University of Michigan Plans to Offer In-Person Classes in Fall

(Bloomberg) -- The University of Michigan is planning to offer classes in-person at its Ann Arbor campus for the semester beginning Aug. 31, guided by public health directives.

Students will be able to choose whether to return to campus or attend remotely, the university said Monday in a statement. The school said it will implement additional safety measures including requiring physical distancing in common spaces, additional cleaning and boxed meals.

“Our plan to conduct an in-person semester relies on basic public health strategies including social distancing, minimizing out-of-area travel, wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, symptom screening, clinical testing, contact tracing and quarantine that add up to a highly effective way to limit spread of this illness,” President Mark Schlissel said in the statement.

Colleges are grappling with plans for students to return after clearing campuses in March to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic has taken a toll on higher education, with universities cutting staff, freezing pay and delaying expansion plans. But schools including New York University are starting to describe what life may look like when students come back, including wearing masks and fewer people in classes.

At the University of Michigan, large classes will be held remotely, small classes will be held in-person and medium-size classes will be a hybrid of the two. In-person classes will end in November before resuming remotely for the rest of the semester to minimize student travel home and back to campus.

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