TAMPA, Fla. (March 17, 2020) – The University of South Florida today announced important operational changes in light of continuing concerns about COVID-19 (coronavirus). The health and wellness of students, faculty and staff is USF’s highest priority as university leaders work closely with local, state and federal agencies to monitor the coronavirus.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Board of Governors (BOG) have now directed all state universities, including USF, to continue providing remote instruction for the duration of the spring semester. USF is currently on spring break and had previously announced plans to transition to all remote instruction through at least April 5. Student support functions, such as counseling and advising, will continue remotely.
While classes will be delivered remotely, USF’s campuses remain open and certain university operations will continue, including Student Health Services and USF Health clinical operations.
Per BOG direction, USF’s spring 2020 commencement ceremonies scheduled for May will be postponed until further notice. USF recognizes that commencement is a vital element of the university community and an important milestone in the lives of students and their families. USF is working diligently to develop creative alternative solutions, including the possibility of expanding August ceremonies to include spring graduates.
All university-sponsored events on campus, at other USF instructional sites or off campus are postponed or canceled until further notice.
USF’s full message to students, faculty and staff can be found here. USF will continue to evaluate the situation and new guidance will be provided as needed. The university community and public can continue to check the USF coronavirus website for the latest information and resources available.
About the University of South Florida System
The University of South Florida System is a high-impact global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving over 50,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.