The University System of Georgia announced Monday afternoon that all of its 26 colleges and universities will conduct online instruction for the rest of the semester, with “extremely limited exceptions” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Students are not allowed to return to campus until they receive permission from their institution, the University System said in its announcement.
“Additionally, residence halls will be closed, with minimal exceptions for students unable to return home, or who cannot find housing elsewhere. Students will receive specific instructions from campus leaders regarding when they will be allowed to return to campus to retrieve their belongings from residence halls. Students must follow those instructions. For those students who are unable to depart campus, we will make every effort to accommodate these students,” the University System said.
The University System includes the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University and Georgia Southern University. The system has about 330,000 students.
A University System spokesman declined further comment, saying the system is working with its schools on additional details about the plans. The University System said Thursday it would close temporarily suspend instruction for at least two weeks to prepare for possible online instruction.