COLOMBIA – South Carolina’s two largest universities are planning to resume face-to-face classes and normal campus activities this fall, including soccer, with expanded eligibility vaccines for most adults in the state.
The University of South Carolina and Clemson University, like other colleges, offer a mix of classroom and online classes to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. USC even divided the traditional weeklong spring break into individual days off to prevent an outbreak of students returning from a prolonged period of time off.
Schools, however, lost a combined $ 300 million in revenue because of the coronavirus outbreak, which led to salary cuts, hiring freezes and employee layoffs.
Now, the presidents of both schools have said they plan to resume normal operations in the fall, with lower rates of COVID-19 transmission expected, as vaccines become widely available. As of March 8, it is estimated that four million people in South Carolina, or nearly 80% of the state’s population, are eligible for vaccination.
Governor Henry McMaster also lifted many of the state’s final COVID-19 restrictions, including restaurant mask mandates and limits on mass meetings.
While acknowledging that the school “is not yet out of danger,” Clemson President Jim Clements said in a letter to the campus community that “it indicates that our aggressive approach to COVID-19 testing and security protocols was worth it” .
Clements and USC President Bob Caslen cited positive test rates for their campuses that were below the state average. Schools plan to continue testing, while promising a more normal campus experience in the fall, including football games.
Clements pledged to fill the Memorial Stadium for Tiger games in the fall, after allowing a limited number of fans last season, such as the USC.
The USC did not announce plans for the football season, but Caslen told the Post and Courier on March 2 that he expects Gamecocks to fill the Williams-Brice Stadium, but capacity decisions would be based on state and public health guidelines. federal.
The presidents warned that lesson plans could change.
“We will continue to monitor conditions around COVID-19 very carefully during the spring and summer, and we will not hesitate to change the course if conditions so require,” said Clements.
Caslen said the USC must “remain vigilant”.
“As I said during the pandemic, our ability to get back to normal depends on members of our community doing the right things to protect themselves and others,” he said in a statement. “This includes the use of face coverings and vaccination when you are eligible to receive it.”
Still, schools have an incentive to reopen their campuses more completely after reporting that enrollments in the fall are higher than last year. Clemson is confident of meeting enrollment goals, which would mean “modest growth” in student numbers, said Clements.
University leaders said they should offer a personal experience to meet the expectations of students who attend their schools.
“Our goal from the beginning was to safely provide world-class education for students, no matter what the challenges,” said Caslen. As well as a return to the vibrant and engaging campus environment for which our university is known. “