Slippery Rock University is planning for a “more traditional experience” this upcoming fall semester.
The university laid out its plans for next school year with the expectation that in-person classes will resume.
President Dr. Bill Behre said in a press release that he still expects masks will be worn on campus, and that large gatherings may be restricted.
Other accommodations will be made for on-campus housing and dining when the semester starts on August 23rd.
More details on Slippery Rock’s reopening plan:
- Residence halls will be operating at near capacity but with no more than two students to a room. A typical semester sees our campus host 2,800 residential students. In contrast, during the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters, that number has plummeted to around 700. For fall 2021, we expect to have more than 2,300 residents on campus.
- In-person dining will resume.
- SRU will offer substantially more face-to-face courses, accounting for more than 80% of all instruction versus the current 20% of in-person offerings.
- A return to in-person, co-curricular activities.
- Student-athletes will compete in intercollegiate athletic events, and those contests will include some form of fan attendance.
- More employees will be working on campus than working remotely. Study-abroad programs will likely recommence as travel restrictions are lifted, albeit with fewer students.
To accommodate more in-person classes, the University is increasing the number of rooms on campus that can more safely host classes. This will include adjusting learning spaces to feature socially distanced seating configurations and plexiglass barriers. SRU will also have enhanced cleaning procedures that will not only increase the frequency of cleaning but feature the addition of more than 125 ionization units that have been shown to eliminate 99% of viruses, bacteria and molds.
“Our goal is to operate in a more traditional fashion in the fall, one that maximizes in-person opportunities for living, learning, and socializing,” Behre said. “Our decision-making is driven by an assumption that most of our community will be vaccinated by the start of classes in August.