Auburn University officials are planning for a “typical” semester in fall 2021, including allowing full capacity in classrooms.
An email sent by the Office of the Registrar and obtained by The Plainsman says that classrooms will be allowed to be filled to 100% capacity in fall 2021 based on current data available. The email was sent on Feb. 8 to “schedule builders,” faculty responsible for selecting rooms for courses offered.
Classrooms have only been filled to 50% capacity since the fall 2020 semester to allow for physical distancing and offer faculty flexibility, the provost's office said.
In response to a follow-up email sent by The Plainsman, Auburn University Registrar Karen Battye said that operations in fall 2021 are expected to be similar to pre-pandemic semesters.
“We anticipate fall 2021 being a ‘typical’ semester,” Battye said.
Schedule builders were instructed to use the fall 2019 semester as a baseline for course offerings.
The choice of how each course will be instructed, whether in-person, online or in a blended option, will be left to individual colleges, departments and faculty members within the University.
“Faculty, departments and colleges/schools determine [course] modality,” Battye said.
The email to schedule builders says that room assignments for fall 2021 courses will not be made until the fourth week in February, due to a “large-scale project” in the Office of the Registrar. Room assignments for fall semesters are typically made in the second week of February, Battye said.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
