As the threat and spread of the coronavirus does not seem to be going away any time soon, colleges and universities grapple with what course to embark on in terms of the upcoming fall semester. While Harvard, Rutgers, California State University, and other colleges have announced that they will be conducting classes online, other schools, many of those in Louisiana, cling to the idea of on-campus, in-person classes in the fall. Here are the current plans for some of Louisiana's universities next semester. As the pandemic continues, they are likely to change or be altered, depending on additional developments or setbacks.
Louisiana State University
As of right now, LSU
plans on reopening for the fall semester, with classes on campus, as
planned, on August 24. However, this will come with changes, such as smaller
class sizes in larger classrooms and larger class sizes in athletic facilities
or online, in order to facilitate social distancing. Spaces like the library,
the Union, and dining halls will alter operations to include capacity
restrictions.
LSU
Housing has announced that there will be enhanced cleaning with
electrostatic sprayers, more custodial staff, and extra daily cleanings of
common spaces. Move-in will involve assigned times and days, to decrease
contact with other families and staff on campus. The fall holiday, scheduled
for October 8-9, will be cancelled, and students will not return to campus
after the Thanksgiving holiday, with remaining classes meeting online to avoid
outbreaks or exposure through traveling.
As for sports, no official decision has been made yet for the football season, but LSU coach Ed Orgeron has supported football in the fall. "We need to play football," he told The Advocate. "I can't wait to play football. We need this season, and I think we are going to play." This comes after at least 30 of LSU's 115 players were isolated in June for either having tested positive for COVID-19 or were found to have had contact with those who tested positive.
Tulane University
Tulane's President Mike Fitts announced in May that
in-person instruction would continue for the fall 2020 semester, starting and
ending earlier than usual, from August 19 to November 24, according to NOLA.com.
The semester will end the week of Thanksgiving, to limit travel of students
leaving and returning to and from campus for the break. Finals will then take
place online following the break.
Tulane has expressed its intent to frequently test campus
members for COVID-19 and even have an on-campus infirmary to quarantine
infected students. They also will implement social distancing, face masks, hand
sanitizer, and remote learning for some courses. The administration is also
looking to socially distance dorms by procuring off-campus single-room options.
Classrooms are intended to be at 50-percent capacity, and Tulane has begun to
build some outdoor classroom areas for socially distanced learning.
Tulane football and volleyball are still scheduled to begin
in September, with certain modifications and a rigorous testing procedure for
student athletes, according to The
Tulane Hullabaloo.
Tulane University has also joined 58 universities, including
Harvard and MIT, in filing
an amicus brief for the lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security, in order to stop them from
nullifying international students' visas in the case of online classes.
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University President Tania Tetlow outlined the plan
for the school's opening on campus in August, with in-person classes, albeit
with several adjustments, according to WWLTV. Housing on campus will be
prioritized for first- and second-year students, with either single rooms or
large double rooms. Gatherings and dining will be more spread out in open-air
parts of campus, and cleaning will be frequent.
There will not be large lecture classes, and, like LSU,
small classes will move into larger rooms or will split courses into two parts for
students to attend class in shifts. Loyola also plans to have students go home
for Thanksgiving break and not return, taking the last week of classes and
exams online.
Dillard University
Dillard University also plans on returning to
campus in fall 2020, saying that "Being on campus is a part of a well-rounded
educational experience." However, the university advises students, faculty, and
staff to prepare for a "new normal," and they have worked with a consultant
team, as well as other universities, to form a COVID-19 response team to
develop solutions for issues that may come up.
Faculty and staff will be tested before the fall semester
starts, and incoming and returning students are required to be tested before
move-in. Wearing face masks will be required in common areas, and vulnerable
students can continue remote learning. In-person events will be limited or have
limited attendance. The university says that meals will be delivered to the
rooms of residential students who show symptoms. Dillard will continue to change
and adjust its plans as a response to the risks of COVID-19.
Overall, as we see coronavirus cases back on the rise now in
Louisiana, it's probable that these universities may again alter their plans
for classes in the fall, especially due to the risks of having so many young
people in a concentrated area, who may not take the pandemic precautions as
seriously.
