Update: Florida State announces fall semester schedule, social distancing plans

June 23 update

Florida State University has unveiled its plans for social distancing on campus during a meeting with the Florida Board of Governors:

Original piece, published June 4

Florida State University will hold on-campus classes for the fall semester, with classes moving to remote-only after Thanksgiving, according to the FSU Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees held their regularly-scheduled general board meeting during which the announcement was made.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sally McRorie announced this schedule, which was approved unanimously by the BOT. Although the schedule will additionally allow students to return to campus after Thanksgiving, students will be strongly encouraged to stay remote after Thanksgiving break, as those two weeks of classes will only be delivered remotely. Students will also be expected to follow social distancing guidelines and other testing protocols, the details of which are still being developed by the FSU administration.

This schedule announcement could pave the way for Florida State Seminoles football to return for the fall. Other schools have announced that athletics would only resume if there were students on campus. As schools like Florida State and others begin to return students to classes, student-athletes will return, as well.

Florida State’s plan for the fall semester echoes those proposed by most State University System member institutions that have already announced their plans for the fall semester, including the University of South Florida. The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees are expected to announce a similar schedule during their two-day general board meeting that begins today.