As part of the response, and in line with Department of Health advice in relation to group accommodation, the university has recommended students living on campus move out of the uni accommodation and move home.

Students from all campuses were advised by email of the change on Thursday afternoon.

The email said: "The university is putting in place a range of changes to support social distancing and to assist in reducing the spread of the virus.

"... The health and wellbeing of our students, staff and communities is our number one priority.

ALSO MAKING NEWS:

"With this in mind, we are making changes to the start date of the Mid Session Break, moving on campus classes to an online delivery and supporting students living in on campus accommodation."

As part of the changes, the university is moving the session one mid session break forward by two weeks with the last day of classes being Friday, March 27 and classes resuming on Tuesday, April 14.

To support social distancing, the university will start transitioning all on campus classes to online from Monday, March 23.

All on campus classes will be going to online delivery from Tuesday, April 14 and for the remainder of session one.

The changes will be across the on campus classes at Charles Sturt's six main campuses at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Dubbo, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga, the Study Centres for international students in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (delivered in partnership with Study Group Australia), Islamic Studies in Parramatta and the Theological studies centres in Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney.

As the university is bringing forward the mid session break and changing subjects to online delivery after the break, students were told there was no need to remain in campus as they will be able to meet their study requirements online.

The email outlined the latest Department of Health advice in relation to group accommodation; that it presents a higher risk for transmission of COVID-19 and that accommodation closure be considered or densities should be reduced.

In line with this advice, the university recommended students move out of their rooms and return home when the mid session break commences on Saturday, March 28.

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