Sacramento State is discontinuing in-person classes and moving instruction completely online due to concerns about the new coronavirus, according to a SacSend email send Thursday. 

Classes were suspended from March 16 to 19, no classes — including those currently taking place online — were taking place.  

Starting March 20, all classes will take place online until the end of the spring semester, according to another SacSend email.

“Not all types of courses can be converted to online delivery (e.g., small labs, studios, clinicals, field placements, and performing and theater arts),” Sac State President Robert Nelsen said in that email. “Faculty members teaching those types of courses must obtain permission from their Dean and the Provost to continue teaching in an in-person format.”

RELATED: Sac State professors to choose whether to shift to online classes amid coronavirus concerns

Now according to a Sacramento County mandated order, the president has decided to completely suspend face-to-face instruction.

“Sacramento State has made the difficult decision to suspend face-to-face instruction, including any and all courses that had been granted waivers. No classes will be taught in-person on or off our campus. No student can or will be asked to attend face-to-face classes,” said the SacSend email sent Thursday.

Professors that once appealed for in-person instruction will be notified to “retool” their courses to be completely online now.

“Provost Steve Perez, in collaboration with department chairs and deans, will shortly be sending a message to the faculty with clarifying information. I ask that faculty remain in close contact with their students – not only those students who thought they were going to attend limited face-to-face courses, but all students – so that the students know what to expect,” said the SacSend email sent Thursday.

Campus, including the WELL, Student Health and Counseling Services, the AIRC, the University Library, and the University Union are either closed or have adjusted their hours of operation. 

Dorms will remain open. Student employees are limited to a 6 feet per person contact when in a workspace. 

Spring break, which begins March 30 through April 3, will continue as scheduled,  State Public Information Officer Anita Fitzhugh said.

RELATED: Sac State cancels all in-person meetings, events amid coronavirus concerns

Sac State is one of many CSU schools to move classes to a virtual format due to coronavirus concerns, following San Jose State University, San Francisco State University, CSU Long Beach and more. 

Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara and a number of other California colleges have also moved or plan to move classes online temporarily. 

In a separate SacSend email Wednesday, Nelsen informed students that all in-person campus events through May 20, including commencement, would be canceled, postponed or moved to an online format.