Harvard University will be open this fall, but officials say coronavirus may prevent traditional campus life from returning right away and force students to learn “remotely.”
In a tweet Monday afternoon, the Cambridge-based university said it would reopen “with the goal” of being on campus.
“But with COVID-19 remaining a threat in the coming months, we cannot be certain that we will be able to resume all usual activities on campus by then,” the university said.
“Our goal is to sustain our teaching and research mission during this global pandemic, while also ensuring the health and safety of our community,” Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber said in a statement Monday. “A range of scenarios has been and will continue to be evaluated for the fall, from fully restored on-campus activities — a ‘normal’ return to campus — to delaying the opening of the University until next spring semester. The consequences of any major decision for a large and complex university like Harvard are themselves complex and highly uncertain. Yet for us the most important decision is a clear one: Harvard will be open for fall 2020.”
Garber said, “We will need to prepare for a scenario in which much or all learning will be conducted remotely," though the school has set a goal to bring students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows and staff to campus as quickly as possible.
The virus has shuttered schools and universities, and businesses and public institutions, across the country.
Nearly 1 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and 56,000 have died.
Harvard closed earlier in the spring and canceled its spring commencement in favor of a virtual ceremony set for May 28.
“When and how we can safely return to these spaces will depend on the status of the pandemic and the strategies that can be deployed to mitigate its effects,” Garber added. “We will need to consider whether the epidemiological data and public health models indicate that most disease activity is behind us and that further waves of outbreak are unlikely. If our community has not developed sufficient levels of immunity through recovery from the disease or vaccination, and if safe and effective antiviral therapy is not available, we will likely need adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, reliable and convenient viral testing, robust contact tracing procedures, and facilities for quarantine and isolation. We must do our part to assure the health and safety of everyone within and beyond the Harvard community, particularly those at elevated risk."
Garber noted that officials now have more time to prepare “a better, more engaging experience for the fall should many of our activities need to be conducted remotely. Rather than seeking to approximate the on-campus experience online, we can focus our efforts on developing the best possible remote educational experience.”
Harvard said it would provide school-specific guidance about fall plans in the coming weeks.
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