NEW ORLEANS — The University of New Orleans plans to “maximize in-person instruction” this coming fall, President John Nicklow said during a State of the University address recently.
“We believe that it will resemble more of a traditional college semester,” he said in the address.
The University of New Orleans, like many colleges and universities in the state and around the country, put in a hybrid learning model during the pandemic to emphasize social distancing.
This coming fall the university plans to return to primarily in-person learning and to resume traditional activities if the rollout of the vaccines continues at its rapid pace and with seeming success.
Nicklow also championed an increase in enrollment for fall 2021. He said applications are up 8 percent and the number of admitted students is up 23 percent.
In addition to UNO, LSU has previously announced that it expects campus life to be "back to normal" in fall 2021.
Nationally, the number of COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths are dropping after peaks that came following the holiday season.
It is hoped that vaccinations, which are now averaging 2.3 million per day, will help lead to herd immunity and a return to near normal.
Most universities have relied primarily or exclusively on distance learning and eliminated, in some cases, things like Fall breaks, to try to stem what are known as possible super-spreader events.