Recent announcements from President Biden and Governor Pritzker continue to point to a significant increase in availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in coming months. As of April 12, vaccinations will be made available to all Illinois residents 16 and older. In addition, as of March 22, student employees, faculty, and staff became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. “Given this encouraging news, I am optimistic about the fall term as the University continues planning for a more traditional campus experience, which includes the majority of courses offered in-person,” said President Dietz. The University’s current planning assumptions for the fall term are below.
- We expect the percentage of in-person course offerings for fall 2021 to be much closer to that of fall 2019.
- We anticipate physical distancing requirements will be lifted by fall. Therefore, course enrollments will be set at pre-COVID course enrollment maximums.
- We anticipate face coverings will be required in classrooms and other academic spaces. Governor Pritzker recently shared that face coverings will remain a part of public health guidance until the CDC says they are no longer required.
- Per CDC guidance, students who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 will not be required to participate in COVID-19 testing unless symptoms develop.
- Students who register for classes that require face-to-face meetings (either fully in-person or hybrid) will be expected to attend in-person. An online option for in-person class sections will not be offered.
- Students should check the notes section in CourseFinder for additional information that may be available regarding course meeting requirements.
- Faculty will continue to work with students who have an excused absence due to communicable disease.
- Students who have health reasons that preclude them from returning to an in-person classroom should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services.
If there is one thing that has been learned throughout the pandemic, the one constant with COVID-19 is change. There is much that could change by August, but at this point all public health indicators point to the University’s ability to have a more traditional fall semester. As has been the case throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the health and safety of our university community remains our top priority. As we move forward, the University will continue to monitor public health guidance from state and public health officials and respond appropriately.
