The GuardianSome Australian universities are delaying their semester return while others are offering special consideration for students unable to get back to Australia amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. There has not been a coordinated response from universities, and their policies will largely depend on when each university is to begin the semester. Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson on Sunday said that the focus was on the health and safety of people at university, and on minimizing the disruption to their studies. The University of Sydney announced on Saturday evening it would allow students to enroll up to two weeks after the start of semester (by March 9), or let students defer their studies or have fees refunded. The University of Tasmania has said it would offer online courses to the estimated 1,300 students affected by the travel ban.
