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UH moves all summer classes online amid coronavirus pandemic

Though the University moved to make all Spring semester classes online on March 19, Khator said that UH still has about 1,600 students living in on-campus housing. | File photo

Though the University moved to make all Spring semester classes online on March 19, Khator said UH still has about 1,600 students living in on-campus housing. | File photo

All summer classes at the University will be online due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to an email announcement sent on Friday from President Renu Khator.

Because of the uncertainty about when the coronavirus pandemic will end, Khator and her leadership team decided to continue with remote instruction for the May mini-session and all four summer sessions, according to the announcement.

“Looking forward to the summer, not even our most knowledgeable health experts can predict with certainty when the threat of COVID-19 will subside,” Khator said in the announcement. “But we do know it will be with us for some time and so will the need for social distancing.”

Priority enrollment for summer and fall courses began Friday.

There are currently 955 cases of COVID-19 in Harris County, and there have been 84 deaths in Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Though the University moved to make all spring semester classes online on March 19, Khator said UH still has about 1,600 students living in on-campus housing, staff who are preparing food, cleaning and sanitizing the buildings, those who need access to their office or lab, and police and security officers on their regular patrols.

“Even though we are enforcing social distancing and following all guidance from health officials, it is not lost on me the anxiety that is felt by those people whose presence at the workplace is essential to support delivery of education,” Khator said.

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