CASTINE, Maine — Maine Maritime Academy announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11 that it was closing its dorms and switching to remote learning earlier than planned.
MMA President Dr. William Brennan says, "We have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation in our state and on our campus, and though we’ve been successful since August in keeping our campus nearly COVID-free, like the rest of Maine we are seeing more positive cases in our community. In order to continue to accomplish our educational mission while operating safely, we are transitioning to remote instruction. Our decision to pivot now is due to an abundance of caution about potential impact upon our campus and the local community."
The transition to remote learning will happen by Friday, Nov. 13 and students will have to vacate the dorms by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Originally, MMA's academic calendar listed Friday, Nov. 20 as the last day of undergraduate courses. So this is just one week early.
However, those who are in isolation or quarantine housing on campus will be asked to finish their quarantine on campus with meals provided and students with travel issues will also be allowed to stay.
On its COVID-19 Dashboard, MMA reports 18 current known active cases and 19 total positives since the beginning of the semester.
Director of College Relations Jennifer DeJoy says currently there are no students on training cruises.
According to Dr. Brennan, "At this time, our plan for January remains the same: to operate in person, on campus, as we have for the Fall 2020 term."
Maine Maritime Academy announcement from President William J. Brennan:
