Hold onto your butts: Olivet Nazarene University is welcoming students back for Fall 2020 sessions on campus.
“Olivet Nazarene University is looking forward to welcoming students back to campus for the fall semester! Although none of us can know what the future holds for sure, at Olivet, we know this – we are going to have a full University experience in fall 2020.” Olivet said in a statement released Friday.
The announcement will boost Bourbonnais’ population by 20% when they return.
Classes at the university will fall into one of three categories when school resumes in August. They include face-to-face classes, a hybrid offering with some online aspects, and fully online courses.
Olivet Nazarene University already offers a variety of online classes. No mention if these classes are extensions of lecture courses or not. The move is in step with other religious institutions in the Midwest, including the University of Notre Dame.
“Olivet will begin school earlier than usual. Classes will begin on Monday, August 17, and the semester will end before the Thanksgiving holiday on Tuesday, November 24, to get as much on-ground schooling in as possible,” Olivet said.
The University was quick to remind the community they can’t guarantee a COVID-19 free environment.
“None of us can guarantee what shape COVID-19 will take, and no one – including Olivet – can guarantee a COVID-19-free environment,” Olivet said Friday. Precautions will be taken when courses resume in the fall, including temperature checks, social distancing efforts, wearing masks, staying away if sick and isolating and quarantining when required.
Olivet students come from across the globe and inject additional variables to the overall health of the Kankakee County area. Last summer, 4,986 students attended the school.
As of Thursday night, the Kankakee County Health Department reported 647 active COVID-19 cases in the County. Earlier this week, Joliet Junior College announced they would not be holding classes this fall and opt for online courses as the effects of the pandemic linger on.
The University of St. Francis in Joliet has also announced it will be returning to classes in the Fall. While details on the return are still developing, USF President Arvid C. Johnson says the response will have successors look back with pride.
“As our centennial year continues, the response of our USF community reminds me of the important roles that resiliency, dedication, determination, and faith have played in shaping our 100-year history. I am both proud of and inspired by how we, as a university community, continue to navigate this challenge and know that our successors will one day look back with pride and inspiration, as well,” Johnson said.
St. Francis University has nearly 4,000 students attend their campus last year.
