Michigan State President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. released a statement Tuesday evening that classes will be transitioning from their previous hybrid model to a fully virtual format for fall 2020.
The decision came due to spike in COVID-19 cases across the country after reopening of colleges and universities and other areas of education such as K-12.
"It has become evident to me that, despite our best efforts and strong planning, it is unlikely we can prevent widespread transmission of COVID-19 between students if our undergraduates return to campus," Stanley said in the statement.
Effective immediately, undergraduate students who planned to live in the residence halls this fall are asked to stay home and continue their education with MSU remotely.
According to a briefing sent out by the COVID-19 Reopening Campus Task Force in mid-June, 75% of all classes were to be held at least partially online. Officials will now work for the next two weeks to transition the classes that were original to be held in-person or hybrid to remote formats.
There will be some exceptions for the Colleges of Law, Human Medicine, Nursing, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine as well as all graduate programs. More details for these colleges are forthcoming.
“In addition, our research initiatives, which are done in the very safest possible conditions, will continue,” Stanley said. “We will also work with our international students on their student visa status and those needing labs, studios and performance-based classes that are required for graduation.”
Residential and Hospitality Services will be providing information to all students who are impacted by this decision, according to the statement. Refunds or credits will be issued to individuals who have already paid for the fall semester.
“We also realize that for some students, MSU is their home or they need to be on campus for employment,” Stanley said. “Just like we did this spring, we will continue to provide a safe place for a small number of students in our residence halls. We remain committed to our students, their success and their safety.”
The remote undergraduate semester is still set out to begin on Sept. 2.
This is a developing story. In our reporting, we'll focus on verifying information from credible sources. Stay with The State News for more updates on how COVID-19 is affecting the MSU and East Lansing community.
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