ATLANTA — Emory University will have in-person instruction this fall, but the university experience will look a lot different, school officials announced Thursday. .
Students will report to campus August 19. There will be no holiday breaks and classes will be over by Thanksgiving, followed by a virtual exam period.
“We know that people will get sick, we can’t bring this number of people together without somebody being sick,” Interim Provost Jan Love told the Emory Wheel. “What we’re trying to do is to prevent outbreaks of COVID.”
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A third of the courses will be taught remotely, especially large classes that would not allow for social distancing. Other large classes will be moved to larger lecture halls. Classes will be spaced out with a 30-minute window to allow for cleaning and disinfecting classrooms.
All returning students will be tested for COVID-19.
"While instruction will take place in-person, campus life will be fundamentally transformed," the Emory Wheel reported. "With a focus on reducing social interaction, a quality central to the college experience, students will have to grapple with an unrecognizable campus."
Dining spaces will be spread outside in tents. Students, faculty and staff will be required to wear face masks at all times including during class.
Officials say they haven't determined how to handle on-campus gatherings and public spaces like the library.
Love said that students who don't feel comfortable being on campus can complete all classes virtually.
Students who do get sick will be housed in rooms at the Emory Conference Center Hotel and possibly other nearby hotels where they will be isolated and provided daily food and health care.
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