NYU Abu Dhabi Will Move to Online Classes for Four Weeks

The school took action following the UAE government’s decision to close all schools in the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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In compliance with a United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education announcement that all schools in the country will close four weeks as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, NYU Abu Dhabi sent an email out on Wednesday announcing that it will hold classes online during that period.

“Faculty and staff will be encouraged to work remotely for the first week, March 8–14, and we will re-evaluate our guidance on working remotely as the situation and guidelines evolve over the four-week period,” the email stated.

From Thursday, March 5 until Saturday, March 7, the university will offer workshops and individual consultations about online teaching to prepare faculty members, especially those who are less accustomed to classroom technology.

“For classes that normally involve writing on a board and going through in-class problem sets, professors might have to get more creative,” junior Hannah Kasak-Gilboff told Local via email. “I think it’s courteous of NYUAD to give the week off for professors to figure out how they are going to handle the switch.”

According to the email, the university currently has no plans to relocate any members of the NYUAD community. Instead, from Sunday, March 8, to Saturday, April 4, all instruction, athletic, and public art spaces on the campus will be closed. Access to the dining hall and library will continue, but timings will be staggered in an effort to avoid large group gatherings. Staff will also have continued access to their offices to work but are discouraged from meeting with students in-person; and students can continue to travel freely on and off-campus with the campus shuttle still running at regular intervals.

The UAE government is also requiring that all schools conduct thorough cleaning, but NYUAD is unsure of how that will translate onto campus at this time.

“NYU Abu Dhabi will comply with the cleaning and disinfection required by the Ministry of Education. At this point, we do not know exactly what this will look like in terms of access or time, but we will, of course, ensure the impact on our community is minimal. If temporary relocation is required during this time — for example, if residences need to be cleaned — the University will make the necessary arrangements and support all of our community members throughout,” the email read.

Spring break for NYUAD is March 20–28. As of now, most students do not have plans for that week.

“Normally if we have a week off class we would all be flying somewhere, but this time might actually be a good opportunity to explore more within the UAE and within our community. In general, most of us are concerned that traveling could put our classmates at risk or complicate our re-entry into the UAE,” Kasak-Gilboff wrote. “Personally I have put off booking for spring break in case there are unexpected flight cancellations or borders closing. A lot of other people have even canceled their trips because of the outbreak and the risks associated with it.”

However, on the whole, Kasak-Gilboff thinks the UAE government’s decision to close campuses may actually make students more mobile.

“Even though we won’t be going to classes, most of the campus spaces we frequent will be open so life will go on as usual for the most part,” she said. “Some people are excited for the potential to take their classes from cafes and other venues off campus. Ironically, online classes might actually increase student mobility.”