CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is postponing or canceling large events and moving some classes online in an effort to safeguard against the growing coronavirus outbreak.

The Cambridge-based university announced that it will be rolling out new policies regarding gatherings that are likely to attract 150 or more people through May 15.

Starting Tuesday, the university says it will suspend in-person meetings of classes with more than 150 students and move them online. About 20 classes impacted by the decision will continue to be offered in virtual form.

“We are being guided by our medical professionals who are in close contact with state and national public health officials,” Ian Waitz, vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education, wrote in a letter to deans and department heads. “They have advised us that while the risk to the community is low and there are no cases on campus as of now, we need to move quickly to help prevent the potential transmission of the disease and to be ready if and when it impacts our campus.”

Waltz added, “Our approach is to be aggressive, but to move forward in stages while keeping in mind that some individual faculty and departments may be moving faster than others, that the level of comfort with remote teaching varies, and that some classes may translate better than others to alternative formats.”

Midterm examinations will proceed as scheduled but the plan for large courses is to run tests in several rooms so the number of students in each room remains well below 150, according to the university.

The university says it has decided that all MIT-sponsored student domestic travel of more than 100 miles will have to go through a high-risk travel waiver process.

All scheduled admissions sessions and tours, including graduate open houses, have also been canceled through May 15.

“Based upon reducing risk, we ask all departments to cancel all remaining graduate open houses and visit days, and to move to virtual formats,” Waitz wrote.

The MIT campus currently remains open for visits by prospective students.

For more information and a list of events that have been canceled or postponed, click here.

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