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As universities and colleges across the country make decisions about how they will continue classes amid coronavirus concerns, universities in North Dakota are making their own choices.

North Dakota has one confirmed case of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. The case is in Ward County, which is in north-central North Dakota. In total, 41 people have been tested in the state with 12 tests turning out negative and 28 with results still pending as of Thursday night.

In Minnesota, there are nine confirmed cases with more than 300 tested as of Thursday.

Here鈥檚 a look at what various area colleges have planned:

Many colleges and universities in North Dakota are on spring break from the end of the day Friday, March 13, until classes, in whatever fashion, begin again on Monday, March 23.

Bismarck State College

Bismarck State College will continue its face-to-face classes on Monday, March 23, following spring break.

Spring break begins at the end of the day Friday, March 13, with students returning to class on Monday, March 23.

Although the college is planning to hold in-person classes after spring break, the college noted that could change as the situation develops.

Students living on campus are asked to take essential belongings, academic materials, laptops and medications with them for spring break to be prepared for changes to this rapidly evolving situation that may occur while they are off campus.

Those students who would prefer not attending in-person classes are free to make arrangements with their individual instructors. They will be accommodated to the extent possible in completing their courses online.

Faculty members who, for any reason, believe themselves to be at greater risk are encouraged, at their discretion and in consultation with their dean, to arrange to offer the remainder of their courses for this semester online. We ask that students be respectful of this decision.

Campus operations will continue as usual. All employees should continue their regular work schedules unless advised otherwise by their supervisor.

鈥淎ll decisions are subject to change as this situation evolves. Our goal was to create the least amount of disruption to our students鈥� education. We will reassess the situation daily,鈥� said BSC President Larry Skogen.

Dickinson State University

Dickinson State University officials announced Thursday, March 12, they will be suspending face-to-face classes after spring break.

DSU staff, faculty, and administrators will arrange for alternative course delivery for the period of Monday, March 23, through Monday, April 13.

鈥淭his is an unusual time as we face unprecedented circumstances. We are taking these measures to ensure the safety of our campus and community,鈥� said Interim President Steve Easton. 鈥淎t this time, the best way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is by limiting contact through large gatherings of people. We appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your cooperation.鈥�

Faculty will determine how best to use technology to help students to continue their coursework. Non-residential students are encouraged to plan ahead if they leave campus for spring break, and take what they will need.

The DSU campus will remain open and student services -- including tutoring, advising, disability services, housing and dining -- will remain available. The university will continue to operate all campus facilities. Staff will continue to report for work and will be asked to coordinate with supervisors regarding duties and responsibilities.

DSU will not be hosting any public events on campus beginning Monday, March 16, through Monday, April 13.

Concordia College

Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. has not yet decided whether it will go online for a period of time, as of Thursday evening.

The college's website has the following message:

"The Emergency Response Team (ERT) is continuing to monitor national, regional and local developments regarding COVID-19. ERT is working closely with the guidance of the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC. The team will now begin meeting daily to process new information and retool contingencies in this very fluid situation.

As of March 11, guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health do not direct Minnesota colleges or universities to move to fully online instruction. While Concordia is not moving to online instruction at this time, Dean Susan Larson is working with faculty to prepare for remote/online instruction if the need arises."

Dakota College at Bottineau

Dakota College at Bottineau will shift on-campus/in-person classes to alternative instructional delivery for the two weeks following spring break, the college announced Friday, March 13.

Dakota College at Bottineau will remain open, but classes will be offered in alternative formats (such as interactive video or conferencing technologies, online, recordings, etc.) during the weeks of March 23-27 and March 30-April 3.

Faculty will determine how best to utilize technology so students can continue with their education during these two weeks. No changes will be made to classes which are already offered entirely online or to dual credit classes which are taught by high school instructors, the college said. Students are advised to check their email messages frequently for further information from their individual instructors.

At this time, the DCB campus intends to remain open during the next three weeks and has no plans of suspending operations. However, hours of operation and services in certain departments may be limited depending on employee availability and campus needs.

Residence hall students are asked to take their essential personal belongings and academic materials home with them as they depart for Spring Break and to not return to campus until Sunday, April 5.

"While we are encouraging students to remain away from campus, for those students unable to leave, our residence halls and dining services will remain open," the college said.

Lake Region State College

Lake Region State College is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation.

As of Thursday, the college will carry on with in-person classes after spring break, but college officials noted that could change.

The college has instituted a suspension of all college-sponsored international travel through March 31. College-sponsored domestic travel has not been suspended as of Thursday, March 12, but all college-sponsored travel will receive ongoing regular assessment as this outbreak progresses.

鈥淚t is important for students to be prepared to continue their academic coursework in the event the situation escalates and the campus is unable to hold face-to-face classes,鈥� the college said in an email to the campus community Thursday. 鈥淲e would ask students and faculty to take their electronic devices and books with them when they leave for spring break so that teaching and learning can continue uninterrupted online using the Blackboard Learning Management System.鈥�

Mayville State University

As of Thursday afternoon, Mayville State University had not yet released a plan regarding online education after spring break.

Minnesota State systems schools

Minnesota State colleges and universities will suspend classes in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, school officials announced Thursday, March 12.

Class will resume on March 23 for the 32 schools currently on spring break. The five scheduled to begin their break on Monday, March 16, will head back to class on March 30.

Class is canceled until March 23 for the following schools:

• Alexandria Technical and Community College

• Bemidji State University

• Central Lakes College

• Century College

• Dakota County Technical College

• Hibbing Community College

• Inver Hills Community College

• Itasca Community College

• Lake Superior College

• Mesabi Range College

• Metropolitan State University

• Minneapolis Community and Technical College

• Minnesota State College Southeast

• Minnesota State Community and Technical College

• Minnesota State University Mankato

• Minnesota State University Moorhead

• Minnesota West Community and Technical College

• Normandale Community College

• North Hennepin Community College

• Northland Community and Technical College

• Northwest Technical College 鈭� Bemidji

• Pine Technical and Community College

• Rainy River Community College

• Ridgewater College

• Riverland Community College

• Rochester Community and Technical College

• South Central College

• Southwest Minnesota State University

• St. Cloud State University

• St. Cloud Technical and Community College

• Vermilion Community College

• Winona State University

Class is canceled until March 30 for the following schools:

• Anoka Technical College

• Anoka鈥怰amsey Community College

• Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College

• Hennepin Technical College

• Saint Paul College

Effective March 16, out-of-state business travel for Minnesota State students, faculty and staff will be suspended. 歪歪漫画- and business-related travel to other countries was suspended on Feb. 28.

Campuses will remain open throughout the suspension, according to the announcement, as will residence halls and dining facilities.

Minot State University

Minot State University will shift on-campus/in-person classes to remote instructional delivery for the two weeks following spring break, the university announced Thursday, March 12.

Minot State University will remain open, but there will be no face-to-face classes held on campus from March 23 to April 3. Faculty will determine how best to utilize technology so students can continue with their education during these two weeks.

The MSU campus intends to remain open during the next three weeks and has no plans of suspending operations, according to an email sent to the campus Thursday. However, hours of operation and services in certain departments may be limited, depending on employee availability and campus needs.

Residence hall students are asked to take their essential personal belongings and academic materials home with them as they depart for spring break. They also are asked to not return to campus until April 5.

While the university is encouraging students to remain away from campus, for those students unable to leave, the school鈥檚 residence halls and dining services will remain open. Dining services will be closed from March 14 until 5 p.m. on March 22, as previously scheduled for spring break.

North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University will be suspending in-person classes until early April. There will be no face-to-face classes from March 23 to April 3. Students should be back to normal instruction on April 6, according to the university.

NDSU goes on spring break next week.

"Class instruction will transition to virtual instruction for the two weeks following spring break," Mike Borr, director of the NDSU Police Department and Safety Office, said during a news conference.

Students who leave for spring break "should plan not to return to campus" until face-to-face classes resume, NDSU said in an email.

North Dakota State College of Science

The North Dakota State College of Science will hold classes online to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The school goes on spring break next week.

Classes will resume March 23, but they will be held remotely, the school said. Face-to-face instruction should resume April 6.

鈥淎ll classes scheduled to be held face-to-face at the Wahpeton campus and the NDSCS-Fargo location will be held through distance teaching and learning during this time,鈥� NDSCS announced in its release. 鈥淣DSCS will remain open and staffed throughout spring break and during the weeks of distance teaching and learning.鈥�

Residence halls will be 鈥渁vailable when necessary to support students who are unable to leave campus or need to return鈥� before that date, the release said.

Campus dining will be open to students.

University of Mary

The University of Mary, located in Bismarck, will stay open for in-person classes.

However, if students wish to complete their classes online, they can.

鈥淔or the time being, our students are most welcome to remain on or commute to our campus

for classes to finish out the semester,鈥� the university said in a news release. 鈥淲e will continue to monitor this developing situation, and we are providing clear instructions for such students so that their experience can be as safe as possible for themselves and others, with minimal disruption.鈥�

Residential students on a meal plan who choose to depart campus will receive a partial credit in their student account at the beginning of their next enrolled semester. The credit will be calculated based on the remaining weeks in the semester minus an amount for fixed costs which are, by nature, irrecoverable by the university. Due to legal reasons, the university says it will not be able to issue refund checks in this amount, but it will decrease the costs of the next semester. An exception is those who are set to graduate next month, who will receive a check upon completion of their final course.

University-sponsored travel is also on hold. The Rome semester abroad has also been canceled.

University of Minnesota system

The University of Minnesota system announced Wednesday that it would be canceling in-person classes for two weeks after spring break.

In a Wednesday, March 11, statement, University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel announced that in-person courses will be suspended out of health and safety precautions for the global COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Wednesday afternoon, nearly 63,000 students are enrolled in the system across five campuses statewide. UMN's Duluth, Rochester and Twin Cities campuses are currently on spring break, which now has been extended to Wednesday, March 18. The Crookston and Morris campuses' spring breaks are scheduled for next week, March 16-20.

University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota will be suspending in-person classes after spring break.

From Monday, March 23, to Friday, April 3, students will have their instruction online with many courses using video conferencing technology to continue their work. Aviation students will be able to continue their flight instruction programs, but new enhanced disinfection requirements will still apply.

Courses are set to resume in-person on April 6.

However, that date could change depending on the situation.

Valley City State University

Following spring break, the university will change the way academic instruction is delivered for two weeks. From Monday, March 23, through Friday, April 3, classes will not be held on campus and will instead be online.

Other off-campus learning experiences 鈥� internships, practicums, clinicals and the like 鈥� are dependent on the decision-making of external providers. Students are advised to contact instructors with specific questions.

Residence halls are closed for spring break (with some individual exceptions); that closure will continue until Sunday, April 5.

Those students who have traveled for spring break are encouraged to not return until the residence halls reopen. Students on housing and dining contracts will receive additional communication regarding returning to the halls prior to the April 5 reopening.

Williston State College

Williston State College will also suspend most face-to-face instruction for the two weeks following spring break, March 23 through April 3.

Campus will remain open and all other campus facilities will continue to operate, the college said in a news release. Faculty and staff will continue to work from campus or remote locations, so there may be some interruption of regular work schedules and services based on availability of WSC staff members. Additional details will be provided as they become available.

Effective Saturday, March 14, students who leave campus for spring break should plan not to return to campus for an additional period of two weeks.

Most face-to-face classes will not be held on campus during the weeks of March 23 to 27 and March 30 to April 3. Faculty will determine how best to use technology to enable students to continue their coursework during this time.

With CTE and laboratory-based classes, instructors are responsible to schedule alternative meeting dates/time and learning activities for their students. Students should contact their instructor with any specific questions.

WSC encourages students to remain away from campus during the next few weeks. If necessary, students with housing and dining contracts will be able to live on campus and use meal plans after spring break. Additional information will be provided to students through the housing office.

University of Jamestown

The University of Jamestown is suspending in-person undergraduate classes and activities through Sunday, March 22. Class will resume on March 23.

Students at the university are currently on spring break and class was originally scheduled to resume on March 16. Online courses will continue as scheduled and staff and faculty will still return to campus on March 16.

All university-sponsored international travel planned through May 31 is canceled.

Doctor of physical therapy courses will switch to an online format starting March 16. In-person courses will resume on March 30.

The school is closely monitoring developments in the spread of COVID-19 and will adjust its plans accordingly, university president Polly Peterson said in a statement.

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