University of Kentucky issued the following announcement.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new illness that was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, with patients reporting cases of fever and acute respiratory illness. Since that time, other countries, including the U.S., have seen cases of the illness.
As a diverse and globally engaged research institution with a world-class academic medical center, the University of Kentucky has been closely monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak and their potential impacts on the university community. The health and safety of our faculty, staff and students is our highest priority. Visit our FAQ page to stay updated as we know more.
Instruction and University Operations
Instruction will move to online or other alternative learning formats, effective March 23 through the end of the Spring 2020 semester (previously, we had announced using such formats through April 3).
- Students should make plans to return to their residences away from campus to continue their studies remotely through the end of the semester. We will communicate by Thursday, March 19, more details regarding moving out of residence halls.
- We are requiring students to return to their homes unless they receive approval to remain on campus. The form for that process can be accessed here.
- Supervisors and department chairs should provide maximum flexibility to our employees who need to work remotely in the short-term and in the weeks to come so they can manage personal, family, and health needs in response to the spread of the virus and the closures of schools and businesses across the Commonwealth.
- For the next three days (March 18-20), buildings on campus will be closed to the public. We will be communicating hours of operation for those buildings that must remain open to support students or other vital services.
- UK Commencement Ceremonies will be postponed to ensure the safety of our students and their families, as well as our staff and faculty who participate. There will be a Commencement to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our Spring 2020 graduating class; we will schedule it for a time when we are able to do so in a healthy and safe environment. This does not change the semester completion date for our students, nor does it affect the timeline for students earning their degrees. We are only postponing the graduation ceremony and public celebration.
All University-sponsored or endorsed international travel is suspended indefinitely. There is an appeals process. All University-sponsored or endorsed domestic travel is strongly discouraged.
Students who had planned to participate in a summer education abroad program will be contacted by the UK Education Abroad and Exchanges Office by March 20 with a decision about the program.
Our voluntary travel registry will continue indefinitely so we can continue to monitor travel plans to provide members of our campus community with the most up-to-date guidance and assistance.
Original source can be found here.
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