For almost a year, UT-Austin has taught a majority of its classes online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a Feb. 8 Faculty Council announcement asking all professors to be in Austin for the fall 2021 semester is a sign UT could go back to teaching more in-person classes.

The announcement said “chances are very high” for in-person teaching in the fall, but the ability to switch back will hinge on how much of the UT community is able to be vaccinated. 

Charlotte Canning, secretary elect for the Faculty Council, said even the most cautious predictions show a majority of the population could receive a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer. She said about 70% to 80% of a class would need to be vaccinated for it to be a low-risk situation. 

“All UT is trying to do is set up for the ability to move to in-person instruction as soon as it’s feasible,” Canning said. “Not about forcing anyone to put themselves at risk, but more about being able to take advantage when better circumstances present themselves.” 

Registration for fall 2021 begins in April, but University spokesperson J.B. Bird said he wasn’t sure if the plan would be finalized by then. 

Canning said it’s possible some classes will begin online in August and then could transition back to in person later in the semester. 

“I’d very much like to be back in the classroom,” Canning said. “Not in an unsafe situation, but I just felt that the kind of things I was teaching would have been so much better in person, but I also don’t want to get sick, and I don’t want anyone to get sick.” 
 
Bird said UT is planning to have as normal of a fall semester as possible, but planning is still underway, and it’s “too early” to know how the fall will play out. 

Astronomy associate professor Mike Boylan-Kolchin said the announcement is encouraging that classes could be back in person for the fall. 

He said teaching online is a challenge for both students and professors unable to interact with their peers. 

“When people are in the classroom, you can actually tell by reactions what’s happening, and also there’s a lot more individual circumstances that we have to be understanding of,” Boylan-Kolchin said. “We should always be understanding of that, but when people are on campus, it’s a little bit more uniform compared to when people are home.”