MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rhodes College has announced that students will not return to campus this fall semester and instead continue remote learning.
The end of the spring semester at Rhodes consisted of remote learning due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I write with a heavy heart to let you know that despite our hopes and plans, the external health conditions in Memphis do not support an on-campus fall semester,” Rhodes College President Marjorie Hass said. “All along, we have known that this was a possibility and we have waited until the last practical moment to assess it. I wish it were otherwise, but I am committed to facing the facts and to sharing them with you.
“This past week, our team consulted with public health experts here in Memphis and in our broader national Rhodes network. Unanimously, these experts expressed appreciation for the plan, agreeing that we and our Baptist partners have a solid strategy in place for returning to campus. Also, unanimously, they advised that no plan could make up for the fact that conditions in Memphis are increasingly severe. They told me that based on the current facts and trends, we should expect that campus outbreaks of COVID-19 would quickly outpace our ability to provide an appropriately safe environment for our students and staff.”
Rhodes instructors will work individually with international students or other students who may need to stay on campus.
The college also reduced tuition for the semester by 9% to adjust to the online experience.
