Worcester, Fitchburg & Framingham state universities to have fall classes on campus
Photo | Grant Welker
Framingham State University
State university campuses in Fitchburg, Framingham, Worcester and others across Massachusetts plan to hold classes in person this fall, they jointly announced late Thursday.
The state's nine public university campuses intend on bringing back students to campus dorm buildings in compliance with state and federal coronvirus-related health and safety protocols, including at Worcester State University, Framingham State University and Fitchburg State University.
“Because the state universities have very few large lecture-style classes, and maintain low student-to-faculty ratios, we are confident our campuses will be able to provide students some level of in-classroom instruction,” Vincent Pedone, the executive director of the State Universities Council of Presidents, said in a statement. “Our campuses are well-positioned to adapt to gathering size limitations and social distancing requirements, while providing the high-quality and affordable programing that is our hallmark.”
An in-person fall semester will be a relative return to normalcy after a spring semester abruptly shifted online in March once coronavirus cases began spiking in Massachusetts. Students have shown a demand for returning to in-person courses and on-campus housing, Pedone said.
Framingham State said separately on Friday it is planning a mix of in-person and online courses, with dorms open at a reduced roughly 65% capacity to allow for proper distancing. Classrooms are being reconfigured to ensure six feet of space between students, with face coverings required. About 30% of courses will be offered fully or partially on-campus, and dining halls will be modified for safety precautions.
"Unfortunately, campus life will feel very different this fall," Framingham State President Javier Cevallos said in a message to the campus community. "That is simply the reality of the situation we are all facing right now. The decision to open in a modified, reduced-capacity environment gives us the best opportunity to preserve our mission of providing an active, collaborative learning environment that prepares students for a productive life, while ensuring the safety of our entire community."
The nine state universities, which normally end their admissions period in the spring, are still accepting admissions and residence hall applications through the summer. Combined, the state universities educate more than 52,000 students a year.
A few Worcester colleges have begun saying they, too, intend on having in-person courses this fall.
Both Clark University and College of the Holy Cross intend on holding classes on campus this fall but only through Thanksgiving, when courses will be shifted online through the rest of the semester. At Holy Cross, some classes will be held online for all students, even for those living on campus. Others will have both an in-person and online component. Clark said it will have a prolonged winter break, starting the spring semester on Feb. 22 and holding graduation roughly a month later than normal, on June 20.
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