Quinnipiac announces plan to resume in-person classes for the fall semester. Here are the changes that will be put in place
Quinnipiac University in Hamden is one of the first Connecticut schools to share its plan for the fall given the continued risks of COVID-19. (David Sundberg)
Quinnipiac University is planning to resume in-person classes and on-campus living at the start of the fall semester, while still offering online instruction, President Judy Olian announced Tuesday.
Calling its approach "Q-Flex," the university will start the semester with online instruction on Aug. 24 and then introduce in-person classes after a week or two, once all students have arrived on campus under a staggered move-in schedule, Olian and the interim Executive Vice President and Provost, Jennifer Brown, wrote in a letter to the Qunnipiac community.
In-person classes will end two weeks early, with students leaving for Thanksgiving break after Nov. 24. Room and board costs will be reduced by two weeks to account for the period from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 where students will complete classes and exams online at home.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned of another deadly wave of the coronavirus in the fall. Many colleges are considering ending classes earlier.
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The private university in Hamden is one of the first Connecticut schools to share its plan for the fall given the continued risks of COVID-19.
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Earlier this month, a state advisory group on how to reopen institutions of higher education issued a report that recommended in-person classes resume Sept. 1 if certain conditions were met.
Trinity College has said it plans to have students on campus in the fall while also offering remote learning options. UConn plans to make a final decision by June 30 on bringing students back to campus. Yale University will announce its decision by early July.
Under Quinnipiac's plan, students will alternate between in-person and online classes to manage social distancing, they wrote, which "will enable us to continue offering the high-quality academic learning experiences for which QU is known, while maintaining careful health protections and physical distancing throughout our university community."
"We also know from research that this mixed delivery model of instruction can have very powerful learning results," the letter said.
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Students who live close to the university will also be encouraged to drop their belongings off early to reduce traffic and crowding during the move-in period.
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All students will be tested for COVID-19, as required by the state, according to the letter, which said additional information about testing and Q-Flex learning will be provided in the coming weeks.
The academic calendar has been adjusted slightly. Quinnipiac leaders said all students will be attending in-person classes by Labor Day, which will be an instruction day.
The university's plan is subject to ongoing guidance from the state and public health officials, the officials said.