Harvard University will allow freshmen and some other undergraduate students on campus in the fall, but classes will still be held online to limit the transmission of the coronavirus.
“Fundamentally, there is an intrinsic incompatibility between our highly interactive, residential Harvard College experience and the social distancing needed to mitigate COVID-19 transmission,” Harvard President Lawrence Bacow, along with two deans, wrote Monday.
In total, 40% of undergraduate students, first years and students for whom remote learning is impossible, will be permitted to live on campus starting in September. In the spring, freshmen will return home, and seniors will take their place at the Cambridge campus. Students will be housed in single-room dormitories and buildings are undergoing “physical modifications” to ensure that social distancing measures are being met, according to Harvard deans.
“Even with the many adaptations that will be in place this fall, we see enormous value in having [first-year students] on campus in our residential system,” Bacow said. “Though we are far from a decision about spring, as we describe below, making sure that seniors have their final semester on campus, to finish their thesis work and complete their four-year journey, is a priority we hold dear.”
Nonfreshman who face challenges in remote learning, such as a lack of appropriate technology, limited quiet space, food and shelter insecurities, and a need to access laboratories for their senior thesis, will have to apply for waivers and be approved by the school to live on campus.
Students returning to campus will be required to undergo coronavirus testing when they arrive on campus, followed by testing every three days while they live on campus. The frequency of testing could change based on the prevalence of the coronavirus on campus, however, and additional testing will be warranted if a student of staff member starts showing symptoms of COVID-19.
Harvard’s decision to keep classes online for the foreseeable future will not change the total cost of tuition, which remains at about $49,600. However, students who do not live on campus during the academic will be able to take up to two classes at the Harvard Summer School in the summer of 2021 without having to pay tuition costs.
[Opinion: This fall, get the children back in school]
