University of Illinois President Tim Killeen says that the university will not hold graduation ceremonies as currently scheduled.

Killeen says that the university is still considering alternative options.

From the email:

Dear students, parents, faculty, staff and friends:

We are very disappointed to share the news that commencement ceremonies will not take place as scheduled in May at our universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Diplomas will be mailed, and we are exploring possible alternatives such as rescheduling and/or hosting virtual events to honor the Class of 2020. You will hear more from leadership of your universities in the days and weeks to come.

This was an outcome we had hoped to avoid. Commencements reflect the very core of our mission and provide a richly deserved celebration for both our graduates and the proud parents, family, friends, faculty and staff who supported them along the way. Every year, ceremonies across the U of I System draw anywhere from a few hundred people at school- and college-based commencements to more than 20,000 at Urbana’s university-wide event.

Even small turnouts, however, would far exceed the guidance issued last weekend by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to slow the spread of the virus. The new guidelines call for canceling or postponing all large gatherings for at least the next eight weeks – a timeline that brings us within days of our May commencements.

UPDATE 3/16:

Chancellor Robert J. Jones annouced today that in conjunction with CDC guidelines, the university will not return to in-person teaching for the Spring 2020 semester.

From the release:

• We are suspending face-to-face instruction for the rest of the spring 2020 semester.
• We still intend to resume instruction using alternative delivery methods beginning Monday, March 23. Faculty and students will receive separate e-mail messages from Provost Andreas Cangellaris with more details about the transition. These updates also will be posted to the university’s COVID-19 website.
• We are requiring all students who can safely do so return to their permanent home address to take their classes for the rest of the semester. University Housing is asking those students living in residence halls, Private Certified and Greek housing to begin making plans to move out.
• Students with housing contracts will receive an e-mail message with details about this process and scheduling information directly from Vice Chancellor Danita Brown Young.
• Students residing in Private Certified Housing (i.e. Bromley, Newman, Illini Tower, Stratford House etc.) and in Greek Houses should consult with their respective facility management to determine policies and processes for move-out.
• Information regarding Commencement and other year-end celebrations will be shared at a later time. All other campus events for this semester, including those sponsored by student organizations, are cancelled.

ORIGINAL STORY

The University of Illinois is moving classes online at all three campuses. In an email sent to faculty, staff, and students, President Timothy Kileen announced that classes will start transitioning to online or alternative delivery methods starting immediately.

Online classes hope to begin March 23rd, and will continue indefinitely.

From the release:

• Courses at each of our three universities will immediately begin migrating to online or alternative delivery mechanisms to provide the social distancing that helps limit transmission of the virus, with a goal of completion by March 23. Classes will be held at their currently scheduled times.
• Online and other alternative learning methods will continue until further notice, but our expectation is that it will be temporary and students will be updated regularly via email and updates on system and university websites.
• Students have the option of studying remotely from home or from their campus residence after spring break.
• Our campuses will remain open and ready to serve students, including residence and dining halls.
• Each university will provide specific guidance for their students regarding both academic and housing arrangements.
• Faculty and staff will continue their work on campus, including research, and human resources offices will provide guidance for work conditions that foster safety and for employees who suspect exposure or infection and must self-quarantine.

University events with more than 50 people are also being put on hold, as well as pending university travel.

The Big Ten conference also announced that all sporting events for the rest of the spring season will be played without fans in attendance.

Read the full statement:

We write today to share new policies for the University of Illinois System and its universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield, all designed to protect the health and welfare of our students, faculty and staff amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The proactive policies are focused squarely on doing our part to help curb the virus. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed cases among our faculty, staff and students. But such cases have been increasing in Illinois and our experts say early intervention is the best option to limit the spread.

Our policies will adopt best practices endorsed by state and national health officials by minimizing face-to-face exposure in classrooms and other types of large gatherings, and by limiting international and domestic travel. They were developed with guidance from the leading-edge healthcare experts across our universities, who have been consulting daily with a leadership team composed of the president, the chancellors and the provosts from all three universities. We will continue to monitor the outbreak and stay in constant contact with the Governor’s Office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other universities around the state and the nation.

The new policies were carefully crafted to safeguard our students, faculty and staff without compromising the world-class education and the groundbreaking research discovery that are synonymous with the U of I System. They are:

Instruction

• Courses at each of our three universities will immediately begin migrating to online or alternative delivery mechanisms to provide the social distancing that helps limit transmission of the virus, with a goal of completion by March 23. Classes will be held at their currently scheduled times.
• Online and other alternative learning methods will continue until further notice, but our expectation is that it will be temporary and students will be updated regularly via email and updates on system and university websites.
• Students have the option of studying remotely from home or from their campus residence after spring break.
• Our campuses will remain open and ready to serve students, including residence and dining halls.
• Each university will provide specific guidance for their students regarding both academic and housing arrangements.
• Faculty and staff will continue their work on campus, including research, and human resources offices will provide guidance for work conditions that foster safety and for employees who suspect exposure or infection and must self-quarantine.

Events

• Events with more than 50 attendees that are university-sponsored or hosted by registered student organizations will be suspended indefinitely, effective Friday, March 13.
• Events may occur via livestream or other telecommunications, or be postponed to a future date.
• Please check with each university for specific guidance.

Travel

• All university-sponsored international travel is prohibited, along with non-essential domestic travel until further notice.
• Personal international travel is strongly discouraged, and we urge caution and the exercise of good judgment for personal domestic travel.

Leaders of our three universities will share further information for how these policies will be implemented to address the specific educational and safety needs of their campus communities. UI Hospital and clinics will provide additional protocols to address the unique needs in providing care for their patients.

We recognize the many challenges this will create for our students, faculty and staff. We pledge to do everything in our power to support you during this temporary move to safeguard your health and the health of people in the communities we call home.

Our policies are rooted in our expert scientific knowledge base and exhibit an abundance of caution to take care of each other until the COVID-19 outbreak eases. We are all in this together, and appreciate your support and understanding.

Sincerely,

Tim Killeen, President, University of Illinois System
Barbara J. Wilson, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois System
Robert J. Jones, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michael D. Amiridis, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Susan J. Koch, Chancellor, University of Illinois at Springfield