Planning underway to welcome back Wright State faculty, staff and students to campus this fall

Wright State University plans to welcome back students, faculty and staff to learn, teach and work on its Dayton and Lake Campuses this fall.

In an email sent to the campus community on March 10, President Sue Edwards announced that planning has begun to allow a larger percentage of students to have access to in-person classes and increased residence hall capabilities during Fall Semester, which begins Aug. 23.

Wright State also plans to host a number of small-group in-person student orientation activities over the summer and will continue to offer in-person campus tours for future students and their families.

In the Fall Semester of 2020 and the Spring Semester of 2021, about 35% of instruction was delivered in-person and about 65% of classes were delivered remotely. Most employees have also worked from home since the spring of 2020.

The university will continue to update the campus community on its plans for the Summer and Fall Semesters in the weeks ahead, Edwards said.

Wright State is moving forward with its summer and fall planning, Edwards said, because of both the decline of the number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio and across the nation and the increased availability of vaccines. The university has been offering free at-home COVID-19 tests for some students living, working and taking classes on campus and a limited number of employees.

“The university is basing this decision on current public health projections that the majority of the population will be vaccinated and case counts will be low,” Edwards said.

Edwards acknowledged that the news of the university’s plans for Fall Semester will bring joy to many while also creating some anxiety.

“I want to assure you all that we will continue to follow all state and national public health guidance to ensure the health and safety of our university community,” she said.

Wright State will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio and will adjust plans for campus operations if necessary, Edwards said. “I remain very optimistic and enthused to continue planning toward the return of our campus community,” she said.

Edwards praised the work of the university’s COVID taskforce to keep the campus community safe.

“I would also like to recognize and thank all of our essential workers who have been on campuses throughout the pandemic and have worked tirelessly on student safety and kept our operations functioning,” she said. “Thank you to our staff and faculty who have continued to educate, support and connect with our students in meaningful ways all the while working in a remote format.”

She also thanked Wright State students for their resiliency over the last year.

“Even though it has been challenging in many ways, you have persisted and are making great headway toward your degree completion,” Edwards said. “It has been through everyone’s participation and hard work that we have kept our positivity rates incredibly low and have had no evidence of on-campus transmission.”

More information on Wright State’s response to the pandemic is available at wright.edu/coronavirus.