AUSTIN, Texas — Some universities in Central Texas are temporarily moving classes to remote as the Austin area sees another surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Following the holidays and amid the spread of the omicron variant, Austin and Travis County are seeing key metric indicators move into the Stage 5 category. However, Austin-Travis County remains in Stage 4 of the city's risk-based COVID-19 guidelines.
As students and staff prepare to return to class, some universities in the Austin area are moving from in-person to remote to start.
Austin Community College
ACC said on Jan. 7 that it will temporarily scale back the number of people on all campuses and increase safety protocols. All on-campus courses that can be moved online will be held virtually for the first two weeks of the semester. Courses that require in-person instruction, dual credit and early college high school sections will remain in-person. Student services will remain available both in-person and virtually.
ACC said campuses will remain open to faculty, staff and students with additional protocols. Starting on Jan. 10, health screenings will be reinstituted at the door. Anyone coming to campus will be required to fill out the health screening app and go through a health screening at the entrance to the campus. Face masks are required on all campuses for anyone over the age of two.
Spring classes begin on Jan. 18. Updates will be provided via its social media platforms and website.
Concordia University
Concordia is starting the semester as planned on Jan. 10 but will require masks for all, regardless of vaccination status. Vaccines are not required but they're asking people to disclose their vaccination status. Click here for more information.
Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University announced in a letter on Jan. 4 that the first two weeks of the spring semester will start remotely. All classes will be remote starting Monday, Jan. 10. Classes will resume in person on Monday, Jan. 24, the school said.
Students who live in dorms will move back in on Friday, Jan. 7, as planned, and will be contacted to facilitate their return.
Masks will continue to be required in all indoor public and common spaces on campus and strongly encouraged outdoors when unable to physically distance. All students also must either have a COVID-19 vaccine card submitted or an approved exemption on file.
For more information, read the university's full letter.
St. Edward's University
Masks are required for all. Indoor meetings and classes limited to 40 people, otherwise they will be virtual. Faculty may move classes online up to once per week. St. Edward's is also requiring vaccines. Click here for more information.
Texas State University
A letter to the Texas State University community on Monday, Jan. 3, outlined the university's COVID-19 protocols as students return, including a requirement that everyone going back to residence halls must test negative.
Classes will temporarily move online beginning Jan. 18 and lasting through Jan. 30, the university said. Face-to-face instruction for all Texas State University courses will resume on Jan. 31. No classes are canceled.
Campus offices will remain open for business, the university said, with services offered in-person and/or virtually. Social distancing and masks are requested at campus spaces.
Tests for those returning to residence halls for the spring semester may be PCR or antigen tests, including at-home tests. Testing should be performed within 72 hours prior to returning to campus. To make an appointment, go to the Texas State COVID-19 Testing page.
University of Texas at Austin
Campuses will remain open for the spring, but the university will be making some changes.
"We are asking faculty members to teach remotely for the first two weeks of the semester, with a target date of January 31 to return to the originally assigned teaching modality," President Jay Hartzell said in a letter on Friday. "Some may choose to teach in person, while also providing online delivery between January 18 and January 28. Students will be notified as soon as possible if any of their courses will be taught with an in-person option."
Students returning to campus should also receive a viral test within 72 hours prior to returning to campus or the surrounding community.
To view the letter in full, click here.
Check back on this article for updates.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: