NYU Plans to Resume In-Person Classes for Fall Semester
The university plans on offering a wide range of class options and safety procedures.
By Sophie Grieser and Andy Mager
NYU is planning to hold in-person classes for the fall semester, according to an email sent by Provost Katherine Fleming on May 19.
“We’re planning to reconvene in person, with great care, in the fall (subject to government health directives), both in New York and at our Global sites,” the email read, adding that the university was designing new class models for those who may not be able to come back to New York.
One of these models is a program called “Go Local,” in which students can opt to study at the campus nearest to them.
“The Go Local option is available to individuals who hold citizenship or residency rights in the country that is home to a selected campus or site,” the email read, noting that this option may include a combination of in-person and online classes. Students interested in the Go Local option are being encouraged to apply before June 1.
In addition to the Go Local model, Fleming said the university is designing ways for students to spread their classes out over two or three semesters in 2021 without an additional tuition cost and making sure all courses will be ready to change to respond to health developments.
Provost Fleming added that “some courses or parts of courses may be offered only remotely,” addressing concerns about large lecture-style classes. Students who are still unable to attend in-person classes can continue to study remotely.
In regards to student and faculty safety, Provost Fleming laid out plans that include conducting virus and antibody tests, reducing density in student housing, making masks available to all NYU members and requiring their use, and reviewing on-campus spaces to allow for social distancing.
At the beginning of March, the university moved the rest of its spring semester online. Nearly a week later, NYU announced it would also be closing residence halls, giving students only a few days to move out and leaving them confused. Some had to leave their belongings in the hopes that they would be packed in boxes by university staff and sent back to them.
The transition to Zoom classes caused uproar among certain schools who claimed their education could not be adequately replicated remotely, primarily among Tisch students, who have been petitioning for tuition refunds. On April 10, a handful of NYU schools, including Tisch, Gallatin, and Steinhardt, offered partial refunds for course-related fees, most of which total less than $600.
The announcement to resume in-person class comes after several major institutions decided to hold their fall terms online, including California State University and Harvard medical school.
In the new school year, Provost Fleming said NYU is looking to launch a new set of courses taught by the “most prominent and esteemed faculty” on topics of “the greatest student interest.” More information is set to come this summer.
As of publication, New York City has had over 198,000 cases of coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio has expressed optimism that the city could begin reopening in the first half of June.
This article will be updated with any developments.
