Temple Switching To Online Classes For Rest Of Semester

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University is joining other Philadelphia-area schools by taking all its classes online to protect students from the novel coronavirus.

The university said Wednesday that starting March 16, the school will start online and alternative learning methods which will continue through the end of the spring semester.

Additionally, students are urged to leave campus no later than Saturday. Off-campus students living places such as apartments and fraternity/sorority houses are also encouraged to return home for the rest of the semester.

Students who need to stay past March 21 can request extensions. University Housing and Residential Life staff will email students with information regarding the move-out process and extension requests. The university will allow students, including international students, who are unable to return home to remain in university housing through the end of the semester.

The university says all non-essential events should be postponed or canceled until further notice and consider alternatives to in-person events such as conducting meetings via online tools.

Contingency plans for commencement and being laid out and the university will share information with the community as soon as possible.

Temple is suspending all university-affiliated international travel for faculty, staff and students through the end of the spring semester, unless expressly approved by the provost.

We strongly discourage domestic university-affiliated travel and personal travel, both domestic and international, to geographic areas with sustained community transmission or to areas that could result in quarantine or isolation upon your return.

"This is a significant transition, and we know that it may be difficult and raise many questions," Temple President Richard M. Englert said. "We promise to work diligently with the university community in the days to come to help make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone."