Australia unis keep teaching while Stanford closes classes

Universities telling the world they are putting courses on-line for students outside Australia is having a local impact

Learned readers report students here saying they should be allowed to take classes from home to avoid COVID-19 contagion from commuting and on campus but CMM is not aware of any university cancelling campus-classes.

UTS, for one, tells staff how to respond to requests for attendance exemptions; “acknowledge the students’ concerns but point them to official advice that they should not feel scared and that the risk of infection is very low.”

In contrast, in Friday Stanford U cancelled in-person classes for the final fortnight of the current teaching quarter, this week and next. The university is staying open, but management does not expect things to get better. It has also cancelled events for new students scheduled for April 23-26. “We are taking this step after thoughtful consideration,” Provost Persis Dell told the university community.