NOLA universities hopeful for ‘normal’ fall semester

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Education leaders in New Orleans are hopeful for a normal Fall 2021 semester, following an announcement from LSU on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Tulane University touted their “robust testing, contact tracing, and isolation/quarantine” program, saying they expect to continue holding in-person classes in the fall.

“We anticipate that the fall 2021 semester at the University of New Orleans will look much more like a traditional semester. If the vaccine roll-outs proceed as we hope, the University will be planning to maximize in-person instruction and restore many of our customary activities and events with appropriate precautions in place,” officials at UNO said Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Loyola said they are “watching the situation closely and also hope for normal operations in the fall.”

Dillard University is considering its options, per Dr. Yolanda Page, vice president for Academic Affairs.

LSU interim president Tom Galligan says the university will operate almost as it did in Fall 2019 in Fall 2021.

More: LSU expects ‘vast majority’ of classes to be face-to-face in Fall 2021

“Xavier is hopeful that vaccination strategy being rolled out across the country by the federal government will lead to an environment that allows us to return to a majority face-to-face environment,” said Reynold Verret, President of Xavier University of Louisiana. “Xavier is prepared for this scenario and we have a variety of options available to meet the needs of our students as we have done since the pandemic began.”

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