In-person classes at Southeast will be provided through “alternative means” beginning March 30 through May 15 in response to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

As of now, the semester is anticipated to finish on May 15, with spring commencement ceremonies still scheduled for May 16. Universty administration said the date and details of the ceremonies are subject to change as the university continues to monitor the pandemic.

These changes, along with a variety of others regarding plans for the university for the rest of the semester were announced via SE Alert on March 18.

According to the update, the main campus and regional campuses will remain open until otherwise directed.

However, effectively immediately, access to all residence halls is restricted and the university will close all residence halls “through a tiered process” beginning Friday, March 20. The move-out process will be conducted in stages through March 31.

Faculty have participated in training offered by the Center for Scholarship in Technology and Learning (CSTL), Information Technology and Southeast Online to “ensure a smooth transition to alternative delivery of instruction.”

All university events on and off campus are canceled through May 15.

As of March 18, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cape Girardeau County, but Vargas said these changes are being made proactively to limit the spread of the virus.

“Southeast Missouri State University continues to monitor COVID-19 and will continue to take proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact of the virus in our community,” Vargas said in the update.

Additional announcements will be made in the coming weeks regarding student employment, reduction in bills due to residence life changes and more.

For a full list of campus services and facilities hours of operation and university updates during this time, visit https://semo.edu/sealerts/covid19/. To keep up with the Arrow’s coverage of the outbreak, visit https://www.southeastarrow.com/topic/covid-19-updates.