Bryant University reaffirms plans to have fully in-person return in the fall

BRYANT UNIVERSITY reaffirmed its plans to have a fully in-person campus experience in the fall. / COURTESY BRYANT UNIVERSITY
BRYANT UNIVERSITY reaffirmed its plans to have a fully in-person campus experience in the fall. / COURTESY BRYANT UNIVERSITY

SMITHFIELD – Bryant University announced Friday it reaffirmed its plans for students to return to campus for a fully in-person fall semester, with classes starting Sept. 7.

Bryant was among multiple colleges in the state that conducted classes with a mix of in-person instruction and digital streaming in both the fall and currently in the spring. The university also moved its fall semester final exams online in late November as a “means of caution” in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island, New England and nationally at the time.

Bryant said all of its educational, residential and co-curricular activities are planned to resume in person in September with continued health and safety measures in place. Bryant President Ross Gittell said the university was one of the few colleges in the U.S. to operate at near full residency – 94% – this year, with in-person instruction and small class sizes, working to preserve its academic programming and student experience “as much as possible.”

“We are positioned to expand on this positive student experience in the year ahead,” Gittell said. Bryant also said its plans are subject to ongoing review and will be aligned with best practices from both the R.I. Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Recently, both the University of Rhode Island and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth announced similar reaffirmations for the upcoming fall semester.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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