(WTXL) — All University System of Georgia schools will move to all online instruction for the rest of the spring 2020 semester.
On Monday, USG announced that students are not allowed to return to campus until they receive permission from their institution, which will be forthcoming soon.
All 26 of USG's institutions, which includes Valdosta State University and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College locally, will move to online instruction for all courses for the remainder of the semester with "extremely limited exceptions."
Residence halls will also be closed, with minimal exceptions for students unable to return home, or who cannot find housing elsewhere. For those students who are unable to leave campus, USG says they will make every effort to accommodate them.
Students will receive specific instructions from campus leaders regarding when they will be allowed to return to campus to get their things from residence halls. USG says they are working to develop a coordinated plan for this process that incorporates social distancing, and will communicate additional details on this plan.
USG will be providing guidance to campuses on refunds for housing, dining, and other services. They say students should wait for their campus to contact them.
Institutions will remain open, with minimal staff physically on-site.
"In the end, we want to ensure that our faculty, staff and students are safe; that we do our part to help stem the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia; and that we fulfill our mission to graduate our students even in the face of these challenging times," officials wrote in the release.
