University of Miami students to return in the fall to Gables campus, despite coronavirus
A little more than three months after the University of Miami vacated its campus to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Julio Frenk announced Monday the private college will resume in-person classes come fall, according to an emailed letter he sent to students and faculty.
With a revised academic calendar and new cautionary measures, UM plans to reopen its dorms, dining halls and classrooms — provided the pandemic allows for it.
New rules on UM’s campus
But life on campus will not look the way it did before the pandemic. Frenk said his administration did a “thorough redesign” of all spaces to accommodate for social distancing, and masks will be required within public areas or when 6 feet of separation cannot be guaranteed.
“We’re not going to have a mask police,” he said. “But we will have people reminding everyone that you are expected to wear them.”
In terms of classes, most will be in person, but some will be online-only and others hybrid — or a mixture of both. For large lecture courses, the university plans to have only a third of the students in the classroom at a time, asking the other two thirds to learn remotely through live recordings, he said.
The class time blocks have also been modified. Before, UM aimed to have all students free during lunch time, but will now prevent large groups from circulating all at once, he said.
Additionally, Patricia Whitely, the vice president for student affairs, and the student government are trying to recreate the traditional recreational college events to online formats or scenarios where social distancing is possible, Frenk said.
New school calendar
Frenk, one of the world’s foremost public health experts, said in May three scenarios were possible for the coronavirus: a second wave in late summer, a second wave in late fall (which he thinks is most likely if people don’t follow the CDC recommendations) or no second wave.
If the second wave does arrive late fall, UM would shutter its campus once again, like it did when it closed its campus on March 12. Students were on Spring Break and resumed their classes online.
“We would have to send students back, but it would be just for the final part of the semester,” he said.
He announced Monday the semester will begin Aug. 17 and end Nov. 20, the Friday before Thanksgiving and a week earlier. In his email, Frenk said the earlier start would mean students won’t return to campus after traveling for the Thanskgiving break, lowering the risk of the virus transmission.
UM will allow students to live on campus. Move-in for first-year and transfer students will take place Aug. 9-11, and move-in for returning students is scheduled for Aug 13-16.
The October fall break will be shorter, from Friday, Oct. 16, with classes resuming Monday, Oct. 19. Final exams will be conducted online, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6.
The law and medical schools may follow a different academic calendar, he noted.
Using an app to survey student, faculty health
UM will not install infrared cameras for thermal imaging that detect fevers (because they’re intrusive, Frenk said), and it will not take the temperatures of people before they enter buildings (because it could be counterproductive, he said).
Instead, it will focus on testing, tracing of contacts and tracking of the virus.
Faculty, staff and students will not be required to get tested for COVID-19 before returning to campus. But upon arriving, they will receive a “safe return kit,” which will include a cloth face covering, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, a thermometer and information cards.
Frenk said the university will ask its 35,000 students, faculty and staff to answer a series of questions every day on a mobile app — the name of which he didn’t disclose. So if someone reports they have a cough, a runny nose, loss of smell or taste, shortness of breath and/or muscle aches, the app will direct them to seek professional help.
The university’s Student Health Services will examine them and make sure they get tested. It is unclear who will pay for the tests.
While they wait for the results, they will have to self quarantine for 72 hours. If they test positive, the quarantine will be extended to 14 days. And that’s when, after each positive test, UM will trace the contacts, in conjunction with state officials, Frenk said.
He said the school would designate “spaces on campus for self-isolation of students who live in on-campus housing.”
To prevent people from lying on the daily screen, Frenk said the university will “have a very intense orientation period just trying to educate them of the seriousness of this situation.”
Frenk also is asking everyone to get a shot for influenza.
“We will grant exemptions for legitimate health and religious reasons,” he said Monday.
UM hopes to hold both the May 2020 and December 2020 commencement ceremonies at once. There were not any in-person graduation ceremonies in May; they were done virtually.
“We are continuing to develop commencement plans and will share more details in the coming weeks,” Frenk wrote.
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 10:00 PM.
