The University System of Georgia expects to return to in-person instruction for the fall semester beginning August, according to an email by Jere Morehead, the president of the University of Georgia.
The email sent to the University of Georgia community says the university system’s anticipation is still subject to change, as they monitor COVID-19 and receive guidance from the state’s public health officials.
President Morehead says he has worked with four other university presidents to examine the “process of gradual reopening” in the summer, under the oversight of Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
Since then, the chancellor has accepted their recommendations to begin assessing the plan for the return.
“Chancellor Wrigley has accepted our recommendation to form working groups across all 26 USG institutions to consider a staggered, phased-in approach that is appropriate for the unique needs of each campus in the coming weeks,” President Morehead says. “We also expect to receive substantial guidance and assistance from the USG on many challenging issues.”
In a virtual town hall on April 17, Mark Becker, the president of Georgia State University, said he was not certain what on-campus instruction for the fall semester could look like.
“We have every expectation that the university will be open in the fall,” President Becker said. “What open means is again, widely unknown.”
Wendy Hensel, the provost at Georgia State, contacted faculty on April 16 to prepare for the chance that a majority of classes will remain online for the fall. President Becker said more than 850 faculty members have signed up for training about online courses.
The direction taken by the University of Georgia includes nine working groups they say will ease the transition for the university.
“Our top priority in a phased, gradual reopening over the summer is the safety of our faculty, staff, and students,” President Morehead says. “We must ensure that our plans promote a healthy and safe environment, comply with Executive Orders and directives from the Governor’s Office, and reflect guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health.”
Online learning will continue for May and the summer semester.
The University System of Georgia announced its institutions would transition to online instruction on March 16 after growing concerns of COVID-19 in the state.
Note: PRN has reached out to Georgia State University’s Public Health Preparedness Task Force for further comment. We will update this article when we receive more information. This article was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
