BC plans to reopen campus in fall
Boston College “intends to reopen in the fall with in-class instruction, pending the approval of public health authorities,” a university spokesman said Tuesday.
President William Leahy told the campus community that BC intends to open for on-campus classes as scheduled on Aug. 31.
“The steps required for resuming in-class instruction will occur in phases this summer, according to guidelines developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Leahy wrote in a message.
“Having as many as 400 students on campus after March 15 has provided valuable lessons about how to implement physical distancing and food distribution protocols in dining facilities, increase sanitizing for buildings (particularly residence halls), and use technology for meetings and events,” he wrote.
“In addition,” he added, “University Health Services has developed testing and isolation procedures in response to COVID-19, and administrators and others will keep refining necessary plans and policies for the resumption of campus life.”
Suffolk University also intends to hold in-person classes, however, “final decisions will be based on government and public health guidelines and recommendations,” a university spokesman said.
“We will be open for the fall semester, but we are preparing for a number of scenarios, including the likelihood that we will have a combination of virtual and in-person classes to allow for social distancing,” the spokesman said.
Other Boston-area schools have started to cement plans for the fall as the state rolls out a four-phased reopening strategy.