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Syracuse University students will return to campus this fall for in-person classes, Chancellor Kent Syverud announced Wednesday. Students will not return to campus after Thanksgiving break. 

The fall 2020 semester will be held on an accelerated schedule, starting Aug. 24, instead of the original Aug. 31 start date. Residential instruction will conclude on Nov. 24, Syverud said in a campus-wide email. Review sessions and final exams will be conducted online beginning on Nov. 30, and the semester will conclude on Dec. 9. 

Additional Friday and weekend classes will likely be held to fulfill academic requirements and comply with public health guidelines, the chancellor said. Restrictions on how many students can be in a classroom at one time will make extra sections necessary for students to complete all their coursework, said Amanda Nicholson, assistant provost and dean of student success. 

“It is not business as usual when you’re in a global pandemic,” Nicholson said. “It’s this balance between safety and this idea of having a social and rewarding college experience.”

The university is operating on the assumption that students will have to practice social distancing and wear masks in public spaces, Nicholson said. 

Faculty and staff should revise teaching plans accordingly and be prepared to conduct online learning for students who may need accommodations, Syverud said. All in-person classes will have an online option, he said. 

Central New York has begun a phased reopening of its economy. Private universities will be allowed to open in the fourth phase of the reopening, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at a media briefing Wednesday. He expects the county to enter the fourth phase well before the school year starts.

“We are part of the Syracuse community and we don’t want to negatively impact them,” Nicholson said. “We are very fortunate to be in Onondaga County.”

The university will also change certain facilities to meet social distancing measures, Syverud said. The accelerated schedule minimizes risk associated with travel to and from campus and prepares SU for a possible second wave of coronavirus cases, he said.

Students living on-campus will receive a notification with their adjusted move-in date. The university may encourage students and families to ship items ahead of time or come earlier in August to avoid overcrowding during the move-in process, Nicholson said. 

“Move-in at SU has always been one of the things we’ve done really well,” Nicholson said. “We can’t have people hanging around campus for three or four days.”

SU will regularly test all students for COVID-19 upon arrival, Nicholson said. The university will also sanitize communal bathrooms in residence halls more frequently, she said.

The university is evaluating ways to modify on-campus dining facilities to prevent the spread of the virus, and may install partitions in dining halls or provide pre-prepared meals to minimize contact, Nicholson said. 

SU announced the formation of the Fall 2020 Open Working Group on May 13. The group consists of deans, faculty and staff who are working to prepare for the reopening of campus on Aug. 24. The university will provide weekly or biweekly updates as officials finalize plans for the fall semester, Nicholson said.

Plans for the spring semester, as well as study abroad programs scheduled for the fall, remain unclear. 

“Syracuse University will continue to deliver on its mission to provide a distinctive and rigorous academic experience to all our students,” Syverud said.

This post was updated with additional reporting.

Published on May 20, 2020 at 5:03 pm

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