University of Minnesota will resume 'fully on-campus operations' this fall

A return to normalcy is in sight for the University of Minnesota's five campuses, as President Joan Gabel announced Friday plans to resume "fully on-campus operations" this fall.

The announcement followed a sweeping rollback of COVID-19 restrictions from Gov. Tim Walz. Gabel pointed to the rapidly growing number of Minnesotans getting vaccinated and said U leaders will continue to follow guidance from public health officials.

"We are increasingly reassured that we can bring students, faculty and staff back to our campuses while effectively minimizing the risk to our community," Gabel said.

The U shifted all of its classes online a year ago at the onset of the pandemic. It reopened its five campuses in the fall, offering a mix of online, hybrid and in-person classes. About 70% of U classes were taught fully online last fall.

To date, some 2,800 students, faculty and staff at the U's Twin Cities campus have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, according to the U's data dashboard. U leaders say there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 transmission occurring in campus classrooms.

In the Friday announcement, university leaders said fall coursework and activities should resemble what they were before the pandemic, "ensuring that students have the greatest opportunity possible to experience the best of the University of Minnesota." The commitment to ramp up in-person instruction and activities comes ahead of key commitment deadlines for incoming freshmen.

The U will continue to offer widespread access to COVID-19 testing and require mask-wearing and social distancing.

"Unforeseen changes in the pandemic may cause us to adjust our planning, but for now we are confident that this decision is supported by the trends related to pandemic, vaccination rates and the high degree of compliance that Minnesotans overall have shown to reduce the spread of the virus," Gabel said.

The 30 colleges and seven universities in the Minnesota State public college system also anticipate providing more in-person classes and activities this fall, Chancellor Devinder Malhotra said in a statement.

"Our top priorities remain protecting the health and safety of our faculty, our staff, and our students, and enabling our students to continue their progress towards their educational goals," Malhotra said.

And Minnesota's largest private college, the University of St. Thomas, announced Friday its intention to return to normal operations this fall. The school also anticipates being able to hold in-person, outdoor graduation ceremonies this spring.

Ryan Faircloth • 612-673-4234

Twitter: @ryanfaircloth