Boston College Plans To Reopen In The Fall, In Person

Boston College announced Tuesday that it intends to open to in-person classes at the beginning of the fall semester.

In a letter to the Boston College community, Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. announced that, at the current time, BC intends to open in phases during the summer in accordance with guidance from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“Having as many as 400 students on campus after March 15 has provided valuable lessons about how to implement physical distancing and food distribution protocols in dining facilities, increase sanitizing for buildings (particularly residence halls), and use technology for meetings and events,” Leahy said in the email. “In addition, University Health Services has developed testing and isolation procedures in response to COVID-19, and administrators and others will keep refining necessary plans and policies for the resumption of campus life. More remains to be done in regard to testing, contact tracing, and treatment, but I believe that these and other issues can be addressed by working in concert with institutions of higher education in our area as well as federal, state, and local government.”

If plans can continue, that is certainly good news for BC, which will certainly benefit from having students on campus. Having students on campus could potentially open the door to a resumption of athletic events if the state of the pandemic permits.

With that said, intentions are different from hard plans, and it’s hard to say what will happen in August in mid-May for a virus that has altered life in the United States rapidly. Hopefully we will be in a position where BC can open safely, and this announcement is certainly colored with good hopes and intentions, but it’s still too early to tell.