Harvard University on Monday addressed a question that's top of mind for students, families, faculty and staff around the U.S. — what will the fall semester look like this year?
The university said it will be open for fall 2020, but officials are preparing for a scenario that involves all or nearly all learning to be conducted remotely as the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus. Even if Harvard must begin the semester remotely, the school hopes to bring students back to campus as soon as it is possible and safe to do so.
“Our goal is to bring our students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows and staff to campus as quickly as possible, but because most projections suggest that COVID-19 will remain a serious threat during the coming months, we cannot be certain that it will be safe to resume all usual activities on campus by then,” Alan Garber, Harvard's provost, wrote in a letter to the campus community.