2 more Pennsylvania colleges announce plans to hold in-person classes this fall

Two small Pennsylvania liberal arts colleges have announced plans to hold in-person classes this fall, joining at least 20 others that have already made the decision to do so.

Westminster College in New Wilmington, Lawrence County, and Allegheny College in Meadville, Crawford County, both announced Thursday that they would be holding in-person classes this fall.

Westminster College, like several others across the country, shifted exclusively to online instruction for the remainder of the spring semester due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The college enrolls about 1,200 students.

Officials in a news release issued Thursday said they are looking at what changes and safety protocols need to be made to academic instruction, residence life, dining services, athletics, campus activities and arts and culture events to help mitigate the spread of the virus. More specific details will be shared in the coming weeks, officials said.

“We are committed to bringing our students back to campus this fall, with great care,” Westminster President Kathy Brittain Richardson said in a news release. “To achieve that, we are developing plans to comply with federal and state health and safety guidelines.”

Allegheny College, which enrolls about 1,800 students, has been working on a plan to return to campus since mid-April, which includes consulting with medical professionals to create a safe environment, officials said in a Thursday news release.

“The college is evaluating how to maintain physical distance and proper safety measures through the academic calendar, the student experience, athletics and recreational sports, among others, and is looking at many areas that impact bringing students, faculty and staff back to the campus safely,” Allegheny College President Hilary L. Link said in a news release.

Areas under evaluation include residence hall occupancy, dining hall protocols, classroom occupancy, mitigation and containment strategies such as testing, isolation and contact tracing, and behavioral and travel modifications that prioritize the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff, officials said.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has put together a list of more than 800 colleges’ plans for re-opening this fall. The list was last updated on Thursday.

According to the data, the majority of colleges — 65% — are planning for in-person instruction. About 11% are considering a range of scenarios, 9% are waiting to decide, 8% are proposing a hybrid model and 7% are planning for online learning.

Colleges in Pennsylvania planning for in-person learning include Duquesne University, Grove City College, Seton Hill University, Saint Vincent College, Thomas Jefferson University, Bloomsburg University, Gannon University, Geneva College, Gettysburg College, Haverford College, Immaculata University, Juniata College, La Roche University, Lycoming College, Mercyhurst University, Susquehanna University, University of Scranton, Villanova University, Waynesburg University and Wilkes University, according to the Chronicle.

Carnegie Mellon University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania are proposing a hybrid model, the Chronicle said. Penn State University plans to make an announcement on its fall semester by June 15, if not earlier, Penn State President Eric Barron said in a news release.