In a welcome announcement for restless college students, the University of Illinois confirmed Thursday that all three of its campuses will hold modified classes on campus this fall as long as the masses of students coming back wear face masks, undergo coronavirus tests and practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
That means dorms, dining halls, research labs and other campus facilities will begin to reopen in some fashion, with amended protocols to protect students and faculty from falling ill, according to a joint statement issued by university leaders.
Exactly how college life will look this fall is top of mind for many students deciding whether to move back and reunite with classmates or remain at home and continue taking classes online. Northwestern University, DePaul University, the University of Chicago and public universities in Illinois are all taking steps to offer a blend of in-person and remote coursework. Though many decisions aren’t finalized, enhanced cleaning, contract tracing and access to testing are common features across campuses.
At Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign campus, creating enough room for students to sit in classes, grab food from dining halls and socialize with peers could be particularly challenging given its record enrollment of more than 51,000 students last year. An email sent to students Thursday laid out the plans for fall, saying “we will resume on-campus instruction for the Fall 2020 semester in a manner modified to address the ongoing pandemic concerns.”
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