Idaho State Announces a Fall Return to In-Person Instruction

With the increasing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, Idaho State University has announced plans to return to full in-person instruction and campus activities in Fall 2021. 

Updates nationally, and from the State of Idaho, indicate that there will be enough vaccines available to reach the entire campus community in the next couple of months, Idaho State President Kevin Satterlee said. 

“I welcome and applaud the news about vaccine distribution,” Satterlee said. “This development will allow us to safely transition back to in-person learning, to provide the full college experience students want and expect, and to celebrate the campus traditions and activities that bring us closer as a Bengal community.” 

Health officials and the University’s COVID-19 health team will continue to monitor public health guidance, and will work to create operation plans with health and safety in mind, Satterlee said. The university is also ready to reevaluate plans if public health guidance evolves or changes. 

In a Wednesday email to the campus, the University asked for continued vigilance in following established public health guidelines, including wearing face coverings, maintaining physical distancing, regularly washing hands, avoiding large gatherings, reporting symptoms, and continuing to participate in the ongoing screening program. The University will continue to enforce face coverings, conduct contact tracing for University-related cases, and require health and safety permission and protocols for events as long as circumstances require.

“Our personal actions and responsibility are the most powerful tools in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We all must remain vigilant as we focus on a return to on-campus operations,” Satterlee said.