The University of Idaho announced the fall 2021 semester will be the closest to a normal, in-person experience the campus community has had in over a year.
In a mass email from Torrey Lawrence, provost and executive vice president, and Diane Kelly-Riley, vice provost for faculty, the transition to near full in-person classes will happen over the summer.
The hyflex course format will be phased out by the fall semester and courses labeled as hyflex should go back to in-person or “can be offered through simultaneous Classroom Meeting and Virtual Meeting sections,” according to the email. Enrollment limits will be adjusted to “provide maximum access” to students.
The email stated faculty, staff and students are “strongly encouraged” to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“An individual’s vaccination status is private,” the email stated. “Supervisors are prohibited from inquiring about employees’ vaccination status; likewise, faculty are prohibited from inquiring about students’ vaccination status.”
According to the email, summer classes will remain under guidelines from the Healthy Vandal Pledge and will follow guidelines for Idaho Rebounds Stage 3 until further notice. Summer classes will utilize COVID-19 formats, including classroom meetings and Zoom, as well as keep classroom capacity to 50%. Mandatory COVID-19 testing will not be enforced during the summer, though there will be free optional testing and isolation units available.
“Faculty must clearly communicate to students about in-person attendance requirements,” the email stated. “Course delivery should be consistent with the manner listed on the schedule developed during Spring 2021. Changes to course delivery — from what is advertised on the schedule of classes to the actual delivery of the course — should not occur.”
The email stated there may be changes to the flow of indoor traffic as a result of a decreased number of students during the summer.
Anteia McCollum can be reached at [email protected]