University of Minnesota summer classes to take place in alternative formats due to COVID-19

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Summer courses at the University of Minnesota will be conducted in alternative formats, school officials announced Monday.

In an email to students Monday, University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel wrote that all upcoming summer term classes for undergraduates and graduates across the University system will be conducted through alternative - or online - instruction. In-person instruction has been already been suspended for the rest of the spring semester at the university due to COVID-19.

"While we manage through the immediate concerns and challenges presented by COVID-19, my leadership team and I are also considering plans for the intermediate and long-term future," Gabel wrote. "Through it all, we continue to stay focused on several key principles in our decision-making: prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of all members of our University family; continue the teaching, research, and outreach mission of our University to the extent our circumstances allow at the highest possible quality; keep solutions as simple as possible; and communicate our actions transparently and regularly."

Each campus will communicate with students and faculty this week about its specific summer plans for 2020.