Le Moyne College plans for in-person learning for its fall semester

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College is planning on a return to in-person undergraduate classes for the fall 2021 semester, which will also include a “range of on-campus activities and events.”

The school has its sights set on returning to a more normal academic semester “after successfully navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic during the fall 2020 semester” and having its spring semester get “off to a good start,” per a Wednesday news release.

As of March 16, Le Moyne has performed nearly 17,000 student COVID-19 tests since the spring semester started, with only 21 positive cases and a current seven-day rolling positivity rate of 0.03 percent, the school said.

“While this plan depends upon public-health conditions later in 2021, we are hopeful that the fall semester will mark a return to the Le Moyne we know and love,” Le Moyne President Linda LeMura said. “This past fall we were one of the very few colleges and universities in New York state that was able to stay open without interruption or pausing our operations. This spring semester, we are following a similar path, which includes comprehensive public health interventions and a strict testing protocol. We are grateful that we have had a very low positivity rate.”

If public-health conditions and regulations permit, Le Moyne plans to offer a “more traditional student experience” that includes in-person undergraduate classes, lectures, performances, student and club activities, and sporting events. The school will also offer graduate classes in a range of formats depending upon on the degree program.

Le Moyne says it will follow all COVID-related protocols and mandates that may be in place for the fall semester. These could include regular student testing and following “recommended interventions,” such as wearing face coverings and physical distancing.