University of Dallas temporarily cancels in-person classes as cases of COVID-19 rise

The University of Dallas abruptly suspended in-person classes and many in-person events this week as campus COVID-19 cases soared.

President Jonathan J. Sanford announced the closure Tuesday, citing rising COVID-19 cases among students. Classroom teaching is expected to resume on September 13th.

As of Wednesday, the school reported 39 active cases, including 38 students and one staff member.

A student was rushed to the emergency room, but most who tested positive had mild symptoms, according to Sanford.

More positive cases were reported Thursday, but the university didn’t say how many.

Some of the positive cases involved athletes, Sanford wrote. As per NCAA protocols, several scheduled NCAA events will be rescheduled.

Additionally, the designated beds for students isolating on campus have reached capacity, Sanford said. If more students test positive, the university will help find off-campus locations for isolation, according to the announcement.

In a letter to the university on Thursday, Sanford said he knew the closure was a shock to the campus.

“We certainly knew that the virus could hit our community at some point, but the rate of spread was rapid and depleted our reserve of rooms for isolation very quickly,” he wrote.

The private Catholic university required students, but not faculty, to wear masks in class. No vaccinations or negative tests were required for students like some universities do.

Undergraduate students started the virtual class on Friday after having the last two days off to transition and having to travel home if necessary. Graduates have already started taking virtual classes.

“Our goal is to get back to face-to-face teaching as soon as possible,” wrote Sanford. “There is no doubt that personal experience is the hallmark of our undergraduate training.”

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