School may be out for summer, but it won't be out forever.
That's the message from Michigan State University, which announced Wednesday plans for students to return to class in the fall semester, despite warnings from the medical community that the coronavirus pandemic is here to stay until there's a vaccine or widespread immunity.
In a letter to students and faculty, university president Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. wrote that school would begin Sept. 2, with in-person classes and remote-learning options for those who wish not to participate. All classes will move online after the Thanksgiving holiday for the duration of the semester.
Specific precautions are still being established, but, for now, Stanley says "physical distancing and the wearing of face masks on campus will be essential components." Large gatherings will also "be strictly limited and regulated."
"We can and will do this in a responsible manner that works to mitigate risk to the entire university community while preserving the high quality of an MSU education, our extension mission, our world-class research and the social interactions that make MSU special," he wrote in the message.
Read the full letter here.
The East Lansing school is one of the first major Michigan universities to lay out specific plans for next semester. Oakland University announced last month it too plans face-to-face classes with restrictions, and increased remote learning options.
The University of Michigan, Wayne State University and others haven't yet laid out their plans.
