We're Back!
Austin Peay State University will return to pre-pandemic class formats this summer,
and University officials fully intend for APSU to return to predominantly face-to-face
classes this fall.
“Things are already beginning to come back,” said Dr. Maria Cronley, APSU’s provost
and senior vice president for academic affairs. “We will be offering summer classes
that mirror our summer offerings prior to COVID. We have set our fall class schedules,
which also reflect pre-COVID class offerings with mostly face-to-face classes.”
All decisions about the fall semester depend on the state and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, but Austin Peay proved last fall that it can effectively
host classes on campus.
University officials launched aggressive test and trace tactics and encouraged everyone
to complete daily health screenings and scan building QR codes to enhance contact
tracing. The University also used mask requirements and physical distancing in classrooms
to help fight virus spread.
The University’s COVID-19 emergency command team also continues to meet every day.
These strategies allowed Austin Peay to offer face-to-face, hybrid and remote classes
through the fall and spring semesters.
“Austin Peay drastically outperformed every other public higher education institution
in Tennessee” in keeping positive case counts low, said Lynn Fisher, the University’s
emergency management director. “Our highest single day case count between Aug. 24
and Dec. 1 was 43, which is amazing because we had several thousand people on campus
every day.”