Coronavirus concerns prompt LTU to postpone Commencement
OUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University will move to online education for the balance of the Spring 2020 semester and has postponed its scheduled May 9 Commencement ceremony to December.
Lawrence Tech President Virinder Moudgil announced the moves in an e-mail to students, faculty, and staff Tuesday night, in response to growing concerns over the Coronavirus pandemic.
The actions affecting LTU’s Southfield campus and its Detroit Center for Design and Technology are as follows:
All in person, face-to-face instruction is being replaced by online instruction through the end of the semester May 15.
All courses currently delivered online will continue as scheduled.
Students residing in campus housing are asked to return home by Sunday, March 22. Students with internet connection issues at home may work out individual issues with professors. All LTU undergraduate students are already provided with state-of-the-art laptops loaded with all software required for their courses as part of their tuition.
The May 9 Commencement will be postponed until December. “We sincerely regret the unprecedented need to postpone this ceremony that celebrates such an important life accomplishment,” Moudgil said in the email. “However, for the safety and health of our graduates and guests, we are following the guidelines of health officials who warn against large gatherings in that time frame.”
Added Moudgil: “Your campus leadership is meeting and talking daily to manage the University’s response. We are following guidance from local, state, and federal public health agencies with one goal: to keep Lawrence Tech students, faculty, staff, and guests safe and healthy. We are also pledged to assure that you complete the Spring Semester with as few obstacles as possible, even though this may require altering ‘business as usual’ and completing requirements in new and sometimes innovative ways.”
LTU’s Don Ridler Field House and its LTU Café cafeteria remain closed, with limited pick-up service for students with dining contracts. LTU’s library and Academic Achievement Center will feature full online assistance from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through March 20, with hours after that date to be announced shortly.
The athletic organization in which LTU competes, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), has already called off the spring sports season for all teams.
Moudgil also announced the University would deep-clean and disinfect all campus facilities during the closure. Many classrooms and other spaces will then be locked to prevent potential contamination.
Faculty and staff will continue to report for work as usual. Also, all international travel by faculty or staff remains prohibited without permission.
