UTEP to use online, on-campus and staggered courses when school resumes in late August

EL PASO, Texas -- Universities across the nation are grappling with how to resume classes for the fall semester in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

UTEP  President Heather Wilson told ABC-7 that her university will have a combination of staggered classes, online courses and on-campus instruction.

She said classes will resume this fall as normally scheduled on Aug. 26, but not everyone will have to attend class in person because of the ongoing pandemic.

"We have some students who told us they have fragile or vulnerable family members and they want to continue their education by distance," Wilson said. "And we have other students who say they learn best when its person to person."

Students, faculty and the UTEP president all agree Covid-19 will present challenges during the fall semester.

Wilson said UTEP will offer a variety of choices so students can attend classes, either online, in person or combination of the two.

On-campus classes will place an emphasis on social distancing, she indicated.

"It's being done course by course. We teach over 4,000 sections in the fall semester," Wilson said. "And we've looked at everyone of those sections working with faculty involved to see what is the best way to teach."

Wilson explained that some classes may be too large to provide social distancing, and those classes can be held online. Other courses can provide staggered classes -- one group at the start of the week, another group a different day of the week.

But all students will be required to wear a face mask, she said, students who arrive to school without one will be provided with one.

"We're gonna try to meet the needs of our students and keep them on track in a way that protects their health and the health of others," Wilson said, adding that the university will promote the constant washing of hands while on campus.