March 13, 2020
University of Arizona Update on COVID-19 Response
TUCSON, Ariz. — A message from University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins:
While the risk of contracting COVID-19 in Tucson remains low and there are no confirmed cases on any domestic University of Arizona campuses, the global and national situation has continued to evolve swiftly. Accordingly, we have adjusted the plans for campus mitigation. Until further notice, our Tucson campus, Sierra Vista campus and University of Arizona at Phoenix Biomedical Campus will operate as follows:
- Students should not return to campus, provided they have suitable alternative living arrangements. These students are welcome to return to campus briefly to collect belongings.
- Students who do not have a suitable alternative should return to campus. Residence halls, food service, Campus Health, libraries and computer labs are open and will remain open to support you.
- Classes will commence on Wednesday, March 18, fully online. Details for each class will be communicated by individual faculty and instructors.
- Faculty and staff are encouraged to work from home but are permitted to be on campus.
- All campus support operations will continue as usual to the extent possible.
- Research operations will continue as usual.
- Events and gatherings on campus will be canceled or rescheduled and updates will follow directly from the event organizers.
This pandemic situation is continuing to evolve, and I encourage you to refer regularly to our Coronavirus COVID-19 webpage for updates, accessible from Arizona.edu.
I am very proud of the ways the University of Arizona community is pulling together, with compassion and determination, to adapt our research, teaching and service operations in light of this global challenge.
Please stay safe and Bear Down!
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.