Administrators with the University of Michigan announced Monday they will launch the school's fall semester August 31, offering a blend of in-person and remote classes, an adjusted academic calendar and an emphasis on the use of face coverings, social distancing and other public health measures.
The details of the fall semester are being guided by public health experts paired with guidance from the U-M community.
President Mark Schlissel made the announcement in a video message and email to the campus community. The chancellors on the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint campuses also announced plans specific to those campuses.
“I am pleased to announce that the University of Michigan plans to offer a public health-informed in-residence semester this fall,” Schlissel said in his message. He said the plan for the fall semester reflects the university’s “commitment to promoting public health while fulfilling our fundamental mission of transformative undergraduate, graduate and professional education.”
In the meantime, all staff and faculty who can work from home will continue to do so as the university continues to gradually and carefully resume various on-campus activities.
The president said the “thoughtful and deliberate efforts of hundreds of members of the U-M community” have produced a path forward for the university as it continues to grapple with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We now have the opportunity to begin a new journey together, equipped with the very best guidance and ideas from our leading scholars, innovative students and expert staff,” Schlissel said.
Fall on the Ann Arbor campus will have a different feel this year. “But the pandemic won’t change our commitment to the members of our community,” the president said.
Officials with the university say they have also launched a “Maize and Blueprint” website with more information about the ramping up of campus this fall. It will be updated regularly as more details are finalized. Among the changes for the fall semester are these:
- An adjusted academic calendar, with on-campus classes ending at Thanksgiving in the fall to minimize student travel home and back to campus. Winter semester will start later in January. Both the fall and winter breaks will be eliminated.
- A combination of in-person, remote and hybrid classes. In general, small classes will continue to meet in person, but larger lecture classes will be delivered remotely. Class formats will be determined by individual schools, colleges and academic units.
- Although not all courses will be available in every format, most students will be able to choose whether to return to Ann Arbor for a hybrid learning experience or study from home in a fully remote mode.
- Residence halls and dining facilities will be open and Michigan Housing will reserve some units to serve as quarantine housing as needed. Density in dining halls will be reduced and more boxed meals will be offered.
- The university will purchase more hand sanitizer, masks and other forms of personal protective equipment to keep the university community safe.
- The university will emphasize the critical importance of all students, faculty and staff getting a seasonal flu shot, staying home when sick and closely monitoring any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses.
- U-M is finalizing plans and protocols for student, faculty and staff testing for infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. The university also is building capacity for additional contact tracing for those who are infected.
- Faculty and staff will be able to perform their own health screenings by accessing a university website through their phones. This new tool, being made available this week, will make returning to work on campus smoother and safer when employees need to come to campus.
President Schlissel said the U-M plan for an in-person semester relies on every member of the community following basic public health strategies.
Watch Dr. Schlissel's message here: