HANCOCK — Finlandia University has decided to cancel the remainder of its spring sports seasons.

The decision was made due to the quickly-evolving COVID-19 situation.

The university began efforts Thursday to close the residence hall. All students are required to vacate by no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. Class instruction is moving to the university’s online learning platform.

“In an effort to protect the health and safety of our community from the potential spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Finlandia is instituting the following actions,” Finlandia University president Philip Johnson said. “However, because of the fluid nature of the situation, it may be necessary to modify these actions at any point. Therefore students, faculty, staff, and administrators are strongly urged to stay informed of future updates and possible changes. Information will be updated through campus email and finlandia.edu/coronavirus. It is important for faculty, staff and students to continue to monitor these sites for continued communication. We will continue to communicate updates and changes as the situation evolves.”