Several RI Colleges Pivot To Virtual Start Of Spring Semester
PROVIDENCE, RI — At least three colleges and universities in Rhode Island will start the 2022 spring semester virtually, as COVID-19 cases soar. The Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and Johnson and Wales all delayed the start of in-person classes.
On Wednesday, CCRI said it anticipates transitioning to in-person classes by Feb. 14, the start of the Late Start semester. Classes that were scheduled to start in-person Jan. 18 will be held synchronously, online. While classes are online, the campus will remain open, the college said, including all student services and offices.
Starting with the new semester, all eligible students and staff will be required to get a COVID-19 booster shot. Those who are not yet eligible will have 30 days from their eligibility date to get their shot.
Johnson and Wales, meanwhile, will begin classes online Jan. 10, with the plan to move to in-person learning Jan. 18, after the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. Despite the delayed start, students will be expected to move back into residence halls before the start of classes. All students, staff and faculty will be asked to get tested for COVID-19 before coming back to campus.
Rhode Island College said that classes will begin as scheduled Jan. 18, though they will be "predominantly remote" for the first three weeks. The college is also requiring eligible students and staff to get a COVID-19 booster.
COVID-19 surges in Rhode Island: Read more
This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch
