WVU to shift undegraduate classes online ahead of holiday break due to state COVID spike

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) — West Virginia University announced that all of its campuses, including Keyser and Beckley, will move all undergraduate instruction online Nov. 23-24 due to the increased number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

The university said in a news release that some health sciences programs will be excluded, and faculty who teach graduate and professional-level courses may determine whether to teach in person on Monday and Tuesday.

WVU also said the deadline to withdraw from courses has been extended to Dec. 4.

The school said students will have access to learning labs next week to finish final projects if approved and supervised by the academic unit. Libraries will remain open but may have limited hours.

Research labs will also remain open and continue to follow current research protocols.

Dining and rsidence halls remain open and will operate on a normal schedule until the holiday break as planned.

WVUp All Night will move to an all online or virtual format this weekend. No in-person events are planned.

The announcement comes as coronavirus rates have been escalating in the state. A record 400 are hospitalized, and the death total related to the virus has climbed to 598. West Virginia's cumulative positive test rate has jumped to 3.31%. Currently, there are 10,707 active virus cases in the state.