USC’s Caslen says options for opening campus include split classes, testing students

Split semesters? Classes half online and half in-person? Testing all students and faculty before they return to campus?

Those are just a few ideas University of South Carolina President Robert Caslen floated during a Tuesday town hall on how the state’s largest school could reopen in fall 2020.

In broad terms, Caslen said he is only comfortable reopening campus once he is confident the school is able to contain a possible outbreak.

“When not having herd immunity and not having a 100% vaccine, we have to make the assumption that we will still have positive cases,” Caslen said during the town hall.

Thus far, USC has had 54 coronavirus cases and one fatality. That fatality was a USC Aiken nurse practitioner who contracted COVID-19 while treating patients, Caslen said.

Caslen laid out three possible scenarios for USC returning to campus in the fall.

▪ Everyone returns to campus on Aug. 20 and classes begin as normal

▪ A “transitional” approach where faculty, students and staff begin phasing in face-to-face interaction starting in June and supplementing that with online classes. Under this plan, in-person classes could start shortly after Aug. 20.

▪ Split the semester. The first half would be online classes and the second half would transition into in-person classes.

It’s not likely USC will be able to go with the first option of returning to classes as normal by Aug. 20, Caslen said. He noted that even though USC is stepping up its ability to quarantine students and respond to outbreaks, there is still the possibility an outbreak at USC could spill out into Columbia.

Caslen also floated some specific ideas. One was to possibly “splitting” classes to reduce the number of people in each classroom, but said that could add to faculty workload. He is exploring whether USC could test everyone returning to campus for COVID-19, give masks to people on campus and set up special facilities to help quarantine people if they test positive throughout the year.

Students, faculty and staff who are at risk from coronavirus — either because of their age or underlying medical condition — may also be able to work remotely, Caslen said.

Outside academics, Caslen said it is likely for the Gamecocks to see a shortened or canceled football season. It’s also a possibility that people will be asked to socially distance at stadiums, limiting the audience size and cutting into athletic department revenue, Caslen said.

“Whatever that looks like is going to be a compromise of revenue, which will have an impact on the athletic program,” Caslen said. “I’m not exactly sure how much of that can be absorbed...and some of that, if it’s significant, can certainly bleed over into the university itself.”

USC is expected to lose between $20 and $40 million because of coronavirus, according to a previous article from The State. To compensate for the financial losses, the school is delaying capital projects, freezing hiring and suspending most travel.

The town hall was Caslen’s second of the week, following a Monday town hall aimed at parents and families, according to USC’s website.

Caslen said he expects to give a more definitive answer on what USC will do as early as May 15.