March 11, 2020
UArizona to Delay Start of Classes to March 18, Moving to Online Instruction Wherever Possible
TUCSON, Ariz. — A message from University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins:
The University of Arizona's top priority is the health and safety of our students, our employees and our community. At this time, the risk of contracting COVID-19 in Tucson is low, and there are no confirmed cases on any domestic University of Arizona campus.
Nonetheless, like all U.S. universities, the University of Arizona is rapidly ramping up coronavirus mitigation efforts to keep our community as safe as possible.
Accordingly, we are delaying the start of classes to Wednesday, March 18, and moving from in-person instruction to online instruction wherever possible.
- Residence halls, recreational facilities, food services and Campus Health are open now and will remain open.
- Classes will continue in online mode until Monday, April 6, at which time the University will assess its operational status.
- All public events will continue, with the exception of the Bear Down Music Fest, unless otherwise announced.
Additional information will follow shortly with specific details for faculty, staff and students. To stay up-to-date, please visit our main COVID-19 page.
There is no doubt these policies will disrupt and inconvenience our campus community. However, I strongly believe these short-term disruptions will greatly reduce the risk of significant long-term negative consequences.
Please remember that we are all responsible for our community’s well-being. Be sure that you are taking care of yourself and looking out for your friends and other campus community members. Please also see CDC guidance.
Thank you for your patience and support through this evolving situation.
Sincerely,
Robert C. Robbins, M.D.
President
The University of Arizona
Media contacts:
Chris Sigurdson
University Communications
520-626-5620 (office) | 765-404-5959 (cell)
sig@email.arizona.edu
Pam Scott
University Communications
520-621-1951 (office) | 509-570-4610 (cell)
pscott@arizona.edu
The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2018 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $687 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 65 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually.