American University Expands Coronavirus Response At DC Campus

WASHINGTON, DC — American University students will be taking online classes for the rest of the spring semester to avoid the risk of spreading the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, according to new instructions from AU President Sylvia M. Burwell.

This comes just two days after Burwell announced that students would have only three weeks of online instruction when they got back to school on Wednesday, March 18. But that's all changed.

A lot can happen in two days.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic; D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency and a public health emergency; and DC Health recommended that non-essential mass gatherings be postponed or canceled.

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Based on all that information, AU is taking the following steps to further prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Online classes will continue through the rest of the spring semester. No on-campus instruction will be given for the remainder of the semester. This applies to the Washington College of Law (WCL) as well, where online classes will start on Monday, March 23. Faculty will provide specific instructions to students about the online classes.
• Students living in residence halls are directed to leave campus by Monday, March 23. They are to return to their permanent address for the rest of the semester. Students facing difficulties in leaving residence halls because of extraordinary circumstances should contact the Office of Campus Life for assistance.
• University operations will transition to an expanded telework environment from Monday, March 16 through Sunday, April 5. The university will not be closed, and some limited services will be available on campus. University employees will be paid as normal.
• All study abroad programs have been canceled. Students receiving instruction must return immediately to their permanent address. They are not to return to campus. AU will work with these students on financial matters and academic arrangements.
• All domestic travel for official university business and AU-sponsored student or student group trips are suspended through May 5. This includes travel that was approved previously. All university-sponsored international travel remains suspended.
• All AU-sponsored public events both on and off campus are suspended through May 5.

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