Due to the recent wave of Covid cases in Shanghai, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission instructed all Chinese universities, including NYU Shanghai, to close campuses and move online. Our students had various responses to the sudden closing and remote classes.

“[Remote classes are fine]. As a Chinese student, we have experienced about one year of online classes in my high school time,” Thomas Zhang, a freshman said. “But it will also lower the efficiency of the class, and it's really difficult to concentrate on the class. It’s not the best way to teach but it is the only way we can choose now.”

“It’s disappointing, but not surprising.” Ethan Pinto, a freshman who had recently arrived in Shanghai, said.

However, Ethan is worried about remote classes and how he will need to adjust his work ethic to handle everything online. He is grateful that the school is reinstating the previous Pass-Fail policy from Spring 2020.

For Steve Cai, a senior, he said that he is not very worried about remote learning. “I am more concerned about how to maintain an optimistic heart as I am spending 24 hours at home,” he said. “I am also worried about a lack of face-to-face communication with my friends.”

He said that he is used to taking online classes at this point. However, a bigger concern he has is whether seniors will have an online commencement.

After being notified of the Academic Building closing, all students had the opportunity on Sunday, March 13 to retrieve any belongings and school materials from the building.

The university has already made accommodations such as arranging meal deliveries to the dormitories and creating quiet study spaces in Jinqiao Tower 4.

The NYU Shanghai administration is expected to release a notice the week of March 21 that will discuss how the university will proceed.