Texas State joins The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Houston, Baylor University, Texas Christian University and others in extending spring break and moving classes online to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to an email sent by University President Denise Trauth, the university will be extending spring break through the week of March 27 and will move courses to remote teaching until April 12. There will be no classes offered the week of March 16-27. Classes will resume online from March 30-April 12.
“We understand that the situation can be stressful, but by working together and remaining calm, we can help slow the spread of the virus and its possible impact on our community,” Trauth wrote in the email. “Please monitor your university email, as we will share additional updates as needed.”
A majority of Texas institutions extending their breaks said they plan to use the additional time to facilitate the transition to online classes.
No cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Hays County at this time.
Both the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses and all offices will remain open during and following the spring break extension. Residence halls and dining services will be available for on-campus-students. Faculty and staff must return to work March 23 in preparation for remote instruction and continue business operations.
Faculty must notify students by March 25 with information on how the course will be taught. The university encourages students, faculty and staff to review the Office of Distance and Extended Learning’s (ODEL) Teaching Continuity Guide website, and the Information Technology Assistance Center’s (ITAC) Teaching, Learning, and Working Remotely at TXST website.
Students who return to campus after spring break will be asked to follow the social distancing and prevention practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Students who work on campus should consult with their supervisors for guidance on work schedules.
Remote course delivery will end April 13 and face to face instruction will resume, unless instructors say otherwise. Remote course delivery may be extended is deemed necessary for community safety. Unless otherwise noted, the final exam calendar will remain the same.
Any indoor university-affiliated events with an expected attendance of more than 200 people will be canceled until April 12. Emails with detailed information will be sent out.
All university-funded international travel is canceled until further notice. The university also strongly advises avoiding any travel to areas within the United States with “active COVID-19 transmission.”
According to university policy, any personal travel internationally to countries with a CDC Travel Warning Level 2 or 3 will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to campus. Persons traveling to an affected area in the U.S. are required to call the Student Health Center at 512.245.2161 before returning to campus and may be asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
This extension of spring break comes as nine Texas State students and a professor were reported in self-quarantine upon returning after the university’s cancellation of all study abroad and exchange student programs. The students and professor all returned from either South Korea, Italy, Japan and Germany and are self-quarantined at their respective homes.
The University Star will continue to update this story as details develop.
Life and Arts Editor Laura Figi contributed to this article.