SAN ANTONIO — As the weeks tick by to the start of the fall semester, UTSA says it's incentivizing flexibility and accessibility when it comes to students choosing how they want their classes to look.
In an email sent to university students and staff Wednesday, university administrators said that "any student who chooses to take all their coursework online will have the ability to do so," and faculty will keep avenues open for taking classes 100% online if the situation demands.
Even as the university keeps the option for all-online courses open, it says face-to-face learning will be limited in the fall, "based on the need for specialized course material or facilities." As previously outlined by UTSA, all instructional activity will be online-only after Thanksgiving break.
UTSA also says its workplace policies will be modified to maximize safety, including encouraging that meetings are virtual and mandating that masks be worn.
Meanwhile, the university also said its Global Initiatives department will be working with international students to ensure they can continue learning at UTSA, in light of the recent announcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that college students from abroad must leave the country if they're taking all-online courses.
UTSA also suggested it will try to keep most of its on-campus services and activities functioning as normally as possible – including dining services, libraries, counseling centers and athletics – so long as efforts like mask-wearing and social distancing are being practiced. Some operations, like transportation and the rec center, are still being fine-tuned.
A final course schedule is expected July 31, and the semester is set to start August 24.
Several virtual town halls have been scheduled by the university for those within the UTSA community who have questions. Dates and links to those meetings can be found on the university's website.