University of Georgia Planning for In-Person Classes in the Fall Semester

In an email released to the University of Georgia Student base, the school has laid out its plans for in person classes starting in the fall semester.

The University of Georgia has released its latest plan of action for students to return to campus this fall. 

Fall Semester Classes Will Begin on August 20, 2020

The academic calendar for the Fall Semester has not changed. Classes will begin on Thursday, August 20.

In-Person Instruction Concludes at Thanksgiving Break

In-person instruction will conclude at Thanksgiving Break, with all remaining coursework and final exams moving online following Thanksgiving. The calendar for online final examinations will remain as previously set, December 11–17. The University will remain open after Thanksgiving Break and will continue providing regular campus operations and student life services—such as housing, dining, health/wellness centers, and campus transit—until the end of the Fall Semester.

Daily Class Schedule

The Daily Class Schedule will be adjusted to add five minutes between classes to allow you additional time to walk between classes, should you choose to do so. Campus Transit buses will be operational but with social distancing measures in place that will limit passenger capacity. More details about the adjusted class schedule and Campus Transit service will be released in the coming weeks.

Social Distancing in the Classroom

Classes will be taught face-to-face with social distancing. This will look different, depending upon classes and subject areas. For example, in some cases, students will attend every session in person but will meet with their professor online for office hours. In other cases, some students will attend class in-person with others attending online, typically by rotation; and in yet others, faculty may deliver online lectures with in-person breakout sessions. A variety of options are available, and faculty members will use the approach or approaches best suited to their classes.

*Guidelines from uga.edu

What does it mean for football? 

Obviously fall semester sports' student-athletes have made their return to campus already for the most part, but this is more relative to the statements from NCAA President, Mark Emmert that stated "No students, no football." Well, the University of Georgia clearly plans to have students on campus for at least the regular season of 2020.

Student-athletes for the most part are used to being on campus without other students. Football programs like Georgia typically have an extensive summer workout program that requires its players to remain on campus and continue to workout and partake in voluntary practices that are player-led. 

This includes bowl season where most students are returning to their homes for Thanksgiving only to return to campus for finals then head home again for Christmas break. So, for the football team, this will really be nothing new apart from taking their finals online like the rest of the student body will now.