Florida State University prepares for possible move to online classes after 2020 spring break

University instructors asked to be ready by March 23

Tallahassee, Florida – Florida State University Provost Sally McRorie on March 10th, 2020 has directed the university’s faculty and academic instructors to be ready to shift their courses from traditional campus-based, face-to-face classes to online and other alternate methods of delivery for the remainder of the semester following spring break, if it becomes necessary.

McRorie emphasized that if courses were to move online, the university would remain open for business and all employees would continue to report to work. However, students should take all necessary academic course materials with them when they depart for spring break in case they need to resume their spring courses remotely.

While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 in Leon County, where the main campus of Florida State University is located in Florida, university officials have been proactively working for several weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while also preparing for the possibility of a case within the campus community.

McRorie addressed faculty members attending Tuesday’s regular meeting of the academic deans and department chairs. She asked for the faculty’s assistance in ensuring all of Florida State’s courses are ready for remote learning or other methods of delivery when students return from spring break.

In addition, McRorie announced the cancellation of the university’s International Programs spring break study abroad trips.

Spring break at Florida State is scheduled for March 16-20. Classes will resume Monday, March 23.

While the possible move to distance learning midterm would be a historic first at Florida State, it would not be unprecedented. The university successfully moved all academic courses offered at the FSU Panama City campus to online delivery after Hurricane Michael’s devastating impact on Bay County in October 2018.

The campus community will be notified with specific instructions via email if the university decides to move classes online.

The guidance for online instruction includes the FSU- Panama City campus. At this time, no changes are planned for the College of Medicine regional campuses.

Please refer to fsu.edu/coronavirus for the latest official university updates on coronavirus (COVID-19).