Wake up, shower in an assigned bathroom, put on a mask and head to class. Don’t high five or shake hands when you see friends in the Arboretum, just wave from a distance of six feet or more. Sit down for class outside.
This is what a typical morning could look like during the fall semester for Indiana University students. It’s a scenario based on recommendations included in a 22-page report from IU’s restart committee released to the public Thursday.
Jay Hess, dean of the IU School of Medicine, chaired the 13-member committee tasked with devising a strategy to resume face-to-face operations on all of the university’s campuses. IU suspended in-person classes in March to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
IU has not officially announced students, faculty and staff will return to its campuses this fall. The public release of the report signaled what’s likely to come. But it came with a caveat that new information about the disease could necessitate a rapid change in plans.
“The duration of this pandemic remains unclear, and the situation is dynamic and continues to develop,” according to the report’s introduction. “The committee will regularly review public health guidance, scientific knowledge, and clinical best practices and update its recommendations as the need arises.”
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