LeTourneau University student Alexiah Rardin loads her belongings into the trunk of her car as she prepares to move back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, from her dorm Wednesday, March 18, 2020, after campus officials said Tuesday the university would go to online-only classes beginning Monday for the rest of the spring semester. (Michael Cavazos/ News-Journal Photo)

Student housing residents at LeTourneau University started moving out of their dorms Wednesday morning after officials told students they need to leave by Sunday to prevent spread of the new coronavirus.

While the change can be challenging for students, some said it is a necessary adjustment they are willing to endure.

LeTourneau University and the University of Texas at Tyler said Tuesday they would go to online-only classes beginning Monday for the rest of the spring semester and postpone spring commencement ceremonies.

LeTourneau on Tuesday announced the campus would be shut down and that students would need to be out of residence halls by Sunday. The same move was made last week by Wiley College, which told students on March 12 to leave the Marshall campus.

Kilgore College students also have moved off campus, spokesman Chris Craddock said. According to the college’s website, residence halls will be closed for the rest of the semester.

According to LeTourneau, it will offer partial refunds to students for room and board. Students who moved off campus by Sunday will receive a credit of 50% for their room and board charges.

Those who move out after Sunday will receive a credit based on the portion of the semester not on campus, according to the university.

Additional reviews will be needed for students on a financial aid plan, so no adjustments are needed, according to the university.

LeTourneau has a large international student population, who might have to deal with travel restrictions because of the virus. Spokeswoman Janet Ragland said in an email that international and housing-insecure students can apply for a hardship waiver to remain on campus. If the waiver is granted, they also will receive takeout meals from dining services.

“Hardship waivers will be granted for very limited cases, such as for students in Family/Married Student Housing who have no other address, students who live in locations where air travel from the U.S. is currently not available and cases of extreme financial hardship,” she said.

Those granted the waiver will not be allowed to travel outside the Longview-area until further notice, she said. 

Some LeTourneau students, such as freshman Alexiah Rardin, wanted to get a head start moving out Wednesday morning.

“I’m actually going to my roommate’s house for a few days, then I’m going to come back and get all my stuff and go home,” she said.

Rardin is driving back to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She said all the changes because of the new coronavirus are “a lot,” but she is dealing with it.

“I wasn’t surprised that they were going to have us go online for the rest of the semester after they had given us the notification for the two weeks time period,” she said.

Tierra Lee, another freshman packing up her car, said she was supportive of the move to online-only classes to keep everyone safe.

Lee was driving back home to Alabama to live with her grandparents, she said. While it was not easy making new living arrangements, Lee said she accepts it is something she has to do.

“We just have to do what we have to do to make sure everybody’s still safe,” she said. “I’ll do anything for the well-being of others.”