BATON ROUGE — Southern University placed its campus on lockdown Thursday after receiving a potential threat to campus security, canceling classes and campus activities through the weekend, even after the lockdown was lifted.

The lockdown for the entire Baton Rouge landmass, which also includes Southern University Law Center, Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and Southern University Laboratory School, was issued around 11 a.m.

By 12:45 p.m., the lockdown was lifted.

"Students residing off campus and all non-essential employees should evacuate campus. Accommodations will be made for students who reside on campus and instructions will be communicated directly to them," the university said.

Four other HBCUs across the country — Clark Atlanta University, Hampton University, Alabama State University and Virginia State University — also received threats to their campuses. Spellman College also had its campus shelter in place out of an abundance of caution due to its proximity to Clark Atlanta.