UConn Releases Draft Of Reopening Plans For Fall Semester

STORRS, CT — University of Connecticut President Thomas Katsouleas has released a set of draft guidelines for the reopening of campuses for the fall semester.

The plan will be formally presented to the trustees and state officials "in the coming weeks," he said.

"Welcoming our community back to our campuses in any way is contingent on our ability to meet a series of gating conditions established by state government. The state and UConn continue to make progress on each, and I am optimistic that together we will be able to satisfy them in advance of the next semester," Katsouleas wrote in a lteer sent out Wednesday. "Our goal is to provide the highest-quality UConn education and campus experience as possible while also protecting the health of our community. So returning does not mean back to normal. Our draft plans call for an academic semester and campus experience that will be unlike any we have seen previously. Successfully coming back and maintaining safety will require the cooperation and flexibility of our entire community during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic."

Masks will be required and he said UConn has acquired enough masks to supply the "entire community," but if a person is unable to wear one for medical reasons, the university will work with him or her.

The draft plans include:

• The first day of classes will be Aug. 31 and we will offer a "range of course modalities" with some completely online, some in a face-to-face environment, and others being a blend of the two.
• Students will not return following Thanksgiving break and the remainder of the semester, including final exams, will be online.
• The capacity of classrooms will also be reduced to allow for "6 feet of separation" between people. Students and faculty members who want an "exclusively online experience" can exercise that option.
• Residence halls in Storrs and Stamford will open, but with reduced density, and a new housing assignment process. Students will not need to reapply for housing. Dedicated space will be available to isolate any students during the semester who fall ill. Students who will be living on campus (Storrs and Stamford) will be required to return approximately two weeks before the start of classes for testing, as required by the state, and a period of quarantine. Potential testing protocols for other student populations, as well as accommodations and capacity, are still being evaluated.
• Protocols for staff and employee testing are being developed.
• Health screening and monitoring will be continuous and UConn will reinforce a "stay home when ill" mandate for both employees and students at all times.
• The school will promote frequent handwashing and/or sanitizers, physical distancing, and regular cleaning and disinfection of campus spaces and transportation systems.

"I know that our students, faculty, and staff will have countless questions. Over the summer, the university will continue to prepare, release, and update the volumes of material related to our reopening, operations, and the virus, and we will endeavor to answer every question as best we can," Katsouleas said. "This is new for all of us. And returning successfully and safely depends on all of us. The hallmarks of success will be resiliency, flexibility, understanding, cooperation, and, as always, creativity. Fortunately, Huskies have each of these qualities in abundance. I believe there is no challenge we cannot meet and rise above as long as we remember that we are in this together."

More information appears on a dedicated website that can be accessed here.