Florida’s Board of Governors convened this week, to go over the state’s public universities’ plans for reopening for fall studies.
The board agreed that schools could bring back faculty, and students, to campus with restrictions and safety measures.
Here is a round-up of what Tampa Bay area colleges are planning. These updates were pulled directly from the respective schools’ websites.
It should be noted that each school is expected to enforce social distancing, increase cleaning activity and each school has separate face mask requirements. In addition, county and city mask ordinances, as they change, may affect school mask policies.
STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, MANATEE-SARASOTA
Bradenton
Effective June 22, all SCF campuses resumed limited operations and are open to students, prospective students, faculty and staff.
MASKS: Students are required to wear masks in all open access areas, and common spaces, when safe distancing may not be possible. Disposable masks will be made available to students.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Multiple locations
USF’s plan to resume more on-campus operations, and some face-to-face courses, and some in-person activities in the fall was approved by the Florida Board of Governors.
The school has a four-phase plan, with each phase limiting the number of people on campus. All final exams for the semester will move to an online format so that students do not return after Thanksgiving break.
MASKS: The University of South Florida requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to wear face coverings inside university facilities on campus including, but not limited to, classrooms, conference rooms, shared workspaces, academic and administrative buildings, lobbies and lounge areas, research facilities, residence halls, student unions, performance spaces, retail spaces, museums, libraries and dining facilities.
ECKERD COLLEGE
St. Petersburg
The school plans to resume in-person classes for the 2020 Fall Semester on August 31.
MASKS: Students will be provided masks to wear on campus.
ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE
Multiple locations in Pinellas County
Starting August 17, SPC will hold a portion of classes on campus.
MASKS: Face coverings required when on campus.
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Clearwater
The school plans to reopen its residence hall and resume face-to-face classes, in the fall; with most programs starting in July or August.
MASKS: The school is requiring face coverings in shared spaces on campus. It will issue reusable masks to all students, staff and faculty.
HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tampa
Staff is expected to return July 13 and July 27. The faculty is expected to return on August 13.
MASKS: Required on campus.
UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA
Tampa
Plans to resume face-to-face classes in the fall. The start date was moved up to August 26. The plan is to finish classes before Thanksgiving, so students do not need to return following their usual Thanksgiving break. Final exams are set to be offered remotely, with the semester ending December 5.
MASKS: Required on campus.
TROY UNIVERSITY
Tampa
All campus locations are open
MASKS: Encouraged
FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Lakeland
The Florida Board of Governors approved the schools’ plan to resume on-campus operations in the fall. Classes are expected to resume on August 20. All classes, and formally scheduled activities, will be remote after Thanksgiving break.
MASKS: Required on campus.
POLK STATE COLLEGE
Winter Haven
Phase 1 – Until July 19: The majority of operations are to occur remotely.
Phase 2 – July 20 to January 4, 2021: Administrators and selected staff return to campus. The college is fully functional, with some essential functions returning to campus and most operations occurring remotely.
The Lakeland Technology Building, on the Lakeland Campus, and the Winter Haven Administration Building on the Winter Haven Campus is open to students and visitors.
Phase 3 – January 5, 2021: Expected to increase in-person operations.
MASKS: During phase 2, cloth face coverings are expected for all students, faculty, staff and visitors while on campus, except when eating or drinking.
KEISER UNIVERSITY
Multiple locations
Campuses set to reopen July 6. For clarity regarding what the “modified, hybrid format” might mean to students specifically, the school says to contact your campus president, dean and faculty members, as there will be alternative class delivery systems, and scheduling, regarding face-to-face/ground and online remote delivery.
