Towson University will hold most of its classes online for the entirety of the fall semester, President Kim Schatzel announced Wednesday, citing concerns related to a rising number of positive COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff.
“This has been a most difficult decision for me, but the safety of our campus community must be our priority and our utmost concern,” Schatzel wrote in a campus-wide email. “We have made this decision based on science and data with the support of our experts on campus, in the USM and public health professionals.”
Some face-to-face instruction will continue in the health professions, science & mathematics and fine arts & communication colleges, according to Schatzel. Research initiatives and some graduate programs will also continue in person.
“We are committed to working with students needing labs, studios and performance-based classes that are required for completion of their degrees,” Schatzel wrote.
About 85% of classes were originally planned to be instructed virtually, less than 50% of residence halls were expected to be occupied and less than 20% of faculty and staff anticipated to work in-person.
Students, faculty and staff were required to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within 10 days before returning to campus. The University Health Center administered thousands of free tests, Schatzel said, and 17 cases were reported over the last 10 weeks.
But the number of positive cases spiked by 55 on Saturday, according to Schatzel. None of the infected individuals were on campus.
Eleven additional positive tests were logged on Sunday, the day the university announced that classes for the first week of the semester — which started on Monday — would be held remotely.
“The events of the last few days are a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the virus,” Schatzel wrote.
Students living on campus will be moved out, and they will be issued refunds for their housing and dining plans.
