WASHINGTON — George Washington University will continue to conduct classes virtually this spring, President Thomas J. LeBlanc announced Friday in an email. All undergraduate and most graduate courses will stay online, with limited exceptions for courses that require in-person instruction or research.
LeBlanc cited the continued spread of COVID-19 and uncertainty about the course of the pandemic, feedback from the community and concerns about the risks of a campus residential experience as the deciding factors in the university's decision to maintain virtual instruction this spring.
The University will continue to provide a 10% tuition reduction available to Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon undergraduate students living off campus and most financial aid packages will remain the same, according to the email.
Decisions about commencement are still up in the air, but the possibility of in-person events appears unlikely. "We do not anticipate we will be able to hold Commencement events in person, including on the National Mall and on campus," LeBlanc wrote, pointing to restrictions on gatherings that will still likely be in place in May.
The University will hold virtual question-and-answer forums and update its COVID-19 website regularly to provide more information about what the spring will look like.