Updated Monday, March 16 @ 6:13 a.m.
The University of Colorado Boulder has canceled in-person classes for the rest of the semester due to concerns over the coronavirus.
In a letter from the chancellor, the university said it is completely transitioning to online classes as of Monday, March 16, 2020. Faculty will use technology such as Canvas and Zoom to run courses.
The letter said campus facilities like residence halls, dining halls, libraries and student recreation centers will stay open.
As another step, CU Boulder recommends that employees and student workers work from home if possible.
The school also suspended all study abroad programs to the Czech Republic, France, Japan and Spain through the end of the spring 2020 semester. A school official said it's too early to make any decisions when it comes to commencement.
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Denver campuses both announced after CU Boulder that they would switch to remote classes for two weeks after students return from spring break beginning on March 30. In the meantime, the schools said deans will be working to transition to online instruction.
UC Denver officials expect remote learning to continue until the end of the semester. The campus will remain open.
The plan for UCCS is to return to regular in-person classes on Tuesday, April 14. The campus will also remain open.
UCCS is also advising employees with compromised immune systems to work from home. The university has restricted all official travel through the end of April.
The other universities in the CU system have been talking about canceling in-person classes and have hastened that decision making given Boulder's decision, according to spokesperson Ken McConnellogue. He said Wednesday he expects a decision from other schools in the next couple of days.
The University of Northern Colorado has recalled 10 students from study abroad programs in China, Japan, Italy and South Korea. A school official says they are in isolation, but is unaware if they have been tested for COVID-19.
The University of Denver announced late Wednesday it will move all classes online until at least April 10. It is also canceling in-person final exams that were slated to start March 17, in favor or remote or online exams. Despite these measures, the chancellor says the university remains open. It plans to clean dorms over spring break.
Johnson & Wales University told CPR that they have a possible case of COVID-19. The university said the individual is currently being tested and is self-isolating. Any people who may have come in contact with this person are being notified and thorough cleaning of the campus is taking place.
Read more: How does COVID-19 spread?
Colorado College in Colorado Springs extended spring break by a week and will have students attend class remotely when school is back in session. It is asking students to stay off-campus until mid-April. College officials said they will also consider closing campus for the rest of the academic year.
Metropolitan State University in Denver announced March 15 that it would suspend any remaining in-person, on-campus classes. The school said many faculty have already moved their classes online. The rest will have to transition to remote teaching by March 30. The university is canceling all meetings of 150 people or more starting Friday, March 13. School officials are waiting to see if commencement will move forward.
Colorado State University will also move classes online starting March 25. Remote teaching will continue through April 10, but the end date will be re-evaluated ahead of time. The campus will remain open. International and domestic travel for faculty and staff between March 23 and April 10 is suspended. Any on-campus and university-hosted off-campus events during that time involving 20 or more "external visitors" or that are "targeted toward an at-risk population" are also canceled. Exceptions may be granted.
CSU Pueblo announced on Thursday that classes would be moving online beginning Monday, March 16 and stay remote through May 1. The campus will remain open.
The Colorado School of Mines will transition to remote classes on March 30 for the remainder of the semester. Class meetings will be canceled the week of March 16-20 so instructors can prepare. The university's spring break, scheduled from March 23-27, will not change. The campus will remain open.
Colorado Mesa University and Colorado Mountain College have said that they are monitoring the situation and are training teachers on remote instruction.
On Thursday, the chancellor of the state's community college system said that they too were preparing to move classes online after Spring Break, except in some career and technical programs where hands-on learning is necessary. Those classes would be conducted with enough space to allow for safe distancing between students and instructors.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect new figures for the number of students studying abroad at the University of Northern Colorado.
