All U of M campuses to return to full on-campus operations in fall semester

The University of Minnesota announced Friday that all of its campuses plan to return to fully on-campus operations in the fall of 2021.

According to the university, the return to campus operations similar to those seen before the pandemic will be consistent with state guidance and public health considerations related to the pandemic as autumn draws closer. The university has been operating in a hybrid model with both online and in-person classes at its Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester and Twin Cities campuses.

"Given projections on the number of Minnesotans who will be vaccinated, and relying on continued guidance from our public health colleagues, we are increasingly reassured that we can bring students, faculty and staff back to our campuses while effectively minimizing the risk to our community,” University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel said.

The university said it will continue to provide widespread access to COVID-19 testing for all students, faculty and staff, and face coverings and physical distancing will also continue to be required until further notice.

"I want to reassure all members of our University community that we will continue to closely monitor the status of the pandemic, as well as vaccination rates, throughout this spring and summer," Gabel said. "Unforeseen changes in the pandemic may cause us to adjust our planning, but for now we are confident that this decision is supported by the trends related to pandemic, vaccination rates and the high degree of compliance that Minnesotans overall have shown to reduce the spread of the virus."

Planning for fall registration and on-campus activities are already underway and will continue over the coming weeks, the U of M said. More information will be released at a later time.