UT in Austin reopening in the fall, but things may be different

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- The University of Texas at Austin announced that its campus will reopen in the fall.

In a letter to the community, UT president Greg Fenves said the fall semester will begin on Aug. 26 and will run through Thanksgiving.

"With COVID-19 still expected to be active this fall, we hope to avoid the possibility of students becoming infected during the Thanksgiving break and then spreading the virus to classmates upon their return after Thanksgiving. We are still developing the details for how this new schedule will affect course syllabi, residence hall living and other key campus functions. We will continue to provide additional information as we move forward," Fenves said in a letter.

He added that students will not return after Thanksgiving, but will instead, participate in reading days and take final exams remotely.

Fenves said some classes and activities will be held in person, and other online, "dictated by health and safety concerns."

"But to get there, we still have a great deal of planning to do, and we must first assess and address a range of risks and solutions," Fenves said. "We expect to announce our plans for the fall semester by the end of June, but we will continue to stay in touch as those plans take shape."

During the next few days, UT officials will announce specific plans for resuming research on campus.

Fenves will leave his post as university president this summer for the same position at Emory University in Atlanta, and Jay Hartzell has been named the interim president.