University of California announces plans to resume on-campus instruction in fall 2021

The University of California plans to return to a system-wide, largely in-person instructional model in the fall of 2021, according to a statement from the school president.

With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available soon to students and staff, the UC system will welcome students back in the fall, but remain “vigilant in all critical prevention efforts” and continue to prioritize the “health and well-being of the university community,” the statement said.

Specific plans for how fall classes will resume will be made by each individual campus, and all will coordinate with their local public health agencies.

The decision was made in consultation with the 10 UC chancellors, including UC Davis Chancellor Gary May.

“As the University continues to monitor the evolution of the pandemic, we are also carefully planning a safe return to in-person classes,” UC President Michael Drake said. “Current forecasts give us hope that in the fall our students can enjoy a more normal on-campus experience.”

In June of last year, the University of California, Davis announced it would allow students back on campus in fall 2020 if county and state guidelines permitted it. The university planned to offer both in-person and online classes in an effort to prevent any spread of COVID-19.

But classes, which began Sept. 30, largely remained online because the infection rate did not improve by much.

The California State University system announced in December that it plans to bring students and faculty back for in-person instruction in fall 2021.

The 23-campus system, the nation’s largest, said that its goal was to bring the majority of its students back to its schools. Students have largely been learning virtually since the start of the coronavirus pandemic began in March.

This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 11:18 AM with the headline "University of California announces plans to resume on-campus instruction in fall 2021."