have questioned how the disease will affect life and work on campus.

Spring recess officially begins this Saturday and concludes on March 22. The next day, students will attend classes virtually — a possibility Nguyen and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay first raised at a faculty meeting earlier this month. Since then, tabs for the online meeting platform Zoom have popped up on course websites and many faculty have tested it with their classes.

Bacow wrote Monday that Harvard will now strongly discourage gatherings of more than 25 people, a change from the previous guidance to rethink events of 100 or more.

The University previously took a number of steps to reduce risk to affiliates, including launching a dedicated coronavirus website and cancelling Visitas, the visiting weekend for the Class of 2024.

It remains unclear how the outbreak will affect other spring events like alumni reunions, Class Day, and Commencement exercises.

—This is a developing story. Check thecrimson.com for updates.

Read more: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/3/11/harvard-coronavirus-classes-cancelled/

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RemainCalmAllIsWellHat Retweeted

https://twitter.com/Popehat

BREAKING: Harvard classes will move online starting March 23 due to a growing global coronavirus outbreak, University President Lawrence S. Bacow announced in an email Tuesday morning. The University has asked students not to return from spring break.

Link to tweet

[redstatebluegirl]

1. How do you teach a lab or architecture studio online?

Answer is, you can't. The students will love online classes but will hate it when they leave gen chem and hit biochem without being properly prepared. You can teach History or English this way, but not engineering and hard science.

[jimfields33]

3. They'll adjust the syllabus

Maybe move some items to April or beginning May.

[jimfields33]

2. I can see this being successful and even after the virus is done they continue this direction

It might make sense to have classes on line for most majors and have a small segment that goes on campus like fitness or some sciences. I look at this as a great way to save carbon emissions.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Ohio State cancels all in-person classes through at least March 30 due to the coronavirus

RemainCalmAllIsWellHat Retweeted

Ohio State cancels all in-person classes through at least March 30 due to the coronavirus and will be moving to virtual instruction.

Link to tweet

Ohio State suspends classes until March 30 due to coronavirus outbreak

March 9, 2020 Owen Milnes, Max Garrison and Sam Raudins

Ohio State has suspended face-to-face instruction effective immediately due to the coronavirus outbreak until at least Monday, March 30, according to a universitywide email.

University President Michael V. Drake announced Monday night in a universitywide email that lectures, discussion sections, seminars and other similar face-to-face classroom settings will be replaced by virtual sessions due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“While there are no campus-associated cases of COVID-19, we know that there are at least three confirmed cases in the state of Ohio, and we expect that there will be more. We are being proactive in an effort to prevent illness and continue the important work of the university,” Drake said in the email. “I understand that our policy guidelines will cause measurable disruption, but the risk of not acting outweighs the inconvenience of these temporary measures. The safety of our campus community is always our top priority.”

Three cases of the virus were confirmed in Ohio Monday afternoon and Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in a tweet.

Students may complete virtual classes from their permanent homes or return to campus, according to the email sent out Monday night. Students returning to campus should practice appropriate social distancing and enhanced public health and hygiene.

{snip}

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Students must be wondering

"Am I getting my money's worth?"

Once classes become digital, the savings in time are evident. I'd bet many never go back.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. This decision isn't just about the online learning. Students, including grad students, are from

all over the world, and many have traveled overseas during the break. It just makes sense to give a pause in regrouping till things, whatever that may be, run their course.

Difficult, but the right move Harvard.

[a la izquierda]

7. I suspect my university will make the same call today.

The only issue is students who do not have good access to wifi or internet. That could cause some major problems (I teach in WV and have students without regular access to internet; the same is likely true for foreign students).