Student Union
- By VOA News
40% of Harvard Students to Return to Campus for Remote Classes
Harvard University will allow 40% of its student population back on campus this fall, though all instruction will remain remote, the school announced Monday.
Harvard had previously announced that all classes would be held remotely through the fall semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but on Monday announced it would welcome back to campus first-year students and those who most need campus resources to complete their education.
“We also will invite back to campus those students who may not be able to learn successfully in their current home learning environment,” Harvard wrote in its announcement Monday.
The announcement stated that it would pay a room and board credit to those who would not return to campus this fall, but tuition will remain as planned – with a slight increase from the 2019-2020 academic year - for the all-virtual instruction.
BREAKING: Harvard will welcome freshmen to campus in the fall, asking sophomores, juniors, and seniors with special circumstances to seek approval to return. Story with @julietissel https://t.co/KpweI7o0Jt
— Amanda Su 🍵 (@amandaysu) July 6, 2020
A survey of conducted in April said that some 45% of Harvard students would consider taking the fall semester off if classes were to continue entirely remotely, according to the student-run Harvard Crimson.
Nearly 45% of Harvard students said they were "very likely" to take the semester off, instead of doing the virtual semester that Harvard is planning, @julietissel & @amandaysu report. https://t.co/OHIxbVfUG9
— Julie Zauzmer (@JulieZauzmer) July 6, 2020
Colleges and universities are making a broad range of decisions on how to conduct classes in the fall, with some schools such as the University of Georgia system welcoming all students back on campus and others committing to entirely remote classes.
In March, most universities had to make rapid decisions on how to close campuses as the coronavirus outbreak spread, with many schools telling their students to stay home following their spring breaks.
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