By Rachel Edgell
It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves for months, and American universities have begun to announce their plans for the next academic year. Here we break down the four main possible learning structures and what each will mean for college students next semester:
On-campus learning
The vast majority of universities have announced their intention to welcome students on campus this fall but with remote learning contingencies for students who are unable or unwilling to attend classes in-person. NYU and The University of Oregon are two such examples. Schools will likely implement changes to class sizes and dorm life in particular in order to maintain social distancing and enhanced hygiene standards. What these changes might entail, however, has yet to be confirmed.
On-campus learning with an altered schedule
The next most-common plan is a shortened campus presence. The University of Notre Dame will open two weeks earlier than planned, remove fall break, and end the fall semester at Thanksgiving. Altered schedules like this attempt to limit back-and-forth travel and potential further spread of the coronavirus.
Columbia University and its partner school, Barnard College, will add a summer semester to allow students greater flexibility with regards to in-person courses.
Some universities like Stanford and Princeton will begin the semester early and end classes by Thanksgiving, with only a fraction of the undergraduate student body on campus at a time.
Hybrid: on-campus and online learning with reduced campus presence
Many colleges are actively encouraging remote learning while still hosting some students in campus housing. Arizona State University championed flexible learning long before the pandemic and will continue to offer classes in three modalities: in-person, synchronous remote, and asynchronous remote (see below for further details).
Remote only
While most colleges are thus far planning for some level of in-person education, schools in California in particular have announced that all classes will take place online.
As universities announce remote learning plans, two words are often used: asynchronous and synchronous. Synchronous learning is “live” -- it requires the student to log in to technology at the same time as on-campus students. International students in particular may face difficulties with lessons occurring at odd hours in their home countries. Asynchronous learning takes place independently of the on-campus lessons. While this allows students to watch recorded lectures and complete work in their own time, students lose the benefit of asking questions and hearing other students’ questions during a live lesson.
Other announcements and future announcement dates
American University: hybrid on-campus and remote learning with reduced campus presence
Amherst College: altered schedule with hybrid learning
Arizona State University: hybrid on-campus and remote learning
Babson College: on-campus learning
Barnard College: altered schedule (additional summer semester)
Bates College: altered schedule (remote learning after Thanksgiving)
Boston University: on-campus learning
Bowdoin University: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Brown University: remote learning
Bucknell University: altered schedule (no fall break; remote after Thanksgiving)
California State University: remote learning
Carleton College: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Chapman University: on-campus learning
Claremont McKenna College: altered schedule (one week earlier; online after Thanksgiving)
Clemson University: remote learning for four weeks then return to on-campus learning
Colgate University: on-campus learning
Columbia University: altered schedule (additional summer semester)
Colorado College: altered schedule (additional “blocks” added)
Colorado State University: altered schedule (remote learning after fall break)
Cornell University: remote learning after Thanksgiving break
Dartmouth College: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Duke University: altered schedule (semester begins one week earlier and ends at Thanksgiving)
Emerson College: hybrid
Emory University: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Fordham University: on-campus learning
Georgetown University: on-campus learning
George Washington University: on-campus learning
Georgia Tech: on-campus learning
Harvard College: remote learning (with 40% of students allowed to live on campus)
Johns Hopkins University: on-campus learning
LeHigh University: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
Loyola Marymount College: primarily remote learning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: altered schedule with only seniors on campus
Middlebury College: on-campus learning
New York University: on-campus learning
Northeastern University: on-campus learning
Northwestern University: altered schedule (begin one week earlier; online after Thanksgiving)
Occidental College: remote learning
Oregon State University: on-campus learning
Pepperdine University: remote learning
Pitzer College: remote learning
Pomona College: remote learning
Pratt Institute: on-campus learning
Princeton University: altered schedule and reduced campus presence
Purdue University: hybrid on-campus and remote learning
Reed College: on-campus learning
Rice University: on-campus learning
San Diego State University: remote learning
Santa Clara University: on-campus learning
Southern Methodist University: on-campus learning
Stanford University: altered schedule
Princeton University: altered schedule and reduced campus presence
Stevens Institute of Technology: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Swarthmore College: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Syracuse University: altered schedule (remote learning after Thanksgiving break)
Texas Christian University: altered schedule (one week earlier start; remote after Thanksgiving)
Tufts University: on-campus learning
Tulane University: on-campus learning
University of Alabama: on-campus learning
University of Arizona: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
University of California: on-campus learning (exceptions below)
UC-Berkeley: remote learning for most classes
UC-Irvine: remote learning for most classes
UCLA: remote learning for most classes
UC-Merced: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
UC-Santa Cruz: remote learning for most classes
University of Chicago: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
University of Colorado-Boulder: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
University of Denver: altered schedule (classes end at Thanksgiving and finals will be online)
University of Florida: on-campus learning
University of Georgia: on-campus learning
University of Maryland: hybrid
University of Miami: altered schedule (begin one week early; remote finals after Thanksgiving)
University of Michigan: on-campus learning
University of Minnesota: on-campus learning
University of North Carolina: altered schedule (semester August--Thanksgiving)
University of Notre Dame: altered schedule
University of Oregon: on-campus learning
University of Pennsylvania: remote learning
University of Richmond: on-campus learning
University of Rochester: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
University of San Diego: on-campus learning
University of San Francisco: considering altered schedule
University of Southern California: remote learning for most classes
University of Washington-Seattle: on-campus learning
University of Wisconsin: on-campus learning
University of Virginia: on-campus learning
Vanderbilt University: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
Vassar College: on-campus learning
Villanova University: on-campus learning
Virginia Tech: hybrid (remote after Thanksgiving)
Wake Forest University: on-campus learning
Washington University in St. Louis: altered schedule (depends on individual school)
Wesleyan University: altered schedule (one week earlier start; remote after Thanksgiving)
William and Mary: altered schedule (begin one week early; end before Thanksgiving)
Williams College: hybrid with reduced campus presence
Yale College: hybrid with reduced campus presence
