The University System of Maryland has shifted its classes online for the spring semester.
The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville announced Friday that all campus buildings will be closed to the public through at least May 31 due to the coronavirus outbreak, with classes from its nine partners institutions continuing online for the rest of the semester.
USG, in its announcement, said its decision is based on the ruling from the University System of Maryland, which announced on Thursday that all instruction would take place online for the remainder of the semester.
All events through May 31 have been canceled, the announcement stated, including USG’s planned May 7 graduation celebration.
(Steve Hull, the editor-in-chief and publisher of Bethesda Magazine and Bethesda Beat, is a member of the Board of Advisors of The Universities at Shady Grove.)
USM’s decision to make courses online for the rest of the semester came after Gov. Larry Hogan made the suggestion earlier Thursday during a press conference. Hogan also announced a number of other measures the state was taking to encourage social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.
USM Chancellor Jay Perman on Thursday urged students to follow the advice of public officials in staying home.
“This isn’t a break. It’s not a respite from the semester. It’s not a party. I urge students staying in their family homes or in off-campus housing to follow the state and federal guidelines on gatherings,” he said.
