University of Vermont students will resume classes online instead of attending in person when they return from spring break next week out of concern for the spread of the coronavirus, the university announced on Wednesday.

Champlain College announced on Wednesday that, as an anti-coronavirus measure, they will extend spring break by a week, after which classes will resume in an online format on March 23. On Wednesday evening, St. Michael's College and Vermont Law School also announced similar measures.

UVM's decision came one day after the university said it would shift to online classes only if a member of the campus community tested positive for COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the university looked at what other universities were doing, what was happening in the Burlington area, and from where students would be coming back after spring break, said Gary Derr, UVM's vice president for operations and public safety.

"A lot of our students come from the southern part of New England, and New York or New Jersey area, and it's a heightened situation down there," Derr said. He added, "We thought while they were still home and we encouraged them to stay home, the opportunity presented itself for us to move forward."

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The announcements also came one day after Middlebury College extended its spring break and asked students to refrain from coming back to campus. Middlebury College students will begin online classes on March 30.

The World Health Organization also announced Wednesday that it was officially considering coronavirus, or COVID-19, a global pandemic.

What's happening at UVM?

The following changes will take effect, according to a letter from UVM President Suresh Garimella:

In-person classes on March 16 and March 17 will be cancelled.

Classes will resume on Wednesday, March 18 but will shift to remote methods of instruction.

The university will remain open and employees will be expected to report to work.

Graduate students and post-doctoral scholars will be expected to continue their work.

Social distancing measures, such as limiting indoor events to 25 attendees or fewer, will also go into effect March 18.

As of Wednesday, the America East men's basketball finals scheduled for Saturday at UVM is planned to go ahead with fans in the gym, Derr said.

"We're obviously assessing it every step of the way," Derr said.

At this point, there are no plans for refunding room and board expenses for the time that students will be completing classes online, said Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs. Some students who need to remain on campus, such as international students, will be able to continue living in residence halls.

The university continues to reassess the situation daily, Derr said. As of Wednesday, officials said there are no planned changes to commencement on the third weekend in May.

More:Coronavirus in Vermont: What we know about the state's 1st presumptive case

What's happening at Champlain College?

On Tuesday, Champlain College also had said there was no plan to move to online classes, but that officials were continually reevaluating the situation.

On Wednesday, the college President Laurie Quinn announced the following changes:

The college will extend spring break by one week, with no classes held from March 16-20. Students who need to return to campus for reasons of hardship may arrange special permission.

Classes will resume March 23 through online classes. Remote instruction will be in effect for at least three weeks, but students and faculty "should expect that a longer period of remote instruction is likely."

Quinn will update the community on the status of remote learning on April 6.

Campus will remain open and faculty not experiencing symptoms of illness may continue to work on school grounds.

Events and meetings that bring visitors to campus are being held online or cancelled, effective immediately. For example, Admitted Student Day events on April 3-4 and April 17-18 will be held virtually.

In her letter, Quinn addressed seniors who would be graduating in May. No plans to change commencement activities have been announced.

"We know that these developments change your final semester on our campus and introduce uncertainty for the final weeks and months of your Champlain experience," Quinn wrote. "We regret that greatly, but we also trust in your understanding and patience."

What is happening at St. Michael's College?

Unlike Champlain College and UVM, St. Michael's College goes on spring break next week. College President Lorraine Sterritt announced in a letter that the following changes had been made after the World Health Organization deemed COVID-19 a global pandemic:

The college will extend spring break by two days, and will resume March 25 with online classes.

Remote online instruction will continue until at least April 13. College officials will continue assessing the situation and will announce any changes no later than April 9.

Students who cannot go home or stay home during or after spring break will need to request permission to stay on campus. These students will need to avoid travel and practice social distancing.

Effective immediately, all public events on campus until at least April 14 are canceled. Some events will be hosted online if possible.

All college-sponsored trips have been canceled until at least April 14.

Sterritt encouraged college community members to monitor their email for any updates.

"We recognize the disappointment that students, their families, and all of our community members are experiencing in response to this situation," Sterritt wrote in her letter. "Our decisions were not made lightly, and they reflect the care and concern of the administration, the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and the staff of the College."

What is happening at Middlebury College?

Middlebury College was the first Vermont university to announce Tuesday it would be moving classes online after its spring break, which now begins next week. The measures announced by college President Laurie Patton were:

Middlebury College's spring break will begin a week early on March 13 and will last for an extra week.

When classes resume March 30, they will be online.

Students should not stay on campus during or return to campus after spring break unless they obtain permission from the college.

Middlebury College will be closed, effective immediately, to all members of the public.

Students will be allowed to stay on campus until March 15 at 5 p.m. with permission from the college.

Students with underlying health issues or who are immuno-compromised can leave campus before March 13.

Group gatherings on campus will be limited to no more than 120 people.

The college is suspending all athletic events, including practices, until further notice. Art events have been canceled through April 12.

The school will reevaluate these measures during the first week of April, Patton said.

What's happening at Vermont Law School?

Vermont Law School is closing its physical campus to students beginning March 16 until at least March 30 in order to reduce the population density on campus and reduce the risk of community spread, the college said.

"Currently, we are aware of no cases of infection in our immediate community, however, positive cases have been confirmed and are expected to continue to be confirmed in our region," the law school stated in a news release on its website.

The following changes will also occur on campus:

Classes will be suspended on March 16 and 17, with the exception of a few classes that will be held remotely.

Beginning March 18, classes will move online.

All on-campus events have been canceled until at least March 30.

Effective immediately, the cafe and fitness center will be closed to students and the public until further notice. The library will close Monday until at least March 30.

What's happening at Northern Vermont University?

Northern Vermont University, which has campuses in Johnson and Lyndon, said that it would be suspending face-to-face instruction as of the end of the day March 13, according to a news release. All classes currently delivered online will continue as normal.

The following measures were also announced:

April break has been moved to the week of March 16 to give faculty and staff time to get online courses ready.

Classes will transition to remote instruction beginning March 23 until at least April 3. Students should anticipate staying home during this time.

The school anticipates beginning face-to-face instruction again on April 6, but this will be continually evaluated as that time draws closer.

For students who need to remain on campus, residence halls, dining services, and other student services will continue.

Faculty and staff are still expected to report to work.

All athletic games, matches, and practices are suspended until further notice.

All public events on the campuses and university-sponsored events on and off campus are suspended through at least April 6, 2020.

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 802-651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.

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