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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

UD changes course, goes mostly online for fall

Delaware Public Media

The University of Delaware is backing off plans for in-person classes,  announcing Wednesday the majority of classes will be online-only this fall. 

In a letter to the University community, president Dennis Assanis said the only exceptions will be areas of study that require face-to-face instruction— like nursing practice, certain engineering labs or one-to-one music instruction—and select courses for international students.

He cited a resurgence of the virus across the country, a higher incidence of COVID-19 among young adults in Delaware and delays in commercial testing. 

On-campus housing will be limited “primarily” to students whose academic program requires on-campus instruction. Students currently holding housing contracts are directed to consider the contracts deferred until the spring. 

Assanis said in a statement Wednesday that the latest development does not reflect how he would like to start a new academic year. But he said he hoped taking decisive measures now will help UD thrive in the future.

And he said the University will take the “earliest opportunity” to fully return to campus as soon as conditions permit. 

 

Delaware Tech announced earlier this month it is planning to continue remote leaning for its fall semseter.

 

Delaware State Univiversity plans to open it campus this fall, using a partnership with Testing for America to have about 75 percent of the students that would normally live in its residence halls.

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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