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BOULDER, Colo (KDVR) — CU Boulder is pushing for a more in-person learning experience for the fall of 2021. Larger lecture classes will continue to be offered remotely. Starting this week, CU Boulder students can schedule classes for the fall.

Classes in 2021 will be 70% in-person, 11% hybrid and 19% remote or online.

“We don’t expect a lot of changes for the remainder of the fall and into the summer,” said Charlotte Erwin with CU Boulder. “The criteria that’s been established for who should be on campus still applies, but we know public health guidance is relaxing a bit.”

In the fall, University officials said they expect public health restrictions to be “quite relaxed”, meaning there could potentially be no limitations on gatherings and class sizes. 

“We’ve learned a lot about remote learning this year which has successfully performed, so we do want to take advantage of what we’ve learned and continue remote work where it makes sense to do so,” said Erwin.

One of the most notable changes this fall will be social distancing requirements of three feet for students and staff while indoors. This week Boulder County eliminated its requirements for masks while gathering outdoors, but officials still encourage people to wear one. Masks are still required for everyone while indoors.

“We still strongly recommend any mitigation strategies,” said Jennifer McDuffie, Associate Vice Chancellor of Health and Wellness. “We are still in the midst of a pandemic but are very hopeful as we have more and more of our population getting vaccinated.”

Currently, CU Boulder has no requirements for vaccinations but encourages everyone planning on returning to campus to get the shot.

“Nationally we have seen a couple of schools such at Rutgers and Fort Lewis College in Durango come out with vaccine requirements, but we are currently not planning to do that,” said McDuffie. “We have a couple of variables we are looking at, including all three vaccines still in emergency authorization.”

McDuffie said the university is looking into the potential of equity issues with getting the vaccine, supply, and financial barriers before making any decisions on vaccine requirements.