California University of Pennsylvania to offer some classes in person this spring

California University of Pennsylvania, which shuttered its campus last spring and went to online learning this fall, will resume in-person classes for about half of the school’s undergraduate courses when the spring semester begins, officials said Monday.

The state-owned university in Washington County that enrolled about 6,900 students this fall will also offer real-time remote classes, a hybrid program of half online and half in-person classes, as well as a completely online program for those who opt against returning to campus.

Cal U spokeswoman Christine Kindl said the school charted its course for the spring semester that begins Jan. 25 after surveying students and families about their preferences.

“Both students and faculty, especially those in experiential courses, tell us they need those hands-on learning opportunities,” said Daniel Engstrom, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“With stringent protocols in place to mitigate risk – and with the cooperation of our entire campus community – we believe we can resume teaching some courses in person while maintaining a healthful environment for our students, faculty and staff.”

The university will reopen with 620 single-occupancy dorm rooms on campus this spring.

Like Clarion and Edinboro universities, two other state-owned schools that are merging operations with Cal U as part of a major restructuring of Pennsylvania’s public university system, Cal U will forgo spring break this year.

Colleges across the country have adopted a variety of strategies to continue operations in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Some universities — including Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Penn State and Temple — have opted to delay the start of the spring semester to mitigate the spread of covid-19 during the winter months.

Despite their various efforts, college and university campuses have not escaped the pandemic that is surging across the nation. A New York Times survey of nearly 1,700 four-year colleges and universities conducted in mid-October found they had recorded 214,000 cases of covid-19 and 75 deaths among students and staff since the beginning of the pandemic.

Despite its decision to go online and cancel fall sports, the Cal U community did not escape unscathed. The university community was devastated to learn of the Sept. 8 death from covid-19 of Jamain Stephens, a 20-year-old Cal U football player and former Pittsburgh Central Catholic football star.

In a statement announcing the resumption of in-person classes this spring, Cal U President Geraldine Jones said it will be up to students to observe public health precautions.

“We need to take this seriously. We have all seen how quickly the coronavirus can spread if we don’t remain vigilant – and we know how serious covid-19 can be. Frequent hand-washing, keeping our distance, wearing a mask and monitoring our health – these are the steps that will allow us to keep Cal U open,” Jones said.

The university’s plan for the spring semester includes a return to fully remote instruction at any time, should conditions warrant.