SUNY and CUNY cancel in-person classes over coronavirus pandemic

The CUNY and SUNY systems will cancel all in-person classes beginning next week and institute remote learning due to coronavirus fears, Gov. Cuomo announced Wednesday afternoon.

Pressure on the massive systems to shutter mounted quickly this week after a Baruch College student tested positive for the contagion.

“This will help us reduce density and reduce the spread of this virus,” Cuomo’s Twitter account posted Wednesday.

The switch to “distance learning” will begin on March 19.

Cuomo said that some campus facilities will remain operational to accommodate students.

Administrators initially held out on a systemwide closure but eventually deferred to growing student demand to scrap classroom learning.

A petition to close all campuses drew more than 45,000 signatures in just the past three days.

The CUNY system is the largest urban university system in the nation, with roughly 254,000 students and 50,000 teachers.

SUNY enrolls about 420,000 students across the state has more than 90,000 employees.

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