Stevens Institute In Hoboken Says Fall Semester Will Be In Person

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, a renowned engineering university, is using their trained minds to figure out how to hold fall semester classes in person.

The school, whose technology incubator recently participated in a day of "coronavirus hacks" last month to find ways to cope with the pandemic, had shut down in-person classes as of March 10. Class went virtual after that.

Two weeks later, the university said a student had been confirmed with coronavirus.

But on Tuesday, they posted a letter from Provost Christophe Pierre and Vice President For Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Marybeth Murphy, saying they will allow students back on campus in fall.

Among other measures being considered, they may give out facemasks and will quarantine students on campus if they come down with the virus.

Pierre and Murphy wrote:

<blockquote>The question we are asked most often is “Will we be back on campus for the Fall semester?” We are pleased to respond that our answer at this time is yes – that is our plan. We are diligently making plans to open in the Fall for in-person classes and with students living in Stevens housing – while prioritizing the health and safety of our community and following all government requirements.</blockquote>

They said they'll follow guidelines from the state of New Jersey.

Among the possible measures:

• Providing masks for everyone in our community and requiring their use.
• Making COVID-19 testing available to students and working with public health officials to conduct contact tracing.
• Reserving space in residence halls and other facilities to quarantine COVID-19 positive students.
• Increasing disinfection and cleaning campus-wide and especially in high touch areas.
• Providing classes with a hybrid and flexible approach; ensuring social distancing in the classrooms for in-person courses, as well as offering the option for online classes for those who prefer to remain off-campus for health or other reasons.

They said they'll make another announcement in June or July when they have more details.

In fall 2019, the campus had 3,659 undergraduates (3 percent international students) and 3,624 graduate students (62 percent international).

The city of Hoboken has confirmed 29 resident deaths from coronavirus and 569 residents who have tested positive.

Statewide, as of Tuesday, the number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey had risen to 155,764, and 11,191 people have died. The number represented 703 new cases and 54 new deaths since the previous day.

On April 30, the death rate reached a peak in New Jersey, as 460 New Jerseyans lost their lives to the virus in 24 hours, or one person every three minutes. The number of new deaths then began to gradually decline. But Gov. Murphy has said any reopenings have to be done slowly and predicated on data, to avoid a new spike.

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