Dear Students and Colleagues,

The University of Arizona’s top priority is the health and safety of our students, our employees and our community. At this time, therisk of contracting COVID-19 in Tucson is low, and there are no confirmed cases on any domestic University of Arizona campus.

Nonetheless, like all U.S. universities, the University of Arizona is rapidly ramping up Coronavirus mitigation efforts to keep our community as safe as possible.

Accordingly, we are delaying the start of classes to Wednesday, March 18, and moving from in-person instruction to onlineinstruction wherever possible.

Residence halls, recreational facilities, food services and Campus Health are open now and will remain open.

Classes will continue in online mode until Monday, April 6, at which time the University will assess its operational status.

All public events will continue, with the exception of the Bear Down Music Fest, unless otherwise announced.

Additional information will follow shortly with specific details for faculty, staff and students. To stay up-to-date, please visit our main COVID-19 page.

There is no doubt these policies will disrupt and inconvenience our campus community. However, I strongly believe these short-term disruptions will greatly reduce the risk of significant long-term negative consequences.

Please remember that we are all responsible for our community’s well-being. Be sure that you are taking care of yourself andlooking out for your friends and other campus community members. Please also see CDC guidance.

Thank you for your patience and support through this evolving situation.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Robbins, M.D.

President

The University of Arizona