The following is an email that was sent to the Loyola community on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

Subject: Coronavirus update from the president

Dear Members of the Loyola Community,

Effective tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, we are taking the significant step of suspending face-to-face instruction on Loyola University Maryland’s campuses. Existing online courses will continue uninterrupted. 

We have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Loyola. We have taken all the recommended precautions for students who may have been exposed. We want, however, to make this decision proactively and with the health of our community as our top priority. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced yesterday that at this point the state of Maryland, which is in a state of emergency, has moved from containment to mitigation. We are following this direction, hoping to mitigate any risk. If any member of our community is diagnosed with COVID-19 during this time, students should call Student Health Services directly, and faculty, staff, and administrators should contact their supervisors.

All residence halls are closing on Friday, March 13, at noon. Students are to return home as soon as possible. I recognize that some of our residential students will not be able to travel home. Those students will need to request permission to stay. The office of student life will send an email on the heels of this message to let students know how to request permission. We will ensure that limited services will continue to be provided to the students who stay on campus. Students who are leaving, please remember to take all medications, medical devices, important documents, anything you would need to continue distance-learning from home. 

Beginning with the start of classes on Wednesday, March 18, faculty will teach their classes online or electronically. We plan to resume face-to-face classes on campus on Wednesday, April 1. If we need to extend the online instruction, we will let you know in a timely way.

We are still finalizing details, but here is some important information I can share with you today:

Students

•  At this time, we plan for room selection to continue online. More information will be sent to students directly.
• Registration will continue online.

Faculty, Staff, and Administrators 

• The Evergreen campus, as well as the Timonium and Columbia campus, will remain open for faculty, staff, and administrators, and they should plan to report as scheduled. 
• If employees have work-related COVID-19 concerns, they should contact the office of human resources. Further information will be provided by human resources.

Campus Events and Athletics

• Large-scale events (those with 50 or more attendees) will be canceled until April 1; some of those will be rescheduled, and information on those will be forthcoming.
• Outdoor athletic events will continue, but with restrictions on the number of fans who will be in attendance.
• The Maryland Day events scheduled for Friday, March 20, will be postponed.
• The Accepted Student Open House scheduled for Saturday, March 14, will be rescheduled.

Travel Restrictions

• Non-essential University-affiliated travel is restricted until further notice. The vice president in each area will determine whether travel is essential.

This is an unprecedented decision for Loyola, but it is an unprecedented situation. I assure you that this decision was made with careful discernment and the greatest concern for our students and for all members of our community.

We will continue to provide the latest information on Loyola’s coronavirus webpage.

Thank you for your understanding and your action during this time. It is at times like these when the strength of our community truly shines as we step up to support and strengthen one another.

Sincerely,

Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.
President