Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert said instruction at the school will be held exclusively online or through alternative learning formats through the end of the spring semester. The university also announced in a news release Thursday that commencement exercises for May 2 will be postponed. There will be a commencement to celebrate the spring 2020 graduating class, and the university said it will schedule it in a safe and healthy environment. The university also announced that students can return to their permanent homes or make alternative housing arrangements to study remotely. Students who have left campus will not be allowed to retrieve their belongings until they have received further instructions from the university.