Acadia University students could return to campus this fall

Students at Acadia University could be returning to campus this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Wolfville, N.S., university announced it will be welcoming students back to campus in September, offering in-person and online courses.

"At this stage, we're looking at trying to develop a hybrid plan that will have some on-campus activity, but also have remote or virtual offerings," said Dale Keefe, the university's vice-president academic.

Dalhousie University, the University of King's College and Cape Breton University are all planning to move courses online this fall.

Keefe said the university recognizes the risks of returning to campus.

"We're trying to, where possible, where we can adhere to all of the public health recommendations and guidelines around social distancing, we're planning on having classes on campus," he said.

The university, which has just more than 3,500 students, will scale back operations to offer in-person experiential learning, a press release from the university said.

No guarantee all courses will be available online

Keefe said the university is trying to offer enough courses so students can complete the term online if they feel unsafe returning to campus.

"We can't guarantee that we will offer every course, but we will have enough that students will be able to get their academic term," he said.

A final decision about what will happen in September hasn't been made, but more information about changes to services, course availability and campus life is expected to be announced later in June.

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