UE students set to return to in-person instruction for fall semester
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a press release Thursday evening, University of Evansville officials announced the school's plans to reopen campus for in-person instruction no later than Aug. 26.
Based on feedback from students, faculty and staff, UE President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz said the university is committed to shifting back to traditional, face-to-face courses in the fall.
"Reopening campus is a monumental task," he said, "but we have been working for months on plans to reopen safely. Throughout this pandemic, our guiding principles have included supporting the safety and well-being of our entire campus community, continuing to provide a transformative educational experience and considering the public health implications of our actions."
With these principles in mind, UE has developed a Coronavirus Healthcare Taskforce, consisting of faculty, staff, administrators and public health experts, to develop "robust plans" and recommendations centered on the university's response.
Following the guidelines of Governor Eric Holcomb and public health experts, the university has planned a gradual reopening of campus offices, labs and other spaces. This plan will include preparations for physical campus visits, as well as procedures for students' return to campus in the fall.
According to officials, courses in the fall will be designed for in-person experiences and include a hybrid of online-only classes to ensure social distancing guidelines and health protocols are met.
Other preparations include adjustments to class spaces, residential halls, dining facilities and protocols regarding testing, masks, temperature checks and other safety measures. As for how these changes will look, Holly Smith, senior director of marketing, said the university is still working out those details.
But as UE continues to look ahead to fall semester, like other area colleges, Pietruszkiewicz said the university will remain in close communication with health professionals and provide updates as they come along.
"We will continue to monitor the health of our community closely and provide updates frequently," hesaid. "We look forward to welcoming our returning students back to campus and extending a warm welcome - at a safe social distance - to the new members of our UE family."
Last week the university announced they were canceling the fall program at Harlaxton for 2020.
"In making this decision, the teams at Harlaxton and UE reviewed many developments in the US and the UK," Pietruszkiewicz wrote in the email to faculty, staff and students. "As you probably are aware, the Harlaxton Spring 2020 students ended their study abroad earlier than expected, and our summer program was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point, we expect that students may not be able to travel to Harlaxton and the UK without significant complications and quarantines. In the current environment, we fear that we cannot ensure a safe and meaningful experience for students at Harlaxton."