Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management goes remote after over 50 students exposed to COVID-19

University of Chicago's Booth School of Business also went remote this week

ByABC 7 News Digital Team WLS logo
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management goes remote after 4 COVID-19 cases, over 50 students exposed
Northwestern's business school informed students it would go remote after students tested positive for COVID-19.

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Another Chicago-area business school has gone remote after a large group of MBA students was exposed to COVID-19.

Francesca Cornelli, dean of the Kellogg School of Management, informed Northwestern's business school students that MBA classes will go remote for two weeks. This announcement on Friday evening came after four students tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 50 full-time Kellogg MBA students were linked to multiple large gatherings last weekend.

Noting that health and safety are the university's highest priorities, Cornelli's email stated that the school's Evanston courses would go remote, starting Monday through Oct. 30. Kellogg Evening and Weekend, EMBA, MSMS and Ph.D. students are not required to observe the stay-at-home directive.

The email continued by expressing appreciation for students who contacted Northwestern Case Management about concerns and possible exposure to COVID-19.

To find information about testing, reporting requirements and daily symptom monitoring, NU students can refer to the Northwestern health monitoring site and the Graduate and Professional Student Testing site.

RELATED: University of Chicago Booth School of Business goes remote after over 100 students exposed to COVID-19 at off-campus gathering, officials say

Kellogg's goal is to stay hybrid in its full-time MBA program until the Thanksgiving holiday.

"This is a reminder of how important individual actions are in allowing us to achieve our goals and how quickly this virus can spread," Cornelli said. "Our ability to return to the hybrid format will depend on many factors, including case and quarantine levels and University and City of Evanston guidelines, as well as individual behavioral actions to help limit spread in our community."

This announcement comes after University of Chicago's Booth School of Business announced Wednesday that it would go remote due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among its students. More than 100 students were told to quarantine after a large group of full-time MBA students gathered off-campus on Chicago's North Side, many without face coverings, the school said.