Fresno Pacific University plans for nearly full return to in-person classes this fall

Fresno Pacific University is taking a different approach for the fall semester. Leaders are optimistic about welcoming students back face-to-face for most classes, according to a news release from the college on Thursday.

The private Christian university in southeast Fresno said students could begin scheduling visits to campus on June 15.

The decision is in contrast with other local colleges, such as Fresno City College and Fresno State, which have chosen to plan for a fall semester mostly online due to risks from the coronavirus.

Although FPU will strive to keep face-to-face instruction at all its campuses in the fall, some classes may be a hybrid of online and in-person, the news release said.

Personal protective equipment will be readily available, and the college has ordered sanitizer and other cleaning equipment.

Dormitories will be mostly single occupancy, with some larger rooms still available for two, the university said. Fresno-area students could be asked to commute to keep space open.

According to the release, the university continues to consult with other Christian colleges in California and with local, state, and federal health officials about COVID-19.

President Joseph Jones said accommodations would be made for students with individual needs.

Jones said recent trends, “such as the opening of businesses and public spaces throughout the Central Valley, have made us more optimistic than ever about prospects for bringing together this community to provide the education we know is most effective.”

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