COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - The University of Maryland has announced it will hold some in-person classes during the fall semester amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Nearly 20% of undergraduate classes will be held partially in-person when the school’s fall semester kicks off on August 31, school officials announced in an email to students Tuesday. Priority for in-person classes will be given to some courses, including labs and senior capstone projects, according to the email obtained by The Baltimore Sun.
Courses with more than 50 students will be held online, and all courses are also expected to be moved online if there is a possible spike in coronavirus cases, Mary Ann Rankin, the university’s senior vice president and provost, said in the email.
Some are hesitant about the move. “UMD is such a huge school and I think that COVID is going to spread rapidly once the semester starts,” Gabrielle Christopher, a student at the university, told the Sun.
The school is also planning to reduce the number of students sharing dorm rooms, and convert floor lounges into bedrooms to minimize social gatherings. Students who have already signed up to live in a residence hall are able to cancel their housing agreement by July 17.
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