The University of Pennsylvania may conduct all classes online for the fall 2020 semester, one of four possible scenarios it is looking at.
Amy Gutmann and other school leaders laid out the four possible scenarios in an email: A hybrid experience with some in-person instruction, an in-person experience ending at Thanksgiving break, a more robust summer course offering in 2021, an entirely online experience for the fall semester.
In case the University adopts the hybrid option, then classes will be offered in smaller groups, with no more than 25 students. All larger classes of more than 25 students would be delivered online, even for students living on campus.
The in-person experience ending at Thanksgiving break may work besides the hybrid experience. On-campus activities will end before the holiday, and the remainder of the semester will be conducted online.
The goal behind more course offerings in summer 2021 is to allow more flexibility for students, and is also compatible with the first two scenarios, according to the email.
The final option of an entirely online fall semester would happen if students can't be brought back to campus in the fall because of the pandemic.
"In this scenario, we would make every effort to bring students back to campus as soon as possible," the email said.
The email also said some activities, like research, are likely to resume before others, like extracurricular or student-life activities. A decision with more specific plans will be made by the end of June.
