UC CAMPUSES PLAN ON HOLDING IN-PERSON CLASSES IN THE FALL

A return to a normal college experience is likely in the fall as University of California says it is planning to bring students back to its campuses for mostly in-person classes amid the rapid development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

“As the University continues to monitor the evolution of the pandemic, we are also carefully planning a safe return to in-person classes,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, who made the decision in January in consultation with the 10 UC chancellors. “Current forecasts give us hope that in the fall our students can enjoy a more normal on-campus experience.”

USC said Feb. 19 that it is planning for a “full return” to campus for the 2021-22 school year. California State University announced in December that it also is planning for its 23 campuses to reopen in the fall.

The UC announcement thrilled students, many of whom have struggled with academic difficulties and social isolation since campuses sent most of them home and shifted to nearly all-online learning last March. Aidan Arasasingham, UC Student Association president, said the pandemic had deprived him and his friends of not only hands-on learning but also the quintessential college social experience: campus dorm hangouts, meals with friends, group study sessions.

“It’s the light at the end of the tunnel that students have been expecting to see,” said Arasasingham, a UCLA senior. “Online learning has been very difficult.”

Campus leaders also hailed the decision, hoping it will ease the pandemic’s negative fallout on their students and their budgets, which have taken substantial financial hits, including the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in housing and dining revenues. Enrollment for fall 2021 — particularly out-of-state and international students — also dropped at some campuses as some students balked at another year of virtual instruction.

“For a change, this is putting hope out there,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla, saying the decision “is going to be uplifting not just for our students but also our families.”

The decision to plan for mostly inperson fall classes was unanimous among Drake and the 10 chancellors, Khosla said. Even with a vaccine, he said, the campuses will continue to follow all public health guidelines for masking, social distancing and other protocols.

Khosla added that UC leaders will continue to be guided by science and public health guidelines and could change course if needed.