Pitt expects most fall classes to be held in person

School warns that plans may change

The University of Pittsburgh notified its students Thursday that it expects most fall classes will be held in person, citing an acceleration in COVID-19 vaccine delivery that by summer’s end could bring conditions near to where they were before the pandemic.

The note to campus from Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher applies to 34,000 students in Oakland

and at four regional campuses, and it came with a warning:

“First, however, two critical disclaimers: 1) We are still working many details out; and 2) Our plans are subject to change and will change as needed to address our reality come fall.”

Mr. Gallagher, like leaders of several other area public and private campuses, said the outlook right now is promising. That follows similar statements from several stateowned universities and, more recently, Robert Morris University and Point Park University.

Penn State University, meanwhile, notified its campus this week that it is planning for an in-person May commencement ceremony with an option for online participation.

At Pitt, Mr. Gallagher’s statement pointed to trends in addressing COVID-19.

“Vaccination rates are increasing, and based on projections, we expect that sufficient numbers of people will be vaccinated by the end of the summer to significantly reduce the transmission of this virus,” he wrote. “Therefore, we are basing our planning for the fall on the expectation that we will be approaching pre-COVID19 conditions.”

“What this means for our fall term, then, is a return to on-campus, in-person instruction for the majority of our classes,” he added. “It also means a return to the full range of on-campus living, learning and research opportunities that are a vital part of the Pitt experience.”

Health standards will be applied to all activities, “so there may be some changes from our operations in 2019, but it will look more like normal than 2020,” Mr. Gallagher added.

“While the timing of this announcement may seem odd — and the risk of infection and case counts may continue to rise and fall — we recognize how important it is for you to begin planning for the fall,” he said.

Mr. Gallagher said health guidelines will continue to drive Pitt’s decisions.

He urged students and employees to continue wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and washing their hands as they “continue to be the most important tools for mitigating the spread of the virus.”

The chancellor echoed medical experts’ calls for students and employees to get vaccinated when they can, adding, “All our plans are subject to change.”

He urged the community in Oakland, Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville to “find our latest planning updates online.”