Cuomo: SUNY, CUNY to move to “distance learning” March 19 in response to coronavirus

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced the State University of New York and the City University of New York will implement plans to “maximize distance learning and reduce in-person classes,” beginning March 19 and continuing for the remainder of the spring semester.

The decision is in response to the “evolving” novel coronavirus situation in New York, Cuomo’s office said.

All campuses will develop plans catered to the campus and curriculum-specific needs while reducing density in the

campus environment to “help slow possibility for exposures to novel coronavirus.”

Distance learning and other options will be developed by campuses, Cuomo’s office said.  

“We have been working closely with the governor and the [New York State] Department of Health to allow SUNY students to continue their education online or remotely, thus limiting their exposure to the COVID-19 while ensuring academic continuity,” SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson said in Cuomo’s news release. “SUNY Online is a major initiative for our system, and we have been preparing to migrate many of our academic programs to this new distance-learning platform.  With more than 100,000 SUNY students currently taking one or more of their courses online with us, we believe we are prepared and well-positioned to take advantage of remote instruction to further our student’s education during this crisis.”

SUNY joins several of New York’s private universities that have already decided to move to online classes and suspend on-campus instruction for a given time period.

Wednesday’s announcement came a short time after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The WHO cited the more than 118,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in more than 110 countries and territories around the world and the sustained risk of further global spread

The website of Merriam-Webster defines pandemic as “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

VISUAL CREDIT:  SUNY Twitter page