STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — Penn State has announced they will resume in-person classes for part of the fall semester before returning to all distance learning around Thanksgiving.
The fall semester will begin Monday, Aug. 24, but campus-based, residential instruction will end Friday, Nov. 20, with the remainder of the semester — including final exams — being delivered remotely and online when classes resume after Thanksgiving break on Nov. 30, according to a release from Penn State.
The semester will end following finals on Dec. 18, as originally planned.
Classes will be held on Labor Day to minimize travel and lower the risk of possibly spreading coronavirus on campuses.
“I am pleased that the hard work of our task groups over the last few months has led us to this plan that will allow us to bring our campus communities back together,” said Penn State President Eric Barron in a statement. “The Penn State experience may look somewhat different this fall, but I am very much looking forward to seeing our campuses busy with students, faculty, and staff once again. I know I speak for the leadership at each of our campuses when I say we are looking forward to welcoming our students back and greeting, for the first time, our new students.”
The university said in their statement that students and employees will begin to return to campuses in phases, starting this summer, and will have public health procedures and strategies in place, including mask-wearing and social distancing.
Classes will be a mix of in-person, remote, and online instruction throughout the semester.
A testing and contact-tracing program for symptomatic and asymptomatic people will also be set up.
The university said a town hall for faculty and staff is scheduled for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 19 and one for students and families will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 22.
Information on the town halls and more detailed strategies can be found here.
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