To the Temple community:

We have several important updates regarding measures we are taking to keep our Temple University community healthy and safe amid the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 

As we have said in the past, we are focused on ensuring the health and safety of our community members, and on the successful completion of our students’ spring semester. To that end, we are implementing a social distancing strategy to address the concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Therefore, Temple University’s U.S. campuses will end in-person instruction on Friday, March 13. We will begin online and alternative learning methods on Monday, March 16, which will continue through the end of the spring semester. 

Information for students on U.S. campuses:

• Students in Temple housing should vacate as soon as possible, but no later than Saturday, March 21 at 5 p.m.
• Students needing to stay beyond March 21 may request an extension. University Housing and Residential Life staff will send an email to students with information regarding the move-out process and extension requests. The university will permit students, including international students, who are unable to return home to remain in university housing through the end of the semester. 
• We also encourage students who live off campus (e.g. apartments and fraternities), to return home through the end of the semester.

Information for faculty on U.S. campuses:

• The university has been working with faculty to move classes online. All faculty will be contacted by their deans to provide any additional assistance, if needed.    
• The university has a continuity plan in place to allow its research operations to continue. Any questions can be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR@temple.edu). The OVPR will provide updates to the Temple COVID-19 website, including answers to frequently asked questions, links to resources for research and guidance on research continuity.

Information for staff on U.S. campuses:

• Staff should continue reporting to work as usual and take the recommended steps to prevent illness as outlined on the university’s website.  
• Staff with high-risk factors (e.g. chronic illness) should speak with their supervisor about the possibility of telecommuting. If you feel sick, please remain at home.
• University offices and research labs will remain open until further notice. 

University events on U.S. campuses: 

• The university urges you to postpone or cancel all non-essential events until further notice and consider alternatives to in-person events such as conducting meetings via online tools.
• We are working on contingency plans for Commencement and will be sharing information with you as soon as possible. 

Updated travel guidelines:

• Temple is suspending all university-affiliated international travel for faculty, staff and students through the end of the spring semester, unless expressly approved by the Provost.
• We strongly discourage domestic university-affiliated travel and personal travel, both domestic and international, to geographic areas with sustained community transmission or to areas that could result in quarantine or isolation upon your return.

This is a significant transition, and we know that it may be difficult and raise many questions. We promise to work diligently with the university community in the days to come to help make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone. All university communications and a list of frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and Temple’s response are published online. This page is regularly updated, and is an important resource for the latest information on the changes taking place at Temple. We will continue to post updates here. 

We have full faith in the resiliency of our students and the commitment of our faculty and staff. Temple Owls have never backed down in the face of a challenge, and this is no exception. You are all the living personification of our motto: “Perseverance Conquers.”

Sincerely,
Richard M. Englert
President

JoAnne A. Epps
Executive Vice President and Provost