ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Rock Island's Augustana College is preparing to return to in-person classes for its Fall 2021 semester.
The college announced on Monday, March 22 that it would be returning to physical classes come the start of the 2021-2022 academic year on August 30, and that the year's academic calendar would be expected to move forward without changes.
“Augustana College is very pleased to announce its intention to safely return to the in-person, deeply engaged learning environment that is core to its identity, and which our students and graduates value most” said President Steve Bahls.
Augustana said the decision was made due to metrics that anticipate high vaccination rates by the start of the semester.
Among other details, the college says that it will continue to follow COVID-era health guidelines, anticipate the return of study abroad and other off-campus study programs, and may continue to offer some digital/physical hybrid options.
The school has been engaging in digital and hybrid classes since the early days of the pandemic on March 18, 2020.