Oct. 15, 2020
Contact: Christian Basi, 573-882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri officials announced today that the fall semester will proceed as planned and in-person and hybrid classes will continue after Thanksgiving break. Administrators had numerous conversations with faculty, staff, students and Curators before making the decision to proceed with the current modes of instruction.
“We’ve been very pleased with how our students, faculty and staff have responded to the new campus requirements,” said Mun Choi, UM System president and MU chancellor. “We have demonstrated that we can have in-person classes at Mizzou and do so safely.”
Since Sept. 5, the active case load among the MU student body has decreased about 90% from 683 to 70 active cases today.
Choi said several factors contributed to the decision, including:
- Pandemic management: The campus community continues to demonstrate that in-person classes can be delivered safely and the effects of the pandemic can be managed through adhering to safety practices. We have no evidence that the virus has been transmitted in the classroom.
- Internet access: Many students, including those from low-income households or those who live in rural areas, could face significant challenges for online classes and final exams if they do not have access to broadband internet.
- Financial issues: Many students rely on on-campus work and other part-time jobs to fund their studies. If the campus closed early, those jobs would be impacted.
University officials are making plans to encourage students to stay in town during the break. Some of those include:
- Providing meals and a celebration of the holiday.
- Offering activities for those who stay in Columbia and want to avoid at-risk family members or travel risks.
“As always, we will continue to monitor the pandemic and its impact on the county, and we will make any necessary changes as quickly as possible,” said Latha Ramchand, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.
-30-
