ARIZONA NEWS

UArizona moving classes online after Thanksgiving, planning for spring

Nov 9, 2020, 11:46 AM | Updated: 3:00 pm

(Twitter Photo/@uarizona)...

(Twitter Photo/@uarizona)

(Twitter Photo/@uarizona)

PHOENIX – The University of Arizona is winding down in-person classes for the fall semester and making plans for the spring.

School officials said Monday that all students who plan to take classes in person next semester must first get tested for COVDID-19.

The Tucson university recently announced that the final eight days of instruction and all final exams and assessments will be completed remotely following the Nov. 26-29 Thanksgiving break.

Students in housing on or around campus are being encouraged to travel home for the break and stay there to finish the semester virtually.

Anybody who plans to travel and then return to Tucson housing to finish their online coursework needs to take a COVID-19 rapid antigen diagnostic test at least 10 days before leaving town.

Those students must then take a test when they return and follow a stay-at-home protocol for 10 days if negative. A 10-day isolation protocol is required following a positive test.

Similar testing plans are in place for travel during the winter session/break and the start of the spring semester.

During Monday’s weekly COVID-19 press conference, President Robert Robbins said on-campus learning will begin in January with classes sizes capped at 50 students if conditions allow – remaining in stage two of the school’s reopening plan.

He said there was little chance the school would open beyond that point anytime soon.

“If conditions permit to move to stage three later in the term, it would include classes with classroom capacities with up to 100 people,” Robbins said. “But as I see things right now, with increasing cases, I think that it’s a remote possibility.

“Especially since we are anticipating that in January and the winter months across the country, we’re going to see an increase in the number of cases.”

While the state has been seeing a rise in coronavirus cases, the Tucson school is seeing relatively few positive tests.

Only .9% of UArizona tests reported over the last 10 days were positive, far below last week’s statewide rate of 9% as reported by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Antwaun Ware received a life sentence for killing Jasmine Dunbar in 2018....

Kevin Stone

Man who killed woman, left baby on side of West Valley road in 2018 gets life sentence

A man who killed his ex-girlfriend and abandoned her baby on the side of a West Valley road in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison.

44 minutes ago

Silver Alert issued for 68-year-old man last seen in Phoenix...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after missing 68-year-old Valley man returns home

A Silver Alert was canceled after a missing 68-year-old man named Gregory Wascher who was last seen on Wednesday returned home on Friday.

3 hours ago

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase....

Kevin Stone

Here’s why APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase after state regulators signed off on a proposed adjustment this week.

3 hours ago

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning...

Kevin Stone

Man dead after house fire in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning, authorities said.

4 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

1 teen killed, another seriously injured in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal

One teenager was killed and another was seriously injured in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal on Thursday evening, authorities said.

5 hours ago

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from sc...

Balin Overstolz

Chronic absentee rate for Arizona students remains far above pre-pandemic level, study finds

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from school, which is double the absence rate before the pandemic.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Don’t miss the action with this game-changing procedure

PHOENIX -- The clear lens exchange procedure has emerged as a popular alternative to LASIK eye surgery.

UArizona moving classes online after Thanksgiving, planning for spring