Residence halls at the Tampa campus will close Tuesday morning and all classes will be canceled through Thursday due to Hurricane Milton.

Related: USF closes campuses for Hurricane Milton – The Oracle 

Tampa campus students were encouraged to evacuate if they can do so safely in an email sent to the USF community Monday afternoon. 

Students without a safe place to stay will be transported to Jennings Middle School in Seffner, a Hillsborough County hurricane shelter about seven miles from campus, via the USF Bull Runner.

All USF campuses will remain closed through Thursday, according to the university.

Dorm residents were encouraged to talk with their families to decide if they can evacuate safely, according to an email sent by Housing and Residential Education.

The students who were moved from the St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee campuses to the Tampa campus will also evacuate to Jennings Middle School, according to the university. 

Jennings Middle School is not open to the general public, but is only open to USF residents and some University of Tampa students, according to the FAQ page.

Related: USF St. Pete residents found shelter in Tampa campus amid Hurricane Helene – The Oracle 

Housing and Residential Education told students they should plan to not have access to their dorms for several days and to pack bedding, medication, clothing, electronics and non-perishable food.

Around 7,500 students live on all USF’s campuses, according to an August press release.

Related: As hurricane season approaches, here’s how USF students should prepare – The Oracle 

Students who go to the shelter will stay there until it is safe to return to campus. It is not known when residence halls will reopen, according to the email.

There could be “life-threatening” storm surges and “damaging” winds for the west coast of Florida, according to a 10 a.m. Monday advisory from the National Hurricane Center

Classes will not be held Tuesday through Thursday, according to the university. The university plans to hold classes Friday asynchronously, as they were on Monday. 

Professors are not allowed to hold in-person classes, but instead will give an assignment that does not have to be completed on Friday. 

However, a final decision on classes, campus reopening and remote work will be made when more information is available later, according to the university.

More information about housing and transportation to the hurricane shelter will be sent out later on Monday, according to Housing and Residential Education.