The University of Maryland announced yesterday that it will begin the semester as scheduled on August 31 but will delay undergraduate in-person instruction until September 14. Undergraduate instruction will be delivered online for the first two weeks. All graduate-level instruction and approved research activities will proceed as planned.
The University is saying because of the current pandemic situation, it will prioritize the health and safety of every member of our campus community, and will protect and support the educational and research missions to maintain academic excellence. Additionally, it will provide timely and transparent communication and obtain input from internal and external stakeholders about the proposed reopening plans.
Over the past several weeks, the University worked to develop and enhance plans for reopening our physical campus this fall. Hundreds of faculty, staff, and students are collaborating in work-groups and teams to create an academically-rich environment for the fall semester. Over 600 grants have been awarded to innovative approaches to online and blended learning. We have also worked to create a physically distant, socially-rich environment.