ARKANSAS, USA — In Governor Asa Hutchinson’s press conference Sunday afternoon, he advised all public schools in the state to close their campuses to prevent the spread of coronavirus and the illness it causes, COVID-19, throughout the state.
He said due to the timing, schools may remain open Monday if needed, but mandatory closing will begin this Tuesday, March 17.
Just on Thursday, the governor had said that besides the counties with a positively infected person, it was the school district’s choice on whether to close.
The following Arkansas universities and colleges have announced they are closing their in-person classes:
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
- In-person classes are canceled until the end of the semester
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Classes to move online until further notice
- Activities canceled until April 30, for now
- South East Arkansas College
- Pulaski Technical College
- In-person classes and on-site student activities canceled
- University of Arkansas-Medical Sciences
- University of Central Arkansas
- In-person classes canceled starting March 13
- Switching to online classes beginning March 17 until end of the semester
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Administrative offices open, classes are online only
- Henderson State University
- Shift to remote instruction beginning Friday, March 13th. Face to face classes will not resume before April 13th.
- University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public
- All in-person classes will be moved online for the remainder of the spring semester.
- Shorter College
- Full-time staff and faculty will report to work as normal, classes will go online starting Friday, March 13 until March 30.
- Hendrix College
- College-owned housing closes at 5 p.m. on March 16 and in-person classes are canceled from March 16 through March 20. Remote courses will begin after spring break, on March 30.
- Philander Smith College
- PSC moving from in-person class instruction to a hybrid remote approach effective Monday, March 23rd until further notice.
- PSC students will be on Spring Break as scheduled March 16th – March 20th.
- The following week (beginning March 23), the Spring Semester will resume with classes offered remotely – a hybrid model that will employ a mix of online and other remote capabilities.
The governor said it is important to not panic; these closures are being made as a precaution. In other words, the closings are to avoid further spread.
List of various schools and districts who have closed:
- The Excel Center, Goodwill‘s charter high school for adults
- Watson Chapel School District