Cal State Bakersfield has confirmed it is suspending on-campus, in-person instruction later this month due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The university said it will still allow on-campus instruction next week, but is encouraging that faculty move classes online or come up with some other form of alternative instruction. The spring semester started in January and wraps up in May.

Starting March 23, most face-to-face instruction will be prohibited.

“The principle that ultimately guided my decision is the same that guides all my decisions: The students come first, and we care about your success,” President Lynnette Zelezny said in a memorandum send to students.

Zelezny said some courses — such as small labs, clinicals, fiend placements and performing arts — will still be allowed to meet in person if given permission by the dean.

All students living in CSUB housing will still be able to remain there through the end of term, Zelezny said. The campus will remain open through the semester and all employees, including student employees, will continue to report to work.

Dining services, the Student Union, the Counseling Center, the Walter W. Stiern Library and other departments will remain open and operational, she said.

“Our campus derives all its life and energy from our students,” Zelezny said. “Thank you in advance for your support and understanding. We are resilient ’Runners, and we will get through this together.”