New York’s CUNY and SUNY Shut Down Campuses for Rest of Semester

The CUNY and SUNY public college systems in New York state announced this week that they are shutting down their campuses for the remainder of the semester, affecting 700,000 students.

According to a report by the Flushing Post, all CUNY and SUNY campuses will shut down in response to the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus. The CUNY system includes 25 distinct campuses throughout New York City and the SUNY system features 64 campuses spread throughout the state of New York.

CUNY and SUNY have a combined enrollment of approximately 700,000. Like many other universities and colleges, the CUNY and SUNY public college systems are working towards the adoption of virtual learning technology. But unlike most other universities and colleges, students at CUNY and SUNY campuses have not been asked to leave campus. Student residential halls will remain open during the campus shutdowns.

CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez told the press that the CUNY system would immediately switch to online classes so that students could finish their semesters without delay.

“The transition to distance learning protects our students and all of our campus communities while enabling the University to ensure academic continuity, safeguarding students’ ability to finish the semester and protecting their financial aid,” Rodriguez said.

Breitbart News reported this week that dozens of universities and colleges around the country are shutting down as a precaution against the viral outbreak. Major institutions including Duke University, UCLA, and Harvard University have adopted virtual learning technology that will allow students to continue to attend classes from their homes.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.