Southern Cross University has announced it will continue teaching almost all of its classes online into next year as the COVID-19 crisis bites deeper.

All graduation ceremonies, which normally attract hundreds of people, have also been cancelled until further notice.

In March this year, Southern Cross was among the first universities to transition its face-to-face classes to online teaching in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Session 2, which began last week, is already being delivered online.

The university has announced that to ensure the continued health and safety of both students and staff, online delivery will remain in place for Session 3 as well, running from October 2020 to February 2021.

Southern Cross informed staff and students today, specifying:

Session 3 will be online: teaching across the university will continue online;

Graduations: all face-to-face graduations have been cancelled until further notice;

Access to campus is restricted: campus buildings will have limited access to ensure a COVID-safe environment;

Work from home for staff will continue: a graduated transition to on-campus work will commence no earlier than September 1, rather than August 1 as previously planned.

Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker said the decisions reflected the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Victoria and concerning spikes in New South Wales that have developed recently.

“We are continuing to maintain our teaching and other operational activities with an abundance of caution until such time that the COVID situation shows signs of easing,” Professor Shoemaker said.  

“I understand what a challenge this is for students and staff colleagues. I thank them for their ongoing patience to help us get through a situation that is volatile and changing day-by-day. 

“At the same time, I am delighted to note the extremely high levels of student satisfaction with the quality of our online offerings in Session 1.”

University libraries reopened their doors yesterday with reduced capacity and strict health and safety measures in place.

Even though COVID restrictions continue, the University has been given a boost with a 35% increase in student enrollments for Session 2.