Northwood University courses will be moved to an online platform starting Wednesday, following similar moves by public universities in Michigan amid coronavirus concerns.
“Although we have made this decision today, it is important to reiterate that there have been no identified cases of the COVID-19 virus among the Northwood student, faculty or staff population,” President Kent MacDonald said in a statement Thursday announcing the decision. “The decision to move learning to an online format reflects the best practice that early and effective social distancing, and limiting mobility, have been shown to mitigate transmission of the virus.”
In-class meetings are suspended until March 29 for all undergraduate classes at the Midland, Mich., campus, the Adult Degree Program and the DeVos Graduate School of Management. The situation will be reassessed the week of March 23. There have been 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan.
Northwood is following the guidelines set by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and will not be holding events with more than 100 people. This includes athletic events, where the university is following the guidelines of the NCAA and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Students are encouraged to complete their courses at their permanent residence if possible; residence and dining halls will remain open during this period.
Northwood University has more than 3,000 students throughout its Michigan locations and is a leader in developing entrepreneurs in the automotive industry and beyond.
“We understand that these are uncertain and trying times,” MacDonald said. “Our goal in making these decisions today is to proactively limit the potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus in our community.”