State colleges, universities to reopen under guidelines similar to K-12 schools

State colleges and universities will be reopening with similar guidelines to K-12 schools, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said during a press conference today. Guidelines will include social and physical distancing, hygiene procedures and disinfection measures.

“They can begin to reopen their campuses and offer in person instruction, but they must follow all relevant guidance in the phases outlined in our Forward Virginia plan and in public health guidelines,” Northam said. Institutions must submit plans tailored to the reopening guidelines to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

The safety of students, faculty and staff are still a top priority during the phased reopening of campuses, said Director of the State Council of Higher Education Peter Blake. The institutions must follow guidelines in accordance with the Virginia Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and the Forward Virginia Plan, Blake said.

While the plans will be unique to an institution, they must (at a minimum) address the following considerations; repopulation of the campus, monitoring health conditions to detect infection, containment to prevent spread of the disease and shutdown considerations, Blake said.

More classes will be taught online, classes will be smaller, class schedules will be more staggered, resident life will be spread out and food services will be offered differently, Blake said.

“We want our students to be back on our campuses this fall and we want to do it safely and responsibly,” Northam said.

Universities such as Virginia Commonwealth University will be closing campuses after Thanksgiving break to avoid any further health issues. Schools will individually update their schedules accordingly, Blake said.

After the governor mandated that schools shut down during the spring 2020 session, roughly 30,000 courses switched to an online format, so schools have the capability to do that again if necessary, Blake said.

College and universities have been working closely with the state over the last few months, and most have come up with individual reopening plans that adhere to the guidelines, officials said.

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