Bates College announces plan for students to return to campus in the fall

Bates College announced Tuesday that students will return to campus this fall.

The first day of classes will be September 2nd.

Students will stay on campus until Thanksgiving break and complete the final week of the semester and exams remotely.

The semester will be broken into two seven-and-a-half-week modules, with most students taking two classes in each module.

All students will be tested for coronavirus when they arrive on campus and again a few days later. School leaders said they are developing protocols for continued testing throughout the semester.

All faculty and staff will be asked to be tested at the beginning of the semester, with follow-up testing as appropriate.

The school said students will have to choose a scheduled time to eat lunch and dinner at the dining halls in order to maintain social distancing. Grab-and-go food options will be made available at other locations on campus.

School leaders said they will update the plan on the school's website when more details are available.