In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby announced Thursday that face-to-face classes would end this weekend at the college.
The moves affect the university’s campuses in DeLand, Celebration and Gulfport.
As of 2 p.m. March 13, there were 45 cases of COVID-19 in Florida, with six non-Florida residents also infected in the state. Two deaths have been attributed to the disease.
Volusia has three cases: two women, 60 and 66 years of age; and a 70-year-old man. All Volusia cases are said to be travel-related.
In a letter posted Thursday night on the university’s website, Libby laid out the following timeline:
• Saturday, March 14, will be the last day for face-to-face classes for undergraduate and graduate students.
• In DeLand and Celebration, classes are canceled on Monday and Tuesday, March 16-17, to allow faculty and students to pause and prepare for the transition to online classes.
• In DeLand and Celebration, the university’s normal class schedule will resume via remote instruction Wednesday, March 18.
• All classes will continue in an online format through the end of the spring semester on all Stetson campuses.
• The ASUN Conference, in which the Stetson Hatters compete, is suspending athletics competition through April 5, and will make a decision regarding any further competition this semester on Friday, March 13.
• The university has not made a final decision on the handling of commencement and will continue to review and assess the situation, but will strive to provide a decision and announcement by March 31.
Many large universities around the country have made similar moves in recent days, including the University of Central Florida, which is suspending in-person classes for two weeks.
Daytona State College said classes currently being taught online will continue as scheduled, resuming March 16, while face-to-face classes will be delayed for one week and resume as online classes March 23. The move includes hybrid courses, which will now be taught completely online.
Stetson University is keeping its students and faculty posted with a COVID-19 page online, available at www.stetson.edu/other/covid-19. Daytona State has a similar page, at www.daytonastate.edu/COVID-19.
