Fresno Pacific University on Wednesday announced that students will return to on-campus classes in the fall 2021 semester, more than a year after the university’s classrooms were emptied and students turned to distance learning because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The university is the latest to announce plans for in-person classes in the fall. The University of California and California State University systems also are planning to resume in-person teaching in the fall.

Fresno Pacific, a private university headquartered in southeast Fresno, had instituted plans to reopen for the fall 2020 semester with new safety equipment and protocols in place, but worsening local coronavirus infection rates forced it to maintain distance learning.

Investment in Safety Improvements

Fresno Pacific spent $2 million to improve the online learning experience and also improve campus safety by adding signage, plexiglas shields, and extra cleaning services.

The decision about whether to hold summer semester classes in-person or online is expected by March, the university said.

Students and staff can check Fresno Pacific’s COVID-19 website for updates at fresno.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-news-and-information.