Slippery Rock University announces in-person fall semester; Pitt still mulling plans

Add Slippery Rock University to the growing list of colleges projecting a reopening at near normal levels this fall.

The announcement Monday that the state university located in Butler County is anticipating near normal operations this fall follows announcements last week from four other State System universities in Western Pennsylvania — California, Clarion, Edinboro and Indiana.

Officials at the University of Pittsburgh, which invited a limited number of students back to campus last fall and operated with a combination of in-person and remote learning, however, are still mulling plans for the coming year.

Pitt officials last week said declining covid-19 numbers and vaccine trends are encouraging, but they are being cautious.

University officials last week said the pandemic has carried at heavy cost for the Oakland-based research university. Chancellor Patrick Gallagher estimated covid-related costs will total about $115 million this year. That comes on top of $50 million in additional costs the school sustained last spring when it was forced to shutter classrooms and go to online learning.

Universities across the country incurred staggering losses when they were forced to shutter classrooms last spring, switch to online class delivery, provide students with refunds for unused room and board and add provisions for social distancing and improved ventilation in facilities that remained open.

The Biden administration’s proposed stimulus plan, which passed the House of Representatives last week, would provide $35 billion to public colleges and universities to help underwrite such costs.

Similar provisions in the original CARES Act last spring helped underwrite some of the immediate costs colleges and students faced when they went online.

Back at Slippery Rock, officials said plans could change based on covid-19 infection and vaccination levels. But, for now, it appears the school will return to in-person learning on campus with some modifications.

SRU President William Behre said he’s optimistic about the university’s plans.

“However, I expect that we will still be wearing masks when we are together, and we may have to restrict very large gatherings’” he said.

Classes tentatively are scheduled to resume for the fall semester on Aug. 23, with university residence halls operating near capacity and in-person learning scheduled to expand to cover 80% of all classes.