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Robert Morris intends to resume on-campus instruction this fall, with modifications

Joyce Mendelsohn/Post-Gazette

Robert Morris intends to resume on-campus instruction this fall, with modifications

Robert Morris University’s president told students Tuesday his school intends to open on Aug. 28 as scheduled for fall and return students to campus, though in a modified fashion.

Christopher Howard said much about the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown, as does the potential for continued social-distancing mandates from health officials into the fall and beyond.

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“Nonetheless, we plan on opening as scheduled on August 28 to provide a modified yet vibrant living and learning environment,’’ he wrote in an email to the campus. “To do so, we will utilize physical distancing measures, health and wellness monitoring, and other requirements to ensure the health and well-being of the entire campus community.

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“We will consistently follow guidelines, policies, and requirements set forth by the Allegheny County Health Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” he added. “Our plan is contingent on Allegheny County moving into the “Green Phase” under Gov. Tom Wolf’s process for reopening Pennsylvania.”

The note did not address any restrictions on in-person class sizes or how living arrangements in campus dorms might be affected, but said more details would be forthcoming. 

“Yes, it is a decision to reopen in the fall, and we will be prepared in the event of another outbreak should one arise, and we will continue to act in accordance with the Wolf administration's guidelines and regulations,” RMU spokesman Jonathan Potts said.

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In recent days, a number of campuses in Pennsylvania and beyond have signaled with varying degrees of certainty their intent or hope to return at least partially to an on-campus learning experience, among them the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, Carnegie Mellon UniversityWest Virginia University and California University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Campus administrators are being pulled between their responsibility to keep students, employees and the public safe amid rapidly changing conditions, and knowing students who are making delayed decisions want to know if they will have a normal campus fall.

Schools are aware of surveys indicating that four-year colleges and universities could face a 20% enrollment loss if courses remain online this fall, and that one in 10 high school seniors have already made alternative plans.

The pandemic has claimed more than 80,000 lives in the U.S., which has the largest share of COVID-19 infections in the world, according to an interactive tracker from Johns Hopkins University.

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“In the weeks to come, we will provide additional details regarding our plans to resume in-person instruction and reopen our residential campus in accordance with the guidelines described above,” Mr. Howard said. “ Future communications will include the information you need to prepare for the fall semester, and we will continue to post all updates, including this one at rmu.edu/coronavirus.”

Robert Morris, like other schools, is offering summer instruction online only, and at a discounted rate.

However, schools have pushed back against the notion of partial tuition refunds for spring classes forced online by the pandemic. More than 20 lawsuits across the nation, including by students at Pitt and Penn State, seek refunds for thousands of students impacted.

The need to empty campuses in March and switch to remote instruction has cost many universities tens of millions of dollars, including prorated room and board refunds.

Many colleges and universities are weighing varied fall scenarios to avoid online-only classes, among them: limiting size of classes that can be delivered in person, cutting dorm capacities, limiting total numbers of students on campus at one time, modifying semester length or delaying fall start.

Bill Schackner: bschackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @Bschackner.

First Published: May 12, 2020, 4:50 p.m.

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Robert Morris University's student center on the Moon campus.  (Joyce Mendelsohn/Post-Gazette)
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