The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will welcome students back to campus this fall with an altered schedule and increased procedures in place to keep the campus community healthy and safe.
“As we plan for and transition to fall, our priority is to provide a healthy, safe and inclusive campus where our students will have an excellent experience,” said Dr. Catherine Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s president. “For several months, all of us have been working tirelessly to prepare our campus for the fall semester to enable us to provide this kind of environment.”
Pitt-Bradford last held face-to-face classes on March 6, the day before students left for spring break, which was extended by the coronavirus. Following the extended break, the remainder of the semester was completed online.
Preparations for the fall semester include reducing the number of people in an area to allow for prescribed social distancing, purchasing protective materials, installing signage, and training faculty and staff.
Heating and air conditioning systems have been tuned to ensure necessary airflow and ideal humidity conditions to discourage the spread of the virus.
Should a member of the campus community fall ill, quarantine spaces have been set aside and plans are being made for adequate testing and contact tracing.
Faculty members also have prepared courses with flexible delivery methods, allowing faculty to simultaneously teach students in-person and remotely.
The academic term will begin five days earlier than originally scheduled, with students remaining home following the Thanksgiving recess.
Fall term classes will begin Aug. 19. Classes will take place on Labor Day, and on-campus classes will end Nov. 20. Some finals may occur after Thanksgiving, but all remaining activity and any remaining exams will occur remotely.
All preparations and plans for the fall semester – including the condensed calendar – are being made based on advice from the University of Pittsburgh’s Health Advisory Group, which includes leading experts in epidemiology, infections disease management and environmental and occupational health.
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