UMass Amherst will allow students to live on campus for abbreviated, remote fall semester

AMHERST, Mass. — Though in-person classes likely won’t happen at UMass Amherst this fall, students who have already reserved on-campus housing will be allowed to move in with testing, isolation and other safety precautions, according to a letter from the chancellor.

The school provided a guide to its fall semester, including a letter from Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy addressing students and campus faculty and staff.

“It is highly likely that most, if not all, of their classes will be conducted remotely,” Subbaswamy wrote in the letter.

Most classes -- including graduate classes -- will be conducted remotely for the fall semester, but some lab courses or other research activities that require in-person interaction will be held on campus.

While all courses that do not require physical presence on campus will be offered remotely this fall, all undergraduate students who have reserved on-campus housing for the upcoming semester, and for whom there is space available, are invited to live on campus under strict public health behavioral restrictions.

—  Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy

The school says it will have strict health and safety protocol in place in order to keep anyone who needs to be on campus from spreading COVID-19.

Classes will be held on some days that are normally vacation days and the semester will end the week of Thanksgiving break with exams happening after the break.

A testing, isolation, and contact tracing protocol will be in place for students, faculty, and staff prior to the start of the semester. All students accessing campus will be tested before moving into housing or participating in any university programming.

—  Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy

If the disease manages to spread on campus or a spike in COVID-19 cases should arise in surrounding towns, the school says it is prepared to shut down and shift entirely to remote learning as it did in March.

A great many details still need to be worked out as we move into the implementation phase of our reopening plan, and we are committed to updating you regularly. More information, including FAQs on a number of topics, can be found on our reopening website.

—  Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy

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