Franklin College officials on Friday announced in-person classes will be suspended starting Monday, and all students should vacate residence halls and on-campus housing by 5 p.m. Sunday.
There are no known cases of COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, on campus or in Franklin, but there are three positive cases in Johnson County, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
Students must complete a check-out process with Campus Life before leaving, according to a college news release.
"We understand that some students may have hardships which make it impossible to simply leave the residence hall and return home. We will approve limited exceptions for such students via written request," the news release said.
Staff are expected to be on campus Monday and Tuesday to prepare virtual lesson plans. Distance learning will start Wednesday and continue until spring break March 27, according to the news release.
"This decision is a difficult one for our community. We believe very strongly that how we do what we do at Franklin College is uniquely effective in helping our students achieve their academic goals. Direct, personal engagement with faculty and staff is the essence of our identity. However, this is a unique situation that defies conventional wisdom and requires creative temporary alternatives. We are confident we can continue to meet our students’ academic needs while confronting this situation," President Kerry Prather said in the news release.
"Such a disruption to our normal experience challenges us all, but I am confident the we will rise to that challenge."
