UB President Satish Tripathi and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber announced in an email Wednesday that the university intends to resume in-person instruction in the fall.
However, the senior officials cautioned that “we need to remain flexible and be prepared to adjust our plans, as circumstances may change.”
Their announcement follows similar proclamations from administrators across the U.S., including at the City University of New York and the University of California, stating that the goal is for campuses to return to in-person learning this fall. It is unclear what, if any, restrictions will remain as temperatures cool and the leaves change color.
“We are pleased to share that the University at Buffalo plans to resume our regular in-person instruction beginning with the fall 2021 semester,” Tripathi and Weber wrote. “We are excited for the prospect of current and future UB students having the opportunity to take full advantage of our academic, research and living and learning environments.”
UB students have been learning mostly online since the university went remote on March 19 of last year.
The spring 2021 semester will commence on Feb. 1 with a mix of in-person and remote courses. Students are required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing on campus. They are also required to undergo a seven-day precautionary quarantine prior to returning to campus.
All plans for the fall semester will be made in consultation with the university community and will be shared in the coming months, Tripathi and Weber wrote.
“As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the health and safety of our university community are our first priorities,” Tripathi and Weber wrote. “As such, they will inform every aspect of our university-wide planning for our shift back to regular in-person instruction. This planning will follow best public health practices while thoughtfully and deliberately guiding a full return to campus in the fall.”
Justin Weiss is the managing editor and can be reached at justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
Justin Weiss is The Spectrum's managing editor. In his free time, he can be found hiking, playing baseball or throwing things at his TV when his sports teams aren't winning. His words have appeared in Elite Sports New York and the Long Island Herald. He can be found on Twitter @Jwmlb1.
