Emory College
This story was updated on 4/20 to include a quote from Interim Provost Jan Love.
Emory College will move more courses from online to an in-person instruction format in the fall 2021 semester, Emory College Dean Michael Elliott wrote in a Monday afternoon email.
This change followed University President Greogory L. Fenves’ announcement Monday morning that the school will require students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine prior to returning to campus. Fenves stated that classrooms would operate at “full density” in the fall.
The updated plan departs from the College’s previously released plan for classrooms to operate at 50% capacity in the fall.
“We have been planning for fall in a dynamic process, and Emory is committed to the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Interim Provost Jan Love wrote in an April 20 email to the Wheel. “As public health guidelines shift and access to the vaccine increases, we are able to plan for standard class sizes and full density in the classrooms for the fall as reflected in President Fenves’ message.”
However, it is still “likely” that students will have at least one online class, Elliott noted. The College will continue to offer online classes to accommodate students unable to attend in-person instruction. Classes “suited and designed for the online format” will also remain virtual.
These adjustments will delay course registration for the fall semester by “one or two weeks.” Course registration was originally scheduled to begin on May 17, but the new registration times will be released on April 26.
The final fall 2021 Course Atlas was supposed to launch April 20. While many fall semester courses are already uploaded, students can expect the Office of Undergraduate Education to communicate with them when the Course Atlas is “more finalized.” The delay is due to a change in course instruction delivery methods.
Oxford College
Oxford College Dean Douglas Hicks announced that Oxford students will return to “a full on-campus community” in the fall in a Monday afternoon email, also responding to Fenves’ announcement.
Citing the Emory community’s high vaccination rates, Hicks said Oxford will offer the “vast majority” of its courses in person with typical class sizes. Hicks noted that Oxford is able to do this because of Oxford’s small class sizes.
Similar to policies at the Atlanta campus, most Oxford students will have a roommate in the fall and students will be permitted to gather in and visit other residence halls.
Hicks emphasized that there is a collective responsibility for students to get vaccinated in order for these eased restrictions to remain in place. She stated that “many if not most” of the students currently on campus have received the vaccine at Emory’s North Lake Mall or Oxford’s on-campus clinic.
The email did not mention changes to Oxford’s enrollment schedule.
