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Most Syracuse University classes in the fall will meet at least once on a weekend or Labor Day to reach required contact hours, university officials said Friday.

SU announced last week that on-campus instruction would begin Aug. 24 and end before Thanksgiving, with final exams administered online. By scheduling additional classes on Friday, the weekend or Labor Day, the university will make up for most instruction days that would have taken place after Thanksgiving, officials said in an SU News release.

The university suspended in-person instruction in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and plans to offer in-person and virtual classes this fall. Faculty will receive stipends to develop courses that will work in both in-person and virtual settings, the officials said.

Social distancing guidelines for the fall semester may impact the schedules of studios and laboratories, officials said. SU will likely utilize large spaces not traditionally used as classrooms for these courses and schedule additional laboratory sessions and recitations in different time slots, such as Friday afternoons, they said.

The university will provide additional guidance about studios, labs and recitations in the coming days, officials said.

Faculty will return to work Aug. 17 to “ensure a smooth start of classes on Aug. 24,” officials said.

SU will also allocate additional block grants to each school and college, the officials said. Deans will begin communicating about rules for distributing these grants in June.

Published on May 29, 2020 at 3:12 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3