All 2020 summer courses will be moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Provost Richard Plumb announced in an email Thursday.

University President Julie Sullivan announced the change at the Undergraduate Student Government general council meeting earlier Thursday.

“It’s just inevitable that we’re going to have to go ahead and make plans for summer school to be online,” Sullivan said. “We are hoping that we will be able to return to class in the fall, but we also know that’s not certain.”

Sullivan noted that contingency plans are being made throughout the university for the fall semester, should that be affected.

“It really will depend on guidance that we get from the Minnesota Department of Health and from others,” she said.

Plumb’s email stated that all summer courses will return to traditional grading, following the university’s announcement that students can take spring semester courses using an S-D-R grading system.

The announcement also said, “If you are already registered for summer, those classes will continue to meet at the times previously scheduled.”

A formal plan has not been made for summer research projects yet, and Sullivan advised students to reach out to professors that they are working with.

“A lot of it might depend on exactly the type of research,” Sullivan said. “Our faculty is going to want to be continuing to do their research as much as possible, and hopefully there will be opportunities as there always have been for students to be involved.”

This announcement comes after the university said Wednesday that commencement ceremonies scheduled in May will be postponed.

Spring classes were moved online Monday, March 16 through the remainder of the semester. Students moved off campus over spring break, except for those in extenuating circumstances, and the university closed buildings to the general public.

Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.