Bradley University in central Illinois will resume on-campus instruction in the fall semester despite the continued presence of the coronavirus in the state, university officials announced Monday.
University officials said Bradley’s location in Peoria, with its population of about 111,000, and the school’s student population of about 5,000 gives administrators confidence regular operations can resume in a safe environment.
Bradley suspended on-campus instruction at the end of March, and carried it through to the end of the spring semester this week.
Federal and state COVID-19 guidelines will determine how and when classes will resume. However, current plans have dormitories opening Aug. 22, with instruction beginning Aug. 26, according to the university.
Incoming Bradley president Stephen Standifird said in a statement the university is taking ``every possible health precaution” and preparing for all scenarios for the university’s reopening.
“So while normal may look a little different in the fall, we are excited to reunite safely with our Bradley family,” Standifird said.
University officials say preliminary plans for an on-campus return are being devised, including modifications to classrooms, residential living and common-area access. They also say some class elements may be conducted online and others in small in-person settings also is possible.
