Syracuse University will shift classes completely online after the university’s spring break next week to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

SU students have been directed to stay home after they leave campus for spring break this Friday, Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie said. Courses will be moved to an online format, he said.

What are other CNY, Upstate schools doing? (list)

Syracuse University will remain open, but as students leave for spring break they will be asked not to return to campus for at least two weeks, he said. The students are not being ordered to evacuate immediately, but are encouraged to gather any belongings they might need in the foreseeable future.

International students and others who aren’t able to leave Syracuse are welcome to remain on campus, Haynie said.

After the week-long break, courses will resume online and remain online until at least March 30, Haynie said. University officials will reevaluate the measure at that time, and could extend the period that students are directed to stay home.

Syracuse University Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie gives an update about SU’s decision to shift classes online after spring break during a news conference on Tuesday, March 20, 2020.Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com

SU will be evaluating other activities and events that are scheduled to be held on campus during that time. The university expects to cancel, reschedule or move online any large event with 50 or more people, Haynie said.

SU is also evaluating its athletic programs and plans for faculty and staff, including work-from-home and other policies under consideration.

Haynie said the decision was difficult, but made in consultation with national and local health experts, as well as faculty members with expertise on infectious diseases.

“This is an extraordinary circumstance,” Haynie said. He said officials believe the last time anything of this sort happened at SU was during Vietnam protests in the 1970s.

No students or members of the campus community have been diagnosed with coronavirus at this time, Haynie said.

Haynie said the main concern was having 15,000 students leave campus for spring break next week to travel across the country and internationally. Their return all at once could pose risks to them, staff, faculty and Central New York community members, he said.

“The idea of having them return from spring break, and the potential risk that could pose to this community, we made this decision out of an abundance of caution," Haynie said.

Haynie said university officials hoped giving students until Friday to collect their belongings and prepare for the shift online would make the transition smoother.

Syracuse University students walk the campus in a steady rain, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Classes will move online after spring break and students who leave campus are being told not to return, both precautionary measures due to the Coronavirus. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com

SU officials had begun preparing for a shift online about two weeks ago. The university already uses online tools for coursework and classes. Haynie said SU administrators would support faculty with more challenging shifts, like classes that involve photograpy or laboratory work.

Chancellor Kent Syverud was in touch with stakeholders including Mayor Ben Walsh, County Executive Ryan McMahon and SUNY officials about the decision, Haynie said. The chancellor recently appointed Haynie to manage the university’s response.

Syracuse University has taken a number of steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus among students and the campus community. Most recently, SU announced it would suspend a study abroad program in Madrid, following a series of other closures and travel bans.

Nationwide, more than half a million students had been affected by the cancellations by midday, according to NPR. Other schools that are closing include: Harvard University, Columbia, Princeton, Rice, Stanford University, Hofstra, University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington, among others.

Syracuse University has 22,850 students, including graduate students, undergraduates and law students. It has 3,554 staff, including faculty. According to Onondaga County government, SU is the second-largest employer in Onondaga County.

New York officials announced Monday the state has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country.

The numbers will change and will continue to rise, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other public officials say.

The overwhelming number of New York’s cases are in the New York City area and on Long Island. Two people have tested positive in Saratoga County. No deaths have been reported in New York in connection with COVID-19. As of 4 p.m. Monday, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 19 people had died nationwide.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992

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