ESU Remains On Track for Fall 2021 Re-Opening of Campus

Plans remain firmly in place for students, faculty and staff to return to East Stroudsburg University’s campus for Fall 2021 according to Interim President Kenneth Long. Course registration and room selection are set for April, new scholarship awards are in place for first generation and transfer students and classroom spaces are being continuously reviewed to ensure appropriate social distancing guidelines and technological advancements are in place.

“There’s a great surge of excitement and energy about the Fall 2021 semester,” said Interim President Long. “For those of us who have been working from campus throughout the pandemic, we are eager to see and interact with more students. Others, particularly faculty who have been teaching most of their classes online, want to be back in our academic spaces and are planning for more face-to-face instruction. We’ve been working toward a safe re-opening of our campus since we initially announced our plans last fall.”

In Spring 2021, ESU welcomed back nearly 300 students who opted to live in on-campus housing. Approximately 100 face-to-face classes are currently underway in addition to the University’s remote instruction. ESU’s plan for Fall 2021 is to have the majority of classes be face-to-face through both traditional face-to-face where classrooms can accommodate social distancing protocols and hybrid delivery. Hybrid instruction is a combination of face-to-face classroom learning and online learning in which students are expected to attend synchronous instruction in-person alternating with online/virtual attendance.

Long announced that part of the readiness to return ESU to a “new normal” is based on the swift distribution of a COVID vaccine nationwide as well as the declining spread of the virus in Pennsylvania, particularly Monroe County.

“We still understand that the threat of COVID is real,” says Long. “All members of the campus community (and visitors) will continue to be required to follow all CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines. Wearing masks and remaining socially distant will be required. We will also administer regular COVID testing. The safety of our campus and local community members remains a top priority.

“We are very aware that our current and prospective students are eager to exchange their current remote learning for in-person experiences in the classroom, the residence halls and in other facilities across campus. A successful return to ESU will require all of us to be committed to doing our part in order to maintain the safety of the entire campus community, both on and off-campus. This semester, we expanded the number of students living on-campus in order to gauge how the campus community will handle the responsibilities of personal safety, as well as the safety of one another, and make necessary adjustments for our Fall 2021. We were pleasantly surprised by the responsible actions taken by many of our students.”

ESU also understands that the COVID pandemic has heightened financial hardships for students and their families. New for Fall 2021 are ESU’s Gen One Scholarships for students who are the first in their family to attend college, and a series of Platinum/Gold/Silver Transfer Scholarships for transfer students from select regional community colleges.

“We know this has been an extremely difficult year for many students who have had to face many personal challenges that have caused them to take a closer look at their financial viability to go to college,” said Karen Lucas, vice president for enrollment management. “That’s why we want to place such an emphasis on providing these students with affordable and accessible academic opportunities.”

ESU’s Gen One Scholarship is awarded to students who are the first in their family to go to college, enabling them to attend ESU in the academic program of their choice with half of the tuition costs waived for four years.

There are also several new transfer scholarships for students at select community college partner schools with awards ranging from $6,000 annually to $2,000 annually. Qualifying transfer students must be from a select school identified by ESU’s enrollment management team.

Students applying for any of these scholarships must meet specific scholarship requirements. For guidelines and requirements, visit ESU.edu/merit or contact Albert Colom, interim director of admission at acolom@esu.edu or (570) 422-3989.

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