By Anne Levin

Princeton and Rutgers universities are among the institutions of higher education that have announced altered academic schedules for the 2020-21 academic year. Due to the continuing fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Princeton will reopen at half capacity in the fall, while Rutgers plans to deliver most courses remotely, with a limited number of in-person classes.

“Over the last two months, my colleagues and I have been studying the pandemic and identifying measures we can take to accommodate students on campus,” Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in a July 6 message to the University community. “COVID-19 is still a very new disease, and much remains unknown about it. Several points have, however, become clear. Based on the information now available to us, we believe Princeton will be able to offer all of our undergraduate students at least one semester of on-campus education this academic year, but we will need to do much of our teaching online and remotely.”

“We have wanted very fervently to be able to resume some version of a normal semester,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a message to the Rutgers community, which takes courses in New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark. However, “because of the ongoing requirements for social distancing and guided by our paramount priority of safeguarding the people of our university community, we determined that most courses this fall will have to rely on remote methods of instruction – delivered both in real time and asynchronously.”

Princeton will have first- and third-year students on campus for the fall semester, while sophomores and seniors will be welcomed for the spring term. Most academic instruction will continue to be online. All undergraduates can complete the entire academic year remotely if they wish. Graduate programs will be held either in person or virtually.

Students can live in dormitories. But the social aspect of undergraduate campus life will be limited by public health guidelines and state rules. That means no big parties, and social distancing in classrooms and public spaces. Students will have to sign a social contract describing their responsibilities. “Our collective success will depend on all of our individual actions,” wrote Eisgruber.

Graduate students are permitted to stay in campus graduate housing for both semesters.

Students will be tested for COVID-19 when they arrive, and regularly thereafter, overseen by University Health Services. Everyone on campus will have to wear a face covering while indoors except when they are alone in a space or assigned rooms; but not outdoors if a distance of at least six feet is maintained from others.

At Rutgers, on-campus housing will be extremely limited. A small number of courses in the arts, laboratory or field work, and clinical instruction will take place with appropriate health-related precautions, Holloway said. Decisions regarding the upcoming athletic season “will continue to be guided by state requirements and policies developed by the campuses’ respective athletic conferences,” he said.

Princeton’s Department of Athletics will advise the University’s coaches, staff, and student athletes of a decision on fall athletics on July 8.

Regarding tuition, the University has approved a 10 percent discount for all undergraduates. The discounted rate will be used to calculate financial aid packages for students eligible for aid.

“The University remains committed to ensuring that a Princeton education is affordable for every student even at this time of economic uncertainty,” reads the letter to the community. “As Provost Deborah Prentice said following the April trustees meeting focused on financial aid: ‘Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic challenges, we expect that more of our students will need financial aid and that many students will need additional aid. We are committed to increasing the University’s financial aid budget to meet these needs so a Princeton education remains affordable for all students.’ ”

The fall semester at Princeton will start August 31, which is two days earlier than originally scheduled. Fall break will be a weekend instead of a full week. Students will leave the campus before Thanksgiving, and the fall semester reading period and exams will be fully remote thereafter. The spring break will also be reduced from a week to a weekend.

No campus visits will be allowed for the fall semester, and tours have been discontinued at the present time. Virtual visits are available via the admission website.

The entire plan is detailed, with several headings, on the University’s website, and more information about virtual instruction and other aspects is still to be announced. “The University will continue to reevaluate its plans in the months ahead,” wrote Eisgruber. “If developments allow, we will invite back more students in the spring. Unfortunately, it is also possible that matters will get worse. If so, we may have to send students home in the fall or reduce the size of the anticipated campus population in the spring.”

Rutgers will allow on-campus housing in extremely limited cases. Essential student services including academic, health, and wellness counseling will be available remotely, and in person as guidelines allow. The University is continuing to work within state guidelines and with public health experts to reopen offices later this summer. Holloway told the University community that officials are continuing to work toward a time when it is safe for normal operations to resume.

“I can assure you that we will do all we can to move toward that goal, knowing how vital our in-person interactions are to the vibrancy of a university,” he said. “And in the meantime, we will strive to ensure the highest quality academic experience for all our students, who remain at the center of our mission.”