TOPEKA, Kan. — The University of Kansas announced Monday that it will shorten the time students are on campus for the fall semester as it seeks to block a coronavirus wave.
Under the plan, classes would begin in person as scheduled on Aug. 24 and in-person instruction would end just before the Thanksgiving holiday, with students encouraged to leave campus, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
After Thanksgiving, there will be a week to study for finals, which will be done remotely like they were for this spring semester.
“Undoubtedly, the fall semester will be unlike any in history. It will require flexibility, compassion and resilience,” Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a campus message. “And it will require each of us to behave responsibly and in a way that benefits the entire community. If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that we are all in this together.”
If approved by the Kansas Board of Regents, the spring semester will not begin until Feb. 1. There also wouldn’t be a spring break halfway through the spring semester, instead adding that extra week to winter break.
New data released Monday shows that Kansas has at least 11,419 coronavirus cases, up 3% or 372 from Friday. The state health department also said that the number of COVID-19 deaths rose by two to 245.
