Morgan State Cancels Classes For The Week In Coronavirus Response
Morgan State University has cancelled classes for the rest of this week in response to the spread of coronavirus, a banner on the HBCU’s website reads.
The Baltimore college is the latest in a long line of schools that are either ending classes, postponing the semester or only holding classes online or remotely to mitigate student, faculty or administration of COVID-19.
Students, faculty and staff have been advised that upon return from Spring Break on March 23, and for at least two weeks after, all in-class instruction and institute remote, online learning protocols will be suspended. The university will reassess implementation of remote learning.
Other Maryland schools have also halted classes until the end of the week including Towson University and Loyola University of Maryland. Officials at The University of Maryland, Baltimore County have canceled classes on Thursday and Friday, and Johns Hopkins University canceled in-person classes for all students starting Wednesday. It will hold only remote classes through April 12 at least, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The responses of HBCUs across the country to the spread of COVID-19 have varied. Bowie State University, also in Maryland has cancelled classes for Thursday and Friday to prepare to hold remote courses and have advised students not to return to campus post-spring break until April 6.
Howard University in Washington D.C. has not announced any cancellation of classes, but has suspended all university-sanctioned non-essential international travel for students, faculty and staff until further notice.
On Tuesday, Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania has also cancelled classes for the remainder of the week and suspended all face-to-face instruction for the rest of the semester.
Morehouse College and Spelman College in Atlanta have also not announced any cancellations, but nearby Clark Atlanta University has postponed its Founders/Inauguration Week activities planned for March 16-22.
Florida A&M University has not officially announced any cancellations, but has instructed its faculty to prepare to begin teaching online classes by March 22. However, it has announced that its football team’s Orange & Green spring game, scheduled for March 28, will proceed without fans, according to HBCU Gameday.
So far, no HBCU has reported a COVID-19 diagnosis of a student, faculty or staff member.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says as of Wednesday (March 11) there were 938 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with 29 deaths. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia have reported cases.
