Canberra's major tertiary institutions are taking a mostly consistent approach to the coronavirus pandemic, with many opting to pause classes from next week.
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It comes as the Australian National University on Friday confirmed its first case of the virus - although, the student infected is interstate, and hasn't been on campus or in the ACT this semester.
Tertiary institutions' strategies have been further complicated by a ban on non-citizens and non-residents entering Australia from 9pm on Friday. This includes international students who are out of the country.
One Canberra university had about 2300 students in this position as of Friday, while another had more than 300.
Here's how Canberra's major tertiary institutions are responding to coronavirus.
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)
CIT is suspending classes next week, with lessons expected to recommence on March 30.
In a statement, CIT's chief executive officer, Leanne Cover, said the pause would "give teaching staff the opportunity to reconfigure delivery of teaching" and "further ensure social distancing practices".
"[We] hope to continue to provide educational services up to our scheduled break on Thursday, April 9," Ms Cover said.
Screen and media student, Jackson Burleigh, has been self-isolating since Wednesday because his mother is vulnerable to COVID-19. For Mr Burleigh, the safety of people like his mother is paramount, but he doubts that safety can be maintained if practical courses like his resume after next week.
"More practical courses might really suffer I think and more hands-on students might have to come back next year," Mr Burleigh said.
"I just wonder if the situation might not be so bad if the government was a bit more proactive with their response to coronavirus."
A CIT spokeswoman said the institution had 20 international students who were overseas as of Friday and had deferred their studies.
"The format that teaching will take when we resume is yet to be determined," the spokeswoman said.
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Australian National University (ANU)
An ANU spokesman said the university had about 2300 international students who were overseas as of Friday and may be affected by the travel ban.
Almost 95 per cent of the international students had enrolled in 650 remote courses. There was also a "handful" of domestic students overseas, but most had returned to Australia or were on their way back.
Like CIT, ANU will pause its classes for a week from March 23.
The university said the pause would let it focus on finalising moving courses to remote learning.
Semester one will be extended for a week to allow for the suspension, and assessment deadlines will also be extended for a week. The university's exam period has been pushed back a week and is set to run from June 11 to 27.
Charles Sturt University (CSU)
CSU is bringing its mid-season break forward by two weeks in response to coronavirus, so classes will end on March 27 and resume on April 14.
The university said it would start putting face-to-face classes online from next Monday, so all classes would be online by April 14.
A university spokeswoman said some forms of assessments would need to change with the transition to online learning, and students would be informed if they did.
Students living on campus are being encouraged to vacate their residences because communal living is a "high-risk environment". The spokeswoman said students who vacated would have a hold put on their accommodation fees.
International students who were affected by the travel ban would still be able to study online while they were overseas for the foreseeable future, the university said.
University of Canberra (UC)
A UC spokeswoman said the university would shift as many face-to-face classes online as possible. Its mid-term break was already scheduled to start next Friday - ahead of some other universities.
The university is affected by the travel ban, with more than 300 international students overseas as of Friday.
"Many ... have decided to defer their studies," the spokeswoman said.
UC also had 21 domestic students overseas on a study abroad program.
"We are in regular contact with all of our study abroad students and their host institutions to ensure their ongoing safety," the spokeswoman said.
"We are providing every assistance, to the extent possible, to support their return, lodge insurance claims, and enable them to continue their studies."
Australian Catholic University (ACU)
While ACU will bring a week of holidays forward to next week, teaching is expected to resume on March 30 with the majority of courses online.
The university's chief operating officer, Dr Stephen Weller, said the university was reviewing its exam timetable. He said ACU had no international or domestic students overseas as of Friday.
"ACU will work with students who may be struggling to complete their studies as a result of impacts from COVID-19," Dr Weller said.
"We are considering a range of flexible responses, which will be dependent on the student's individual circumstances."
University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA)
A spokeswoman for UNSW said all face-to-face classes at the university's Canberra campus would be cancelled from March 23.
The same will apply to Defence students, who have their tertiary education handled by UNSW.
UNSW Canberra classes will continue online, and most courses have already transitioned to the format. The spokeswoman said UNSW Canberra doesn't have any fee-paying international undergraduate students, and all masters courses are delivered online.
A spokesman for ADFA said trainee officers would be looked after in accordance with the Department of Health's guidance.
Defence's response to the coronavirus pandemic includes preventative measures and a COVID-19 taskforce.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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