President Mark Schlissel says he is “cautiously optimistic” the University of Michigan will be able to deliver “as much in-person instruction as possible” during the fall semester, but many questions remain about how that will be accomplished.
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In an email to the Ann Arbor campus April 28, Schlissel addressed how Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to extend and modify her stay-at-home order through May 15 is expected to affect U-M.
He said units are developing plans to safely resume on-campus work when that becomes possible, and the Provost’s Office is launching a set of faculty and staff committees to focus on the Ann Arbor campus’ fall semester academic planning, including classes.
“I remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to deliver a public health-informed fall semester on our three campuses, with as much in-person instruction as possible,” Schlissel said. “Until we have more information, we won’t know how this will look. I will share any decisions we make as soon as I can.”
The scope of the committees being coordinated by the Provost’s Office will be comprehensive, covering the many types of instruction at U-M, co-curricular activities and engaged learning, and resources available from the Center for Academic Innovation, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, and Information and Technology Services.
Details of the work involving these committees will be shared later, Schlissel said.
Activities like experimental lab research and studio-based research may be the first to resume some in-person work since, unlike other research, it is not possible to conduct that work remotely. The Office of the Vice President for Research is coordinating with schools and colleges to assess how U-M’s research enterprise can ramp up safely.
“Additionally, nearly all work at the university will be very different in the months to come,” the president said.
For the short-term, Whitmer’s most recent order will not change much of how the university operates, including the guidance that all employees who can work from home must continue to do so, Schlissel said.
He said U-M is evaluating how specific parts of the governor’s order will affect the university, including when and where employees may need to wear face coverings.
“We’re considering a multitude of factors, including office, lab and classroom density; personal protective equipment needs and availability; and testing capacity,” Schlissel said. “Reopening of our campuses will happen gradually as health and safety conditions allow. None of the data and guidance we’ve seen so far suggest that we’ll be able to fully resume activities overnight when the Stay Home, Stay Safe order expires.”
The president reminded the U-M community that even as it develops plans to resume activity, financial challenges continue for all three campuses and Michigan Medicine.
He said additional updates from Michigan Medicine are planned for later this week and that a website with “frequently asked questions” about the university’s financial situation is continually being updated.
Editor’s note: This story has been amended from its original version to reflect that President Mark Schlissel’s email was sent to just the Ann Arbor campus.
