Harvard, Others Ask Students Not To Return From Break, Go Virtual

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Harvard University will shut down campus to students and move all courses online for the duration of the spring semester, becoming the highest-profile university to make the bold move amid fears of the new coronavirus.

Harvard asked students not to return from spring break. The university said it hopes to have the new online-only system in place by March 23.

"The decision to move to virtual instruction was not made lightly," Harvard President Larry Bacow said in a letter to students. "The goal of these changes is to minimize the need to gather in large groups and spend prolonged time in close proximity with each other in spaces such as classrooms, dining halls, and residential buildings."

Worries around COVID-19 are forcing colleges and universities to evaluate how they operate.

Amherst College became the first college in Massachusetts to shut down, saying Monday night it will switch to online education after spring break, which ends March 22. Classes will be canceled March 12-13, kicking off spring break early.

MIT, Emerson, Suffolk and other schools followed suit later Tuesday.

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