FIU announces return to classes in pre-COVID-19 conditions in summer

Florida International University will return to normal, pre-COVID classes this summer, Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth Furton announced on Tuesday.

For the past year, the largest public university in South Florida has held a significant number of its classes online or with social distancing in person — an attempt to curb the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

But with the vaccinations underway, the school is ready to offer a “robust and safe on-campus experience for students,” wrote Furton in an email sent to the FIU community.

Furton also warned that, if needed, FIU will rescind its on-campus plans. But he didn’t specifiy what changes in conditions would trigger that.

“Because of the fluid nature of the pandemic, we will remain flexible and agile,” Furton said.

Beginning in summer 2021, the university will schedule all of its courses on the three modalities it used before the pandemic: fully online, fully in person, and hybrid (a mix of online and in person).

Summer A session (from May 10 to June 18) and summer C session (from May 10 to July 30) courses will implement 6-foot-apart physical distancing.

Summer B (from June 21 to July 30) and fall semester (from Aug. 23 to Dec. 11) courses won’t implement physical distancing and will reinstate pre-COVID-19 classroom capacities.

To allow for the new course schedule to be built, FIU delayed the summer and fall registration date by one week. Students will be able to look at it on

FIU announces return to classes in pre-COVID-19 conditions for summer, fall April 1, and register starting April 6.