GREENSBORO, N.C. — Thousands of students will soon return to the Triad for college and university classes but campuses will look different this fall. Every school has their own plan but all agree it will take flexibility to keep everyone safe.
"I think flexibility throughout higher education is really the watch word right now." Todd Simmons, the Associate Vice Chancellor of University Relations at North Carolina A & T State University said.
A & T is letting students decide what they want to do when it comes to classes - in person, online or a mixture of both. Simmons says they reopened registration for Aggies who may have changed their mind about the virus and their safety.
If students do decide to come back to campus, and 80% of them said they did in a university survey, there will be new precautions in place. Everyone will have to wear a mask, self monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and there will be more cleaning on campus.
"[We are] leaving no stone unturned so we can make sure our campus is safe and that our students and employees are returning to an environment that is pristine, that is deeply cleaned and sanitized and ready for them to come back and do their studies and work," Simmons said.
NC A & T has offered COVID-19 testing at student health centers since the spring semester and will continue that. Simmons said if a vaccine becomes available during the school year they will also work to have that as an option.
All Triad campuses have plans in place for the fall - most will require masks, some are going back earlier and ending the semester before Thanksgiving and Bennett College will only offer online classes. You can read each school's plan by clicking the links below.