Western Kentucky University (WKU) announced Thursday the Big Red Restart Plan to share what they are thinking could occur during the upcoming semester, after being closed to in-person classes since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school says they have been engaged in planning efforts since mid-April to restart WKU this fall in a manner that allows them to regain as much normalcy as possible while continuing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
College President Timothy Caboni shared the first draft Thursday of the plan in order to collect feedback from many groups, including students, faculty, and staff. Caboni asks that everyone review the plan and provide feedback by 8:00 AM Monday, June 1, using the Big Red Restart feedback form.
The plan states that in-person classes would resume August 24, meanwhile, Labor Day and the original scheduled Fall Break would be used as instructional time, with the last day for in-person classes to be November 20. After a fall break and Thanksgiving Break from November 23 to 27, classes would resume online November 30. Final examinations would be conducted remotely between December 7-11.
He adds in addition to their plans to return to in-person operations this fall, the Restart WKU Committees also outlined contingency plans to be activated if the public health situation requires. You can view each of the full committee reports here.
Caboni says while they are getting ready for students to arrive back to campus, they will begin transitioning some faculty and staff back to campus this summer, with select offices opening to the public for limited operations on July 1. He adds during this time, it’s important that you call ahead before visiting an office on campus so they can prepare to best assist you.
Read the entire Big Red Restart Plan by clicking here.
In other news, the college’s Board of Regents voted Wednesday to hold year-over-year tuition costs flat, eliminate the distance learning surcharge fee of $150 per credit hour for full-time students engaged in an online course for the 2020-21 school year, and lower the Kentucky Educator Graduate Tuition discount rate from $415 per credit hour to $350. The special tuition is available to all Kentucky residents who hold a current Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board educator certificate.
Caboni says the school remains committed to providing access and opportunity to those in our region and beyond. He adds they know the COVID-19 pandemic affected negatively the financial situation of many students and their families, and these bold decisions, especially in such an uncertain economic environment, reaffirm their commitment to transforming lives and elevating our communities.
