WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita State University is making plans to get students back into the classroom in the fall of 2020 while it still protects students from the coronavirus.

Students can expect to see hybrid classes that include limited in-person instruction, some online teaching and some independent study.

“That’s going to vary depending on the class and instructors are going to be in charge of making those decisions for each individual class,” said Carolyn Speer, manager of instructional design and access at WSU.

Wichita State Academic Affairs says the plans could change depending on any local, state or federal health restrictions that might be in place at the time.

Students said it feels good to know their university is taking precautions so early.

“I totally understand why the school is going through all this,” said Harrison Hill, WSU student. “They want to stay safe, but at the same time, they want to interact with all the kids.”

Some students said they do feel bad for first time college students starting this fall.

“Especially for first year students, they really want that in-person experience hands-on and they’re not going to get that now,” said Hill. “It’s going to be tweaked and different for them.”

This is what Academic Affairs posted on the WSU COVID-19 website:

  1. We will be taking steps to protect your health and safety.
    • All classrooms will be disinfected daily, and students are encouraged to carry and use their own hand-sanitizer regularly.
    • In-person classroom capacities will be limited to maintain 6-ft distancing guidelines at all times.
    • All faculty, staff and students will be expected to wear face coverings when meeting together.
    • See the COVID-19 Health and Safety FAQs for more information. Additional details will be coming out later in the summer.
  2. We are making preparations now in the event that conditions require us to switch to online/remote learning.
    • All TCI (traditional classroom instruction) classes will be changed to HYB (hybrid).
      • HYB might include limited in-person instruction, some synchronous online engagement (with participants meeting at the same time), and/or asynchronous content delivery (with participants engaging the materials independently).
      • There are no additional fees for HYB courses.
    • Existing IIE (fully online) and HYO (online with in-person testing) courses will remain coded as IIE and HYO.
  3. We will provide details about in-person and online requirements for fall classes, as faculty determine their new course structures. Details will include:
    • Whether content delivery will be in-person or online.
    • Whether there are synchronous expectations (meeting at the same time) or asynchronous expectations (independent engagement with materials on-demand).
    • Whether testing will be in-person or online.
    • See wichita.edu/fall2020 for more information on fall course designs. Check back regularly for updates.
  4. We are providing additional training sessions for faculty to design robust online and hybrid courses.
  5. We will have some computers and MiFi hotspots available for students.
    • It will be important for you to have access to a tablet or laptop, and reliable internet service.
    • Some loaner Chromebooks and MiFi’s will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis through Information Technology Services (ITS) after July 15.
    • The Shocker Store offers a variety of options with educational discounts.