Penn State postpones return to campuses
Penn State University will delay in-person spring semester classes until Feb. 15 on its main and branch campuses and until then will teach remotely starting Jan. 19, citing fast-rising COVID19 infections.
The move Friday by Pennsylvania’s flagship public university comes two days after the state’s health and education secretaries warned that hospitalizations and deaths could peak in January and February. They urged colleges and universities to stress virtual instruction and consider a delay in bringing students back for traditional classes.
As now scheduled, the 15week semester will end April 30, with finals week May 3-7, but that is subject to change, according to a university statement.
Officials said they based their decision on an analysis of increasingly worrisome data, both nationally and in the state. Epidemiologists, infectious-disease experts, and other medical and health professionals were involved in the decision, made in consultation with Penn State’s board of trustees.
The university enrolls nearly 90,000 students, half on its main University Park campus.
“While we know this creates a number of challenges for our community, we are very concerned with the current outlook across the country and the commonwealth and believe this is the most responsible way to begin our semester,” Penn State President Eric Barron said.
“Right now, prevalence rates and hospitalizations are moving in the wrong direction. We hope that will change, as we recognize the critical importance of a return to on-campus learning and to be able to offer in-person experiences that are not currently possible,”he added.
On Wednesday, state health and education officials advised colleges and universities that infection rates had increased tenfold since September and expressed concern about straining health care systems. By then, Pennsylvania had logged more than 519,000 infections in total and 13,168 deaths, according to state health data.
Mr. Barron said Penn State remained committed to bringing students back to campus consistent with federal and state guidance. The delay, he added, would help to protect the campuses and surrounding communities and give front-line health care workers time to become vaccinated.
It was unclear Saturday how many other campuses might make further adjustments in light of the state’s recommendation, though state officials said the decision was up to individual schools since infection rates vary around the state.
A number of schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, previously adjusted their semester calendars and said they were prepared to shift the share of inperson versus remote classes as threat levels warranted. Pitt’s spring semester classes start Jan. 19.
At Penn State, students are strongly discouraged from returning to on- and offcampus locations — including group dwellings such as apartments and fraternity houses — during the delay, officials said.
Some work-related and other exceptions are expected, including those involving students in select professional programs.
Off-campus students who are returning to their campus community before Feb. 15 must be tested before their arrival. Some in professional programs will return and will be contacted by academic representatives, officials said.