UPDATE: See Lincoln University to close campus for additional information.
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Lincoln University is working to have all students who live on campus moved out by Sunday, except for those students who cannot move.
LU's residence halls will close at 5 p.m. Sunday, as the university Monday started offering its classes online, and social distancing is important to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
To check out of their residence halls, students are expected to remove all their belongings, clean their room and return their keys to staff, according to online information from LU.
"We have developed a plan to assist those students who would like to pick up their belongings," the university noted, though it also recommended local storage companies in case students may not be able to take everything home.
Students who may need to arrange a different time to return to campus for their belongings and check out from their residence hall may also contact the university's housing office, and staff are to review requests and reply within 24 hours.
Students who are self-isolating or have returned from certain countries identified with Levels 2 or 3 travel notices by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are asked to have someone else pick up their belongings.
Students who traveled anywhere outside Missouri over spring break are also encouraged to report their travel histories to Lincoln.
Only students with special circumstances will be allowed to stay on-campus beyond Sunday, LU spokeswoman Misty Young said Monday.
"The remaining students will be housed in Anthony Hall. That facility is the best option to allow for social distancing," Young added.
Those students who are approved to stay through May 8 are to have support services, meals and other systems in place for them.
"The discussions of adjustments for housing and/or dining fees are postponed while we focus this time on working to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will resume those very important discussions once the urgency of protecting the university community from this disease has decreased," the university added online.
Jordan Smith, president of the LU Student Government Association, said, "Administrators are doing everything that they can," and Smith credited them with taking good care as far as the decisions they've made.
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