The University of Missouri resumed in-person classes for the start of the fall semester as the university reported total enrollment increased 4 percent from fall 2019 to 30,849.
The fall semester comes with new measures to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on campus, including new move-in procedures for residence halls, socially distanced lecture halls with reduced capacity, and students wearing thousands of MU face masks.
“I could not be more proud of the resilience, ingenuity and determination our university community has shown during this extraordinary time,” UM System President and MU Chancellor Mun Y. Choi said in a statement. “These past few months have illustrated the power of people coming together for a common purpose and persevering to enable the university’s mission of education, research, outreach and economic development to continue in a way that protects the Mizzou family.”
The university’s reopening plan was put together by more than 130 people, including experts in public health. It includes input from seven workgroups, including a group dedicated to the university’s testing strategy. The plan requires all faculty, staff and students to complete online training about the university’s COVID-19 rules and regulations and monitor for symptoms using an app.
The university also announced a new events policy that bans university-affiliated gatherings of more than 20 people outside a classroom setting without approval.
“As we have been saying from the beginning of this process, these guidelines only work if the entire university community is ‘all-in,’” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Bill Stackman said in a statement. “We are working diligently to educate the community and share what we know to be true: The spread of this virus can be controlled if we’re socially distancing, wearing face coverings, limiting social gatherings, monitoring one’s health and washing our hands.”
Kim Humphrey, vice provost for Enrollment Management, said the university’s plans helped ease anxiety and boost enrollment.
“We have heard overwhelmingly from students that they wanted an in-person experience this fall,” she said in a statement. “Although we will continue to monitor the pandemic situation closely and are ready to make any needed adjustments, our enrollment numbers show students and their families have confidence in our plans.”
Preliminary numbers show this year’s course enrollment is about 51% face-to-face, 32.5% online and 16.5% blended.
