Loyola University Chicago announced this morning that it is suspending all in-person, face-to-face classes and moving them online, and that all university residence halls must be vacated by Thursday, March 19.
There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus at Loyola, but university officials said the steps are being taken “to reduce the spread of the virus,” and “in consultation with experts and with guidance from public health officials.”
A statement announcing the move, signed by University President Jo Ann Rooney along with Norberto Grzywacz, PhD, Provost and Chief Academic Officer,
Wayne Magdziarz, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer, and Thomas M. Kelly, Office of the President and Senior Vice President of Administrative Services.
According to the statement:
- Effective Friday, March 13, and continuing through the end of semester, all in-person, face-to-face classes will be suspended.
- Current online classes will continue. We will move the classes to online/virtual instruction as soon as possible but no later than Monday, March 23. Additional communication will come from the faculty directly to their students.
- Final exams will be handled remotely according to the regularly scheduled exam period.
- All residential students are expected to leave campus as soon as possible and go home for the semester. Residence halls will close by the end of the day on Thursday, March 19, in order to give students and families time to make necessary travel arrangements.
- Exceptions and hardships will be considered on an individual basis by Residence Life Department. Additional communication will come directly from Residence Life to all students in University housing about move out procedures and the exceptions and hardship process.
All international programs have also been suspended, and the university is repatriating study-abroad students to their homes.
“The University remains open to ensure academic and research continuity in support of our students’ progress towards the completion of the term. Faculty and Staff are to practice the appropriate social-distancing measures and the updated health and safety guidelines from public health officials, including telecommuting, if feasible and approved by their managers and consistent with Human Resource guidelines,” the letter states.
All University-sponsored events with participation greater than 70 people are prohibited on our campuses. No decision has been made on currently scheduled Commencement activities, but it will be made no later than April 3.
“We are proud of the work ethic, dedication, and resiliency of the Loyola community. We firmly believe that together we will get through this and come out stronger,” the letter states. “We would especially like to thank the faculty and staff for the generosity of heart and deep care for our students. The faculty has shown how much they care by both adjusting their teaching to accommodate our students’ needs and ensuring academic continuity during these challenging and changing circumstances.”
