AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin is preparing to reopen for classes on campus this fall.

Fall Semester

The fall semester will begin August 26 and classes will run until Thanksgiving. That’s according to a message from UT President Gregory Fenves. Students won’t return after Thanksgiving. Instead, they will participate remotely in reading days and final exams. Fenves says he wants to prevent students from becoming infected with COVID-19 over the Thanksgiving break and bringing it back to campus.

“We are still developing the details for how this new schedule will affect course syllabi, residence hall living and other key campus functions,” said Fenves.

Graduation Ceremonies

All in-person graduation ceremonies for this fall will be postponed. The university is planning on holding an in-person, university-wide commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 at some point in 2021. Spring and fall graduates will be invited to this ceremony.

Athletics

Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte and the athletics senior leadership team are working on a contingency plan to eventually bring coaches, staff members and student-athletes back to campus in the safest way possible.

“Athletics’ first priority is developing policies and procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, while returning an essential group of football coaches and support staff to campus for a Phase One trial through the end of May,” said Fenves.

Part of the plan includes having athletics staff members complete an online COVID-19 symptoms questionnaire each day before leaving home. Then there will be a screening process that includes a temperature check upon arrival at their designated entry.

Research

In the coming days, the university will announce specific plans to continue research on campus. Researchers will be given directions on how to apply to reopen their operations and the necessary safety precautions to take.