In an email to the Simpson College community, interim president Bob Lane announced that the college will be extending Spring Break to March 29 due to the coronavirus.

During the extra week off, the college will remain open, and the Crisis Management Team at Simpson will be evaluating a possibility of moving classes online, according to the email.

A final decision will be made about the rest of the semester during the week of March 23.

“We will continue to monitor the situation with the hope that we can return to in-person instruction before the end of the semester,” the email said. “Students should continue to monitor their email for information from the college and for instructions from their faculty members about the specifics of their courses going online.”

The college has made plans for students who are spending the semester studying abroad to return to the United States in CDC Level 3 locations.

The email addressed students, faculty, staff, media and rumors about study abroad May terms.

During Spring Break, the college’s housing will remain open for those who choose to stay. The students who left for Spring Break are recommended to stay off-campus for the two-week break.

Simpson College also announced that all international May term trips have been cancelled for this upcoming May.

“We recognize that these are unparalleled times and we know there are no easy answers to this complex situation,” the email stated. “I want to thank each of you for your time and attention to these delicate matters.”

“We know there are many unanswered questions and are striving to do our best to respond quickly and appropriately, while keeping the safety and security of our students top-of-mind.”

As of 6:08 p.m., the state of Iowa has 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to KCRG News.

Simpson will keep the community updated through the Crisis Management Team’s website at Simpson.edu/covid19.