These stickers on the floor of the University of Houston Admissions building control the flow of traffic to aide in the social distancing measures. The school has placed the safety of both students and faculty as its priority for the reopening.

University of Houston to reopen for fall 2021 semester

The school will transition back to face-to-face learning with the new semester.

The University of Houston plans to fully reopen with the fall 2021 semester after spending a year in remote operation due to the coronavirus pandemic according to the school. The school will open to normal operations as face-to-face classes begin again.

The school made the decision to reopen based upon the lowering number of cases in the state and the widespread availability of the vaccine according to a newsletter by UH Chancellor, Renu Khator.

Students are optimistic about this return to normalcy and have faith in their school’s measures to protect them. “I think they’ve responded really well, given the situation and the state’s response, I think they’ve done well compared to that,” said Moham Ihmram, a student at the university.

Despite the student’s confidence, the school’s reopening will be a measured and conditional one.

Only 80% of classes will be face-to-face with the remaining 20% retaining a hyflex model. Additionally, masks will still be required indoors, and social distancing will be enforced along with some facilities such as the library retaining their limited operations, according to the newsletters.

These precautions and limitations have been enacted to allow the school to both ease in their reopening, and to allow flexibility should the school need to update their plans throughout the semester according to Khator.

The University of Houston campus in Houston, Texas has been under remote operations and distance learning since Mar 18, 2020. The campus is set to fully reopen for the fall 2021semester with safety measures in place to protect the students and faculty. (Left) The University of Houston COVID-19 Testing Center began operations in August2020and will continue to operate for the foreseeable future. The testing is free to all faculty, students, and staff according to the University of Houston website. (centre) These directional signs are a common sight to see on campus, especially in high traffic areas such as the convenience store. Combined with temporary barricades these signs limit the potential contact students will have with one another. (right)

Part of the safety protocols include the use of plexiglass shields in the Welcome Center, Student Center and, as pictured above, the convenience stores on campus. These shields, along with masks. Ensure the safety of both students and faculty. (left) Despite Texas Governor Greg Abott’s Executive Order on Mar 2 lifting the statewide mask mandate, the university will retain its mask order “until theCOVID-19 vaccine has been made widely available to our community” according to University Chancelor, Renu Khator. The University maintains masks are required and social distance to be maintained. (centre) Additional measures taken by the school during the pandemic include the closure of water fountains as pictured above and the limiting of two people per elevator ride. Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles as the no contact water bottle refilling fountains continue to operate. (right)

Despite the restrictions and the limited operations of the summer semester, the Student Center food court bustled with activity on Wednesday. The empty tables separating small groups showcased the student’s willingness to adhere to the guidelines. (left) The coming fall semester will likely be a difficult juggle between returning to normalcy and maintaining net of safety. However, the University has taken the necessary precautions and the students are diligently following them. (right)