BATON ROUGE - Southern University released its plan for the 2020-21 school year, Monday.

Officials anticipate a safe return to campus for students, which will be facilitated by the implementation of numerous health precautions as well as the decision to give students an option to participating in class via virtual means or by way of a hybrid attendance schedule that incorporates both in-person and online classes. 

Classes are still scheduled to begin Aug. 12.

The University's new health precautions include the following mandates:

-Face coverings are required at all times on campus.

-Everyone entering campus must have their temperature checked at a designated checkpoint.

Southern also released a detailed explanation of what classes will be like under the new precautions, stating:

For the Fall 2020 academic semester, students have three options for classes: traditional (in-person), fully online and hybrid (blend of traditional and online instruction)). Online classes will be delivered through Moodle unless otherwise notated. Students are encouraged to continue registration for classes through the Banner system, even if classes listed do not have an “online” designation. For in-person classes, the maximum occupancy is 15 students, at least a 50 percent decrease from normal class sizes. All classrooms will have sanitization stations so students and faculty can self-sanitize seating and other classroom items before utilizing. Additionally, all buildings will be sanitized by professional custodial services regularly. 

Residential Life and Housing has several guidelines to keep students safe as they move in and live in on-campus facilities. These includes each student bringing a maximum of two guests and two vehicles to assist with their move-in and frequent sanitization. Visitation has also been suspended during this time. Safety precautions will also continue be implemented by Campus Dining, inlcluding take-out meals.

COVID-19 testing and prevention services for employees and students will continue. For employees, this includes testing through CareSouth, and health consultations and medical treatment from Ochsner Health. Students will continue to receive the same services via the Student Health Center. Both students and employees will have access to adequate sanitization stations throughout campus. While the university aims to provide protective face coverings for everyone, individuals are still encouraged to bring their own daily. 

Plans will continue to be updated in accordance with local, state and federal health and safety guidelines.

For more information about Southern University System’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.