By Madeline Alvarez, Sports Editor
Summer classes at Newman will only be offered in an online format only for the 2020 summer term, the university announced in an email on April 9.
Provost Kimberly Long said that Newman made the decision in keeping with advice from public health officials.
“In order to give our faculty, staff, and students the maximum amount of time to prepare, we – in keeping with other colleges and universities across the country – decided to stay online for the summer term,” Long said in an email. “The need to continue social distancing has not changed since March, unfortunately. We need to continue to be as vigilant as possible to safeguard all persons in our community, especially the most vulnerable.”
Long said that professors will work with students in some of the health sciences majors, as classes may look different for them than for the rest of Newman over the summer.
“As with the current spring term, there may be some exceptions for students in Nursing and Allied Health, as they are training for essential careers that will serve the community during this pandemic. If you are in one of those majors, stay in close contact with your academic advisor,” she said.
Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences Lori Steiner said in an email that some of the classes offered this summer will look different in an online format.
“Students interested in taking summer courses should be aware that some courses are offered online with no expectation of specific class meeting times,” she said. “Other courses still have expected virtual class meeting times. The students can find the information in the notes section of the summer course schedule.”
Newman will also not be hosting summer camps this year. In an email, Director of Alumni and Campus Events Laura Hartley said that camps that were scheduled to take place at Newman but that have been canceled due to the coronavirus include the Investigative Summer STEM Program, hosted by Director Ryan Huschka, and the Broadway Academy of Performers, hosted by Newman’s Theatre Department.
Long said that Newman has started planning for fall of 2020 and has to be prepared for a variety of different scenarios because of unknowns about what social distancing guidelines will be like.
“We are...monitoring the global, national, state, and local recommendations,” she said. “As more information unfolds, more concrete plans may be announced as soon as is practical.”
Courtesy photo, Newman Advancement
