All five campuses on the WSU system will be transitioning face-to-face classes to online following spring break because of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to an announcement on the WSU COVID-19 website. 

Phil Weiler, vice president for university marketing and communications, said university administrators have not set a date for when classes will return to face-to-face. The WSU Pullman Instagram account responded to comments on its page that said there will be no changes to Mom’s Weekend at this time. 

“It’s a possibility, but probably unlikely that we will return to face-to-face before the end of the semester,” Weiler said. 

He said WSU will be working with local health officials to determine when face-to-face classes will resume.

In a town hall meeting Tuesday afternoon, interim provost Bryan Slinker said administrators had not yet decided whether classes would be moved online.

Face-to-face classes, testing and advising will be moved to “distance delivery,” according to the website. Campus will not be closing. This means resident halls, dining halls and healthcare facilities like Cougar Health Services will still be open after spring break. 

“Different communities are going to be experiencing this disease differently,” Weiler said.  

Campus employees will still be working as normal, according to the website. Any specific work arrangements will be made by supervisors. 

The decision to transition will minimize the spread of COVID-19 by creating “greater social distancing,” according to an email sent to WSU employees by Theresa Elliot-Cheslek, vice president and chief human resource officer of WSU Human Resource Services.

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