According to a report on WMTW.com, the University of Maine System announced that classes will move to remote online classes following Spring Break due to concerns over the coronavirus.
The classes will convert to online by March 23, the end of Spring Break for the seven universities in the system. For students living on campus, they will need to have moved out and find a place to stay by March 22 as the campuses will be shutting down entirely.
In a message from Chancellor Malloy on transition to online instruction, “students who have already departed campus will be given opportunities to return to collect necessary belongings at an appropriate time,” he states. “Residential and meal plan options will be available for those who must remain in or return to their on-campus residence during or from Spring Break due to extenuating person circumstances, and those students should be advised to prepare for limited on-campus interaction.”
Students looking to return to their on-campus residences that leave Maine for Spring Break must register their travel plans and will be subject to quarantine or self isolation upon return.
“The University of Maine System, with many of its 23,000 students expected to travel over spring break and 5,800 students living in close proximity in resident halls, is a unique Maine institution,” said Malloy. “We are fortunate that there are still no coronavirus cases in Maine and we must take all appropriate steps to limit exposure to the virus in the interest of preserving public health.”
For students at the University of Southern Maine, professors were informed over the past weekend to prepare for the move to online classes. Students will find their classes on Blackboard.
This article will be updated as more information is released.