PHILADELPHIA — Days after announcing it was suspending in-person learning for two weeks due to a spike in positive COVID-19 test cases in the campus community, Temple University announced that it will move to a remote learning model for the remainder of the fall semester as positive test numbers continue to climb.
The decision was announced by university president Richard M. Englert and executive vice president and provost JoAnne A. Epps in a letter to the campus community posted on Temple's website.
"Like so many of our colleagues around the country, we believed an in-person educational experience could be part of students' lives this fall," Englert's message said. "Our students told us loud and clear that they wanted to come back to campus, to be together again.
"In the last few weeks, as we welcomed back students for the fall semester, we have engaged in extensive testing and tracked the results. Fortunately, those who have tested positive for COVID-19 have shown either no or mild to moderate flu-like symptoms. Each step of the way, our decisions have been data driven.
"Now, in light of the recent increase in positive test results among our students, and after consultation with our own healthcare professionals and leaders at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, we have concluded that the data indicate it is time to pivot to primarily online education, as we said we would be prepared to do."
Temple will suspend all but essential in-person teaching on the university's campus, Englert said. Essential classes are defined as those for which educational objectives cannot be achieved without all or some in-person instruction.
"We estimate that 95% of courses will be online for the remainder of the semester," Englert said. "Employees currently working on campus should continue to do so until notified otherwise by your supervisor. We will continue to work together as a community to ensure that students receive the quality education they expect from Temple and continue progress toward their degree."
The university will keep its residence halls open for students who want to continue to learn remotely while staying on campus, but said it recognizes some students may want to return home. Those who choose to leave by Sunday, Sept. 13 will receive a full refund of housing and meal plan charges for the fall semester, the school said.
"Others may want or need to remain on campus to access available resources or because individual or family circumstances (such as a family member with an underlying health condition) make it more prudent to stay," Englert said. "Those students are welcome to remain, and we will make available the academic and other support services and activities that you need to succeed, including Temple's high-quality health services."
Englert said he understands the decision to suspend in-person learning is disappointing for those who had hoped for an on-campus learning experience.
"Please know that if the data supported a decision to safely continue the fall semester experience on campus, we would have made every effort to do so," Englert said. "Unfortunately, the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic are simply too great for our students, faculty, staff and neighboring community."
