K-State joins KU, MU: Suspending classes, going online amid growing coronavirus fears
Kansas State University is now the latest major college in the Kansas City region to announce it is suspending in-person classes for a while and resuming with all classes online-only because of coronavirus concerns.
The university is now on spring break. Officials announced Thursday that classes are canceled March 16-20. They will resume remotely beginning March 23 to mitigate the spread of the disease, known as COVID-19. The change affects all K-State campuses, which will remain open “to continue to serve the essential needs of students and faculty,” a K-State statement said.
“Right now, the K-State community is dispersed throughout the nation and globe during spring break,” said Richard Myers, K-State president. “When everyone returns, it could increase the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
“The concept of social distancing has been shown to slow a disease outbreak, so reducing the number of times and places that people gather in large numbers or spend extensive time together could help slow the disease.”
Myers encouraged students to go home or remain home next week. He said dorms will reopen at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 15, for students who cannot remain at their permanent homes. Some university and student services may be reduced.
The K-State announcement came less than 24 hours after the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri took similar action.
On Wednesday, MU said it is suspending all classes through Sunday, and when they resume on Monday, classes will be delivered online only. The university is scheduled to go on spring break the week of March 23.
KU students are on spring break this week. University officials said classes will not resume for another week after that as instructors prepare to deliver their courses, including lectures, online. Once classes start up again March 23, they will all be online.
Starting March 28, KU will decide on a week by week basis whether to continue online-only instruction.
On Wednesday the World Health Organization declared a the coronavirus a global pandemic.
K-State, like the other universities, has created an online site at k-state.edu, where it will post information about the virus and how the university is handling it, including further announcements.
The K-State announcement also said that events scheduled through March 30 of more than 100 people will be evaluated individually and decisions about athletic events will follow Big 12 guidance. Visitors are also encouraged to postpone campus visits.
Also on Wednesday:
▪ Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, which is currently on spring break, announced it is transitioning to online instruction. It will suspend face-to-face classes when students return March 16, continuing at least through March 31. The campus itself will remain open and operational for faculty and staff.
▪ Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville is currently on spring break and announced it will suspend classes until March 23. The campus remains open and operational, and university employees were told to report to work as normal. Residence halls will open at 1 p.m. Sunday as planned for students who choose to return to campus. Campus dining will offer scaled-back services.
By late Wednesday, in-person classes had been canceled or postponed at more than 100 universities across the country. In this region, St. Louis University, Webster University and Maryville University also took similar actions. Washington University in St. Louis suspended in-person classes until the end of April.
In the Kansas City region, one case of coronavirus was reported in Johnson County, the first in Kansas, and one was reported in St. Louis County, the first in Missouri.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 8:59 AM with the headline "K-State joins KU, MU: Suspending classes, going online amid growing coronavirus fears."
