By APUS Staff 

This article originally appeared on WallyBoston.com. 

As news continues to emerge about the coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to take this opportunity to let you—our students—know that your health and well-being are of utmost concern to us at American Public University System.

We want to reassure you that American Public University System is making every effort to ensure that your studies will continue with no disruption or downtime. As a fully online university, we are uniquely poised to provide you with continuous operations. Because all of our faculty and many staff members work remotely, we already have in place an environment allowing us to practice the “social distancing” measures being recommended by health authorities.

This is a rapidly evolving and challenging time for both our populace and our economy. Small businesses, the travel industry and retail businesses are now facing special challenges to their business continuity. Through planning and early preventative measures, we are doing our best to provide our assistance and to do the right thing by our fellow citizens by helping to contain and slow the spread of the coronavirus in our communities. This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chart shows the benefits of early planning and quick intervention in stemming a communicable disease.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

For those staff members who work in offices, we are taking steps now to ensure continuity of operations via telework, should the need arise.

Please know that we care about all of our students and your safety as we share these thoughts:

Take care of yourself—first and foremost

If you become sick with this or any other illness, please reach out to your faculty member and academic advisor to keep them in the loop about your circumstances. We want to work with you to help you manage your coursework so that your recovery is not hampered.

Strive for balance

We understand that you may have school-age children who may be at home because a school or school district has mandated distance learning. We recognize that this will impact your time and energy when it comes to your own schoolwork. It is most important to keep in communication with your faculty members and advisors.

Set healthy boundaries

Your personal work situation may warrant the need to work remotely, possibly introducing a new dynamic in your professional life. You may be interested in some tips about working remotely, shared by Dr. Cali Morrison, our associate dean of alternative learning.

These are stressful times for all. We want you to be confident that your student experience will not be impacted by this situation. Your academic advising team is ready to answer any questions you may have. Email advising@apus.edu and remember that your University is here for you.

Click the button below to see the latest COVID-19 updates from American Military University’s first-responder experts on Twitter. AMUdisasterCREW brings you daily emergency and disaster planning tips, pics, videos, news, and a lot more.