Texas A&M Regents approve plan to open campuses this fall

Friday, May 29, 2020
(Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications)
Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted Friday to reopen for the fall semester, a move that impacts operations at 11 college campuses and eight state agencies across Texas.

The board approved a lengthy plan that includes social distancing, health checks, and adjustments to the academic calendar.

"You can get a degree online," System Chancellor John Sharp said in a statement. "But it's very hard to be an Aggie online."

He said the same held true for the other 10 campuses - each with their own rich traditions and opportunities for personal experiences.

Plans to reopen after the coronvirus pandemic closures have been in the works for weeks.

As classrooms and offices will soon open, it appears the gates to Kyle Field will too.

In a call with campus presidents last month, Sharp said he intended to have the College Station campus ready for football, the Texas Tribune reported.

The flagship campus in College Station has an enrollment of approximately 60,000 students, according to statistics shared by the university. Around 5,000 others are enrolled at campuses in Galveston and other sites around the world.

In-person classes at Texas A&M were canceled in March when professors moved to an online format at the time. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott later cancelled classes statewide.

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