MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison is shifting to all online classes for at least two weeks due to the rising number of coronavirus cases on campus.
According to a letter from UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, the announcement comes as the number of cases continue to rise across campus despite precautions put in place to help slow the spread. Two dormitories on campus – Sellery and Witte Residence Halls – are also being quarantined.
On Monday, university officials restricted undergraduates to essential in-person activities only, but Blank said extra precautions are needed because numbers are rising too high and too rapidly.
"It has been 20 percent or greater for the past two days," Blank said in the letter. "As we saw at the end of last week, these numbers reflect a rapid rise in infection among students living off campus, but the latest numbers also show a sharp increase in certain residence halls. We will not contain this spread without significant additional action."
Campus infections have been rising over the last month. According to the Associated Press, 1,044 students and 26 employees have tested positive for the virus since Aug. 6.
Earlier Wednesday, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi demanded the university send all undergraduate students living on campus home, stating that since Sept. 1 nearly 75% of the county’s cases stem from UW-Madison.
Blank said she made the decision with the UW System Administration, Public Health Madison & Dane County and Gov. Tony Evers.
According to university officials, the following measures are now in effect:
- All in-person undergraduate, graduate and professional school group instruction will be paused from Sept. 10 - 25. These classes will be canceled Thursday, Sept. 10 - Saturday, Sept. 12 and will resume remotely beginning Monday, Sept. 14 for at least two weeks. Clinical training will be permitted to continue. Classes and sections that are currently being offered remotely will continue as scheduled. Our contact tracing has not revealed any evidence of transmission from in-person instruction; however, this decision comes out of an abundance of caution for our students and employees. The Office of the Provost will provide assistance, if needed, to faculty and instructional staff making this quick transition to remote learning.
- Undergraduate research experiences that can be accomplished remotely must be conducted that way starting September 10 and continuing until September 25. The suspension of undergraduate students participating in face-to-face human subject research interactions, on and off campus, remains in effect until September 25. Graduate and post-doctoral research activities will be permitted to continue.
- Given the high number of positive test results in Sellery and Witte Residence Halls, the university has directed all residents in these buildings to quarantine in place for the next two weeks effective at 9 p.m. this evening. All residents of these halls who have not already been tested this week will be required to test on Thursday and Friday. University Health Services (UHS) will conduct these tests on-site.
- Students are not being asked to move out of the residence halls or leave town. The university says it has significant quarantine space available if necessary.
- Appointments continue to be available for on-campus testing; the university is also working to further expand testing capacity.
Officials say the following changes will be made to campus operations, effective Sept. 10 – 25:
- All in-person study spaces, including those at University Libraries, the Wisconsin Union and academic buildings will be closed.
- Dining services will shift to carry-out only for Housing residents and staff. The Wisconsin Union will provide curbside food pickup only.
- University Recreation & Wellbeing facilities will be closed.
- University Health Services will only be open for urgent care needs, by appointment only. Telehealth and telemedicine appointments are available.
- University Libraries will revert to their summertime operations, supporting the research mission of the university.
- In-person gatherings, including all social events and work gatherings of more than 10 people, are cancelled. Employees may meet in groups of 10 or fewer for essential purposes. Whenever possible, work meetings should continue to be conducted remotely via phone or video streaming.
