Some of Victoria’s biggest universities are moving classes online after a state of emergency was declared in Victoria to deal with the spread of coronavirus
La Trobe, Monash and Swinburne universities announced on Monday night that from Tuesday, all classes will be suspended until the end of the week so staff can prepare for online learning.
Swinburne University will pause lectures until next week, while those at La Trobe and Monash will be recorded and made available online.
In a statement posted online, La Trobe said the outbreak of COVID-19 is posing “unprecedented challenges” for the university.
“Events over the weekend and this morning have necessitated a rapid review of the university’s response,” it said.
“While there have been no new confirmed cases to date of COVID-19 on our campuses following the first confirmed case last week, it is critical that members of our community remain as safe as possible while ensuring minimal disruption to teaching and research activities.”
If forced to close its campuses, La Trobe said all fixed-term and continuing staff would be paid, while casual staff would be paid for up to four weeks, based on the work they would have performed if not for the shutdown.
