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UMass Joins List Of Schools Ending In-Person Classes — For Now

The campus of UMass Amherst.
File photo
/
Daily Hampshire Gazette / gazettenet.com
The campus of UMass Amherst.

The University of Massachusetts is joining a growing list of colleges and universities in closing campus to most students and moving to online learning, at least for now.

UMass president Marty Meehan announced the decision in a letter to the board of trustees, and UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy sent an email to the campus community.

After spring break, classes will be taught online at least until April 3, when the university will re-evaluate.

While the Amherst area has no reported cases of COVID-19, officials said sending students home will help keep the virus from spreading in close quarters, and support what's called "social distancing."

Many students said they understand the public health reasons, but are still intensely disappointed.

"Unfortunately, I'll be pretty negatively impacted by moving to distance learning," said UMass senior Taylor Cassidy, a classics major, "because so much of my material is still in physical form and requires going to the library."

Subbaswamy said exceptions may be made for studio and lab classes where face-to-face instruction is essential, and for students in "special circumstances."

Similar steps have been taken in recent days by Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and Williams colleges, among others.

Karen Brown is a radio and print journalist who focuses on health care, mental health, children’s issues, and other topics about the human condition. She has been a full-time radio reporter for NEPM since 1998.
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