The University of Louisiana System announced on Monday that it is planning for a return to face-to-face instruction this fall for its nine member institutions, which include the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
According to a release from the System, institutions are designing plans specific to their individual communities that prioritize the health and safety of students, faculty and staff and the universities’ educational mission.
“Throughout this event our member institutions have prioritized safety and learning,” UL System President and CEO Jim Henderson stated in the release. "Those will remain our chief considerations as we begin the process of re-populating our campuses. The university experience is more than just attending class and we are optimistic, with the right safeguards in place and following the guidance of health experts, that we will be able to safely return to campus in August.”
In April, UL System Board Chair Mark Romero appointed an ad hoc committee on post-pandemic operations who will meet later this month to discuss returning to campus and review ULS guidelines to assist universities in transitioning to more normal operations.
“Our universities have been in lock-step through the interruptions we experienced the past couple of months,” Henderson stated in the release. “This systemic coordination is beneficial to students, faculty, staff and the state as a whole.”
The System's guidelines will address the re-populating of campuses based on external and internal conditions including segmenting return by waves; testing requirements; increased hygiene; communication practices; and distancing protocols.
The University of Louisiana System includes more than 92,000 enrolled students at Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the University of New Orleans.
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