Truman State University will suspend in-person classes from March 15-21 in light of the coronavirus.
A TruAlert was sent Wednesday evening, followed closely by an email from University President Sue Thomas to Truman community members.
Students are encouraged to continue their coursework, if possible, and faculty members have been instructed to contact their classes to discuss continuing class online.
Truman will remain open and all faculty and staff should plan to continue their normal work schedules. Students who work on-campus will not be expected to work.
University offices will continue to be staffed and faculty members will be instructed by their academic departments on how to proceed during the week. Pickler Memorial Library, the Student Recreation Center and Pershing Arena, however, will not be open.
The email stated the University does not have any cases of coronavirus at this time. Truman does not have any students studying abroad in Center for Disease Control‘s high-risk countries, and no current students from high-risk areas returned to their countries of origin during spring break and then returned to campus.
“Students are not to return to campus during this week,” Thomas said in the email. “Those students who have an extreme, extenuating circumstance that necessitates returning to their on-campus housing should contact the Residence Life Office.”
Thomas wrote that the cancellations should give students who are on spring break travel time to self-evaluate, assess their probability of exposure and take appropriate precautions.
The additional time will give University leadership an opportunity to explore alternative instructional methods, if the need would arise, Thomas wrote.
While in-person classes will not be conducted, this is not an extension of spring break.