Towson moves to fully online learning after positive COVID tests reported

By Liz Doyle
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

Towson University announced Wednesday that all classes will be moved online for the remainder of the fall semester after 66 individuals tested positive for COVID-19, including 63 students. 

President Kim Schatzel made the announcement in an e-mail to students, faculty and staff yesterday morning.

She said none of those infected were on campus and that the university had notified them of their positive results and instructed them to self-quarantine.

Towson had already announced over the weekend that classes would move online for the first week of the semester after the University Health Center reported 55 positive PCR tests on Saturday.

Schatzel said she decided to expand that order to the full semester when 11 more individuals tested positive the next day. An email announcing a fully remote semester was sent out to students, faculty and staff three days later. 

Although there were concerns that students may have been infected after attending parties, Schatzel said public health professionals confirmed that the infected individuals came in contact with the virus through community spread and that there is no known source of infection.   

“This has been a most difficult decision for me, but the safety of our campus community must be our priority and our utmost concern,” Schatzel wrote. “We have made this decision based on science and data with the support of our experts on campus, in the USM, and public health professionals.”

Towson University now joins Johns Hopkins, Morgan State, Loyola, and Goucher College in the move to remote teaching this fall.  

Thomas Lieb, a journalism professor at Towson, said he found it odd that Towson had still planned to hold in-person classes despite several surrounding schools going entirely online. He said he was not surprised when he received Schatzel’s email Wednesday morning. 

Lieb said he feels bad for the students who had hoped to do at least part of their semester in person. However, he said he is grateful that everyone, especially the cleaning staff, will be much safer because of the decision.  

“From my perspective, I’m glad for the health of everyone involved,” Lieb said.  “There is a chance for us all to still get the best parts of being in a classroom together without having someone be the sacrificial student or staff or faculty member.” 

Jennifer Atwater, who also teaches journalism at Towson, said she had anticipated the school going to fully remote learning at some point during the semester but was surprised the university closed so soon after the first day of classes.

“I had originally hoped to teach in a hybrid format, but when the number of coronavirus cases just kept going up around the country, I thought it best to switch to an all online format,” Atwater said.

Schatzel said the College of Health Professionals, the Fisher College of Science & Mathematics, and the College of Fine Arts and Communication will provide face-to-face instruction and research for students who need access to labs and studios to graduate. Those schools and programs will develop plans for the rest of the semester over the next few days, the president said.

The university will begin working with students to move them out of residential halls, Schatzel said. She said housing will be provided to international students and those who need a safe space to live. 

However, for a lot of students, their family home is now their new classroom and dorm all in one. 

Delaney Cox, a sophomore pre-nursing major, said she spent hours moving stuff into her Barton House dorm and decorating the room to feel special.  Five days later, she tore down her decorations and hauled everything back home.

Cox’s parents, Gina and Stuart of Fallston, Maryland, said they are irritated after going through the trouble of moving everything into a dorm room for only a short period of time.  However, they said the decision to transition to fully remote learning was in the best interest for everyone’s safety. 

Towson initially transitioned to fully online instruction in March when the “stay at home” order was issued in Maryland. In planning the fall semester, university officials had prepared for fewer students, faculty and staff to be on campus.

Schatzel said 85 percent of the university’s classes were already scheduled to be taught online. Occupancy in residential halls was down by half, and only 20 percent of university employees would be present on campus as many would continue working from home full or part time.

“I am forever grateful to the hundreds of our faculty and staff who worked so very hard for so many months to prepare our beautiful campus and our outstanding colleges for our return to TU,” she said. 

Knowing that so many classes would be taught online in the fall, Amy Hyman, a senior environmental science major at Towson, decided to live at home before the semester started. She said she feels for all of her friends who had already moved in.   

“Campus never should have been opened in the first place,” Hyman said.  “Now students have to pack up everything and figure out their living situation by the weekend.” 

“I think the decision is best considering we definitely don’t want a COVID outbreak, but I wish they had made the decision sooner,” said Emily Martin, a senior electronic media and film major at Towson.  “They kind of gave everyone false expectations.”  

Sean Welsh, the interim vice president of university marketing and communications, said students will receive refunds for housing, dining and parking. 

However, off-campus housing is nonrefundable – and several parents of Towson students made their frustrations on this subject known through social media.

“As a Parent I’m now stuck with lease payments for 2 students, this is insane!” NIK72MGA commented under Towson’s Twitter post announcing the decision to go fully remote.

“Ridiculous!!! My student is in off campus housing & we are stuck paying for housing we don’t need now! You are ruining not saving lives. Disgusted you are throwing in the towel after a week,” Momoftwinsab replied.

In addition to angry comments, #firekimschatzel circulated on Twitter for the majority of the day. The hashtag was eventually taken down.  

The decision to go fully online has also started speculation in the community as to whether Towson will have any in-person classes for the spring semester. 

“Student health and safety will come first and we will follow all guidelines from CDC, the federal level, to the state, to the local, to determine whether or not it is feasible to carry out plans to have in-person learning in the spring,” Welsh said.