Woodbury University extends campus closure through summer
Woodbury University is extending online learning through its spring and summer semesters.
The last class day of the spring semester is scheduled for April 30, with finals being given the first week of May. The summer semester is set to begin on May 10 for some class sessions, while other sessions are slated to start on June 28.
School officials are looking into whether other summer activities can take place on campus as usual. For example, the High School Academy, a summer program for high school juniors and seniors, is scheduled to begin on June 22.
“At this point, we have not canceled the program, but this may change depending on the progress of the safe-at-home order. We will not run these programs as distant-learning experiences, so, if the campus is not fully open, we will have to cancel the courses,” said Randy Stauffer, the university’s senior vice president of academic affairs, in an email.
Woodbury is planning to move student orientation and registration for new students to an online format. Stauffer said he hopes the university will have at least one campus event at the end of the summer to welcome new students, but it will depend on the recommendations from the state and city.
In a letter addressed to the campus community, Stauffer said university officials decided to continue teaching summer courses remotely “in order to prevent any disruptions in the middle of the term and to help students plan adequately for the summer.”
The announcement comes after government officials estimated the stay-at-home mandate could be extended into the summer.
Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted six key indicators for altering the order in the near future. Newsom said even after the mandate is lifted, social distancing and other precautions might stay in place.
School precautions could include staggered start times, reconfigured classrooms and the continuance of online learning.
On March 12, Woodbury announced on-campus classes were cancelled and left the university open to essential workers and students living in on-campus housing. They began using an online-learning format on March 23.
Although some students asked for spring-semester tuition refunds, the university agreed to provide a partial reimbursement that includes costs for room, board and parking fees. Students can expect partial refunds to be available by the end of this month.
