May 18, 2020
Dear Norman Campus Community,
We are very much looking forward to returning in person this fall. The University has spent the past several weeks actively planning for our return, and I write to share some of the progress and planning. The details are contained in our Safe and Resilient Instructional Plan.
The plan is designed with flexibility in mind and is based on the latest understanding of COVID-19. Of course, as our understanding of the virus develops, the plan will be refined as needed. Components of the plan include:
- Sections with 40 students or fewer can be held in person as usual. This amounts to 86% of all course sections.
- We are moving sections with enrollments over 40 online. This equates to 14% of all sections.
- We are adding new, smaller, in-person sections to many of our first-year classes to ensure the undergraduate experience remains a highly personal, face-to-face OU learning experience.
- In an effort to facilitate effective social distancing, the class schedule will be extended throughout the day and spread out to accommodate 30-minute windows between classes, rather than the traditional 10-minute break, to limit the number of people in buildings at one time.
- We will also utilize larger classrooms, aiming for 50-75% maximum capacity wherever practical for increased social distancing.
These modifications, in addition to our Clean and Green initiative, will be cornerstones of our plan to come back together, safely. Our Safe and Resilient Instructional Plan will be refined over the summer, creating as much flexibility as practical for students and faculty. As we work to implement the plan, students will be contacted with further details about any changes to their schedules or classroom locations. We will, of course, continue to review opportunities to enhance the student experience and will keep our entire community apprised of additional related planning.
Sincerely,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
