Last Wednesday, the Board of Governors issued guidance to Florida’s twelve public universities to begin implementing methods that would enable the delivery of coursework to students remotely. To facilitate this, we advised that students who were on spring break or about to begin spring break should be instructed not to return to campus for two weeks beyond their scheduled break. We also advised that students who had returned from break should be encouraged to return home. This guidance is intended to enhance our ability to provide social distancing on our campuses and to minimize the risk where individuals have traveled by means, to and from, destinations where they may have been exposed to Coronavirus.
As we begin the new week, the State University System is open for business. Campus housing and food services for students who are unable to leave campus are still operating. Counseling, advising, and delivery of courses continue. University research and community services continue. We anticipate that two-thirds of our institutions will be delivering courses remotely as their students have completed spring break and the other third will be doing so a week from now.
Looking forward, we will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of remote learning and the need to teach remotely in order to protect our students and the university community.
Q and A:
Q: Are university employees also being encouraged/allowed to work away from campus?
A: As with other Florida businesses and state agencies, our office and each university are evaluating telecommuting and remote working opportunities. These decisions are employer/employee discussions to ensure that the employee can fulfill their job requirements.
Q: When are students returning?
A: We will continue to work with the Florida Department of Health and the Emergency Operations Center to determine if the initial two weeks is sufficient.
Dates in-person Classes
Scheduled to Resume
As of March 13, 2020
FAU March 30
FGCU March 30
Florida Polytechnic March 30
UCF March 30
UF March 30
UWF March 30
FAMU April 6
FIU April 6
FSU April 6
New College April 6
UNF April 6
USF April 6
Q: Are State Universities declaring a State of Emergency?
A: We are investigating this issue.
Updated university information about COVID-19 is available on the Board of Governors website at www.flbog.edu.
