MEGHAN STRATTON | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | mrstratt@butler.edu

On Nov 12. Frank Ross, vice president of student affairs, announced Butler will suspend in-person student life activities for the remainder of the fall semester. The decision was made due to an increase of COVID-19 cases on campus and in the community, as the university now has 74 active positive cases. Classes will remain in person until Nov. 24, the originally planned end date of the fall 2020 semester. 

In-person student organization meetings and events will be canceled until students return to campus for the spring semester. In addition, all athletics are canceled until the spring semester — with the exception of men’s and women’s basketball, because they are in season. Ross’ email did, however, say internships, performances and other experiential placements will remain in person for the remainder of the semester. 

All meals from Butler dining halls will be served to go, and Irwin Library will remain open for studying and other academic needs. Ross’ email also briefly explained Butler will be offering COVID-19 tests to students before they leave campus. These tests will be administered through an off-campus doctor and will incur an additional fee. 

In regard to academics, many professors have recently offered students the option to attend courses remotely. Ross’ email said the expectation is for students to remain on campus and attend classes in person, unless their professors have made alternative arrangements. Faculty are also not required to accommodate students’ preferences to leave campus before the end of the semester, the email said. 

Earlier in the day on Nov. 11, the university’s COVID-19 dashboard reflected 46 active cases. Butler sent out a separate email stating that three Greek houses, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma and Phi Delta Theta, have been placed on a two-week quarantine due to a cluster of positive cases. The women’s soccer team also saw an outbreak of positive cases. 

Over the fall semester, Butler has seen 249 positive COVID-19 cases. The university has administered 9,096 tests, with a positivity rate of 2.75%. 

The Butler Collegian will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.