DePaul announces campus will reopen for fall quarter
DePaul University Lincoln Park campus.
President A. Gabriel Esteban confirmed this morning in an email that the university is planning to open campus for limited in-person learning and reduced occupancy in on-campus student residences for fall quarter.
The university plans to deliver as many in-person classes safely on campus this fall as possible. Similar plans are underway for safe return to student residences on campus.
Esteban said in his statement that more classes than usual will continue to take place at least partially online, and DePaul plans to provide students with more options by combining asynchronous and synchronous classes and providing flexibility around accommodating scheduling needs and learning preferences.
In order to prepare professors for this transition, the DePaul Online Teaching Series has been expanded to accommodate over 200 faculty members for the 2020 summer session, though not all faculty will participate in this training program.
Esteban said the university expects to make further announcements for fall quarter operations soon.
The university will continue to track the progression of COVID-19 and listen to state, local and public health officials to determine what degree of social distancing and remote learning will be required, according to Esteban’s statement. Future announcements will include steps to reduce population density in residence halls and academic buildings.
Esteban left readers with these words at the end of his statement: “While the following months will be difficult, we will continue to confront all challenges together. We are DePaul.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Linda Roberts • Jun 19, 2020 at 9:04 pm
I understand the Fall semester plan, but would like to know what the current thinking is for the rest of the year. It sounds like a lot of schools are planning to be online after Thanksgiving. If that is what DePaul is planning I’d love to know, as I’d rather not get a full year lease for all online classes. If anyone has heard anything, please let me know.
Lorra Stahlheber • Jun 15, 2020 at 10:24 pm
I’m happy to hear about classroom teaching. My question is, if classes fill up before my son get to register, does that mean he automatically goes to on line? He did not like that.
Lillian Viera • May 15, 2020 at 2:43 pm
I am glad to see this forward moving message and plan. I appreciate it and embrace its goal. I look forward to updates and follow ups. At this point, I’m not sure (as no one is) that I feel ok with my son in communal living in a residence hall unless of course it’s very limited occupancy. But even with every campus precaution taken, DePaul has the two campuses (the Loop campus right in the heart of the city) and students would need to commute between them and need to use public transportation that is totally out of DePaul’s ability to manage. If by Fall the metrics still show unacceptable COVID19 numbers, all the secured and well thought out reopening plans would not be effective. I realize that at some point it needs to happen, I’m just not convinced that the Fall is the right time. Thank you!