Boston University to switch back to on-campus learning in the fall

Boston University (BU) is planning to switch to on-campus learning in the fall, the school’s president announced Friday.

BU President Robert Brown cited an increased number of vaccinations as the reason for the decision an email to students and parents shared on Twitter by The Daily Free Press, the school’s independent student newspaper.

Full message here: pic.twitter.com/TjPvnajHDq

— The Daily Free Press (@dailyfreepress) March 12, 2021

“The expected efficacy of the vaccines and comprehensive immunization will make possible the full return to learning in our classrooms, studios, and laboratories without the social distancing protocols that have been in use since last September,” Brown wrote. “We do not plan to continue to offer our classes in the Learn from Anywhere format except in some very specific graduate programs.”

The school’s Learn from Anywhere model allowed courses to be taught in a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning to account for circumstances caused by the pandemic, such as personal health reasons or travel restrictions, according to its website.

Brown wrote that the school is assuming that any students, staff and faculty who wishes to be vaccinated either will be or can get vaccinated at BU before the semester starts.

He also said the school is assuming that international travel will resume and mores student visas will be issued for international students due to the “diminished presence of the disease worldwide.” 

However, Brown warned that the university will “still be vigilant” and will continue its community testing program.

“As campus life resumes, we are mindful that COVID-19 will not have eradicated. We will continue to be vigilant, recognizing the potential for new variants of the virus of the virus to reduce the efficacy of the vaccines,” he wrote.

According to the school’s COVID-19 dashboard, only 11 students and no faculty or staff tested positive on Thursday. Since July 27, 1,642 members of the BU community have tested positive.