The University of Tasmania will introduce a "staged transition" to online teaching, rosters to allow staff to work from home and a directive that interstate travel can only be undertaken "if strictly necessary". UTAS has outlined the measures in a message to staff and students, anticipating an increase in person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, COVID-19. Coronavirus: All the latest updates on COVID-19 for Northern Tasmania The university anticipates that all teaching will be fully online by Friday. In the message, Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black said that while attending the university for lectures and tutorials might be safe at the moment, this was likely to change in the near future. More on coronavirus: "To prepare for the time when that may not be the case we are going to progressively move to online delivery for all subjects where that is possible," he wrote. "Making that shift will start today. Our first priority will be the delivery of lecture content online and, once that is working, to add online tutorials. We are beginning to undertake the move to online delivery from today, moving quickly towards a full-scale, whole-of-institution test on Friday, March 20." Students will receive further directions regarding their classes throughout the week. Based on a similar measure in Singapore, UTAS will begin a 14-day roster for staff to work from home. For those that remain on campus, "heightened cleaning regimes" will be implemented along with social distancing practices. UTAS anticipates it will no longer be able to hold graduations, conferences, Open Days or participate in events like AgFest. The Sydney graduations in April have been cancelled, and students will be graduated in absentia. Shared facilities such as libraries and on-campus catering services will remain open as they "do not present a heightened risk at present".
The University of Tasmania will introduce a "staged transition" to online teaching, rosters to allow staff to work from home and a directive that interstate travel can only be undertaken "if strictly necessary".
UTAS has outlined the measures in a message to staff and students, anticipating an increase in person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, COVID-19.
The university anticipates that all teaching will be fully online by Friday.
In the message, Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black said that while attending the university for lectures and tutorials might be safe at the moment, this was likely to change in the near future.
"To prepare for the time when that may not be the case we are going to progressively move to online delivery for all subjects where that is possible," he wrote.
"Making that shift will start today. Our first priority will be the delivery of lecture content online and, once that is working, to add online tutorials. We are beginning to undertake the move to online delivery from today, moving quickly towards a full-scale, whole-of-institution test on Friday, March 20."
Students will receive further directions regarding their classes throughout the week.
Work-from-home arrangements
Based on a similar measure in Singapore, UTAS will begin a 14-day roster for staff to work from home.
For those that remain on campus, "heightened cleaning regimes" will be implemented along with social distancing practices.
Gatherings
UTAS anticipates it will no longer be able to hold graduations, conferences, Open Days or participate in events like AgFest.
The Sydney graduations in April have been cancelled, and students will be graduated in absentia.
Shared facilities such as libraries and on-campus catering services will remain open as they "do not present a heightened risk at present".
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