OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – UW-Oshkosh will be following suit and suspending in-person classes starting next week due to concerns over COVID-19.
“We’re trying to make our plans based on the best information that’s available to us,” says Public Information Officer Peggy Breister, “It’s changing daily, and we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. So it’s really difficult to make decisions that are weeks out.”
While the university will technically remain open, campus-based classes on the Fond du Lac, Fox Cities, and Oshkosh campuses will be canceled for the week of March 16th. That is a full week prior to the scheduled start of spring break.
The delivery of courses through alternative delivery methods will begin on Monday, March 30. Further information about courses will be given to students by instructors over the next few weeks. Students would also be notified in advance if in-person classes were to resume at any point this semester.
Students are also being asked to return home to after they complete classes on Friday, March 13th.
“We are asking students to return to their permanent residences if possible and participate in classes from home rather than returning to campus,” Breister says.
Accommodations will be made at some residence halls for students unable to leave campus.
All UW-Oshkosh sponsored events and events held on any of their campuses are canceled immediately until further notice.
The school has already pulled a student home from Italy and canceled a trip to South Korea. Both Alternative Spring Break trips sponsored by Reeve Memorial Union have also been canceled. They are also strongly discouraging non-essential international and domestic travel over spring break. Anyone on campus who travels may be required to self-isolate for 14 days depending on where they are traveling to and from, even if they do not exhibit symptoms. Areas that currently require a self-quarantine can be found on the CDC website.
The university quickly developed a website to ease concerns or answer any questions students or their families might have during the time away.
“There are all kinds of links, information, FAQ’s – the communications we send out will also be on that site. That will be a really good way to contact us – there’s a form on there if people do have questions, they can fill that out and someone will get back to them,” Breister tells WTAQ News.
