Updated 6:45 p.m. Thursday with information from DBU, SMU, Tarleton, UNT, UTA and UTD.
As the coronavirus has spread from China to other countries of the world including the United States of America, universities in Texas have announced changes to study abroad or travel programs and many have extended Spring Break dates and/or moved to exclusively online classes.
So far, none of the universities have reported any cases of COVID-19 among students or staff traveling for university programs. Many of the study abroad program cancellations were precautionary and based on suggested travel restrictions by the U.S. government.
Here's a look at what different schools across Texas have announced:
Baylor University
- Travel to South Korea was postponed until further notice and travel to China was canceled.
- On March 11, the university announced it is extending its Spring Break by one week until March 20.
- On March 11, the university also announced all classes will be online-only from March 23-April 4.
Related: Read more from Baylor
Collin College
Collin College will extend spring break for students by one additional week to include March 16-22.
Dallas Baptist University
Officials have extended the university's spring break for one additional week. Classes will then resume online from March 23 through April 5. In-person classes will then begin on April 6, though DBU said that could change.
Dallas County Community College District
Spring break has been extended through March 29 at all campuses. On March 30, the community college system will transition to online classes.
Related: Read more from DCCCD
Paul Quinn College
- The college announced March 11 it will move all classes online for the remainder of the spring semester. All students are also required to stay away from campus until further notice.
Rice University
- Rice’s Crisis Management Advisory Committee is asking a group of 17 employees and students to self-quarantine because of possible exposure to the coronavirus while overseas. The school is emphasizing this group did not travel to a country currently on the CDC’s travel restriction list, but that they are taking extra precautionary measures.
Related: Read more from Rice University
Southern Methodist University
- Students living on campus have been requested to leave their residence halls and remain home until April 5.
- All students will be moved to online classes for the first two weeks following spring break, which will begin on Monday, March 23.
- All on-campus gatherings of more than 50 people have been canceled/postponed through the end of April.
- All summer programs have been canceled
- All students currently abroad are being told to return to the U.S. and self-quarantine at their homes for 14 days.
Tarleton University
- On March 12, the university announced spring break will extended by an extra week and classes will resume March 23.
- Faculty and staff will have a one-day extension to their spring break. They will return to campus on March 17.
- The university has also created a mandatory reporting form for all students, faculty, and staff traveling from or through any country designated as Level 2 or Level 3 by the CDC for COVID-19.
Related: Read more from Tarleton University
Texas A&M University System
- All study abroad spring break trips in Italy have been canceled.
- China and South Korea were previously put on Texas A&M’s suspend-all-travel list.
- A&M will refund trip costs to about 30 students and faculty who were planning to study abroad in Italy during spring break.
Related: Read more from Texas A&M
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
The university announced Thursday that all classes will move online starting Mon., March 23. All athletic events have been suspended, as have all university and non-university events on campus.
"The TAMUT campus will be closed and most university employees will work remotely. The university police department will continue its normal operational schedule and a small staff of essential personnel will remain to look after facility maintenance as well as food service and student services for a few residence hall occupants who are unable to travel home," a statement from the university said.
Texas Christian University
- On March 19, TCU said online and virtual instruction will begin March 23 and continue through the end of the semester
- All students in Italy were asked to return to the U.S.
- In January, TCU suspended all trips to China through August per State Department recommendations.
- The university has no current plans to cancel summer programs.
Related: Read more from TCU
University of Dallas
- Students at their Rome campus are being brought back to the United States following an updated Travel Alert for Italy by the CDC.
University of North Texas
UNT will cancel all in-person classes from March 16 through 22, with instruction to resume on March 23. The school said clarification on how instruction will be delivered following that date will be announced by March 19.
University of Texas
- UT suspended all undergrad travel to Italy on February 28
- UT added South Korea and China to the UT Restricted Regions list and all undergraduate travel to those countries was suspended.
- On March 11, UT extended Spring Break until Monday, March 30. "The university will remain open, and the additional week of spring break will provide UT faculty and staff members time to prepare to increase 'social distancing' on campus," a letter from UT president Gregory L. Fenves said.
- Many lectures will move to online learning, Fenves said.
Related: Read more from UT
University of Texas at Arlington
- UTA suspended all official university travel to China on January 31
- It has extended its spring break for students to include the week of March 15 through 22. When classes resume on March 23, they will be conducted completely online. All campus tours, events and activities have been canceled through April 6.
Related: Read more from UTA
University of Texas at Dallas
- Spring break will be extended by one week
- Classes scheduled for March 23-27 are canceled. Classes will resume on March 30.
- All students will be moved to online courses
- All on-campus events have been canceled/postponed
- UTD suspended all university-related travel to South Korea and China indefinitely
Related: Read more from UTD
University of Texas at San Antonio
- They are recalling students from Italy for the remainder of the spring semester. Upon return, students and faculty will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
- There are currently no one from UTSA reporting symptoms or diagnosis of coronavirus.
Related: Read more from UTSA
