SUNY Oneonta Spring Semester Plan To Offer In-Person Classes

Controversy between SUNY Oneonta leadership and a significant number of teaching faculty over how the 2021 spring semester should be handled has resulted in a decision by leadership on how to move forward. Back in November, a petition was circulated online for SUNY Oneonta faculty with concerns over teaching in-person classes.

According to AllOTSEGO, enough faculty members have volunteered to teach in a "dual modality" plan where students would be present for in-person classes on campus and at the same time, a video camera would set up in the back of each operating classroom.

The "dual modality" idea was developed by the COVID Response Team chaired by Finance VP Julie Piscitello and Provost Leamor Kahanov.

SUNY Oneonta President Dennis Craig says, “These issues and these times are stressful for all of us. Even when we don’t agree, there are many things we do agree on. I hope the community sees the rigorous debate as something we value and ultimately will make our plan stronger and our community stronger.”

SUNY schools must submit their spring reopening plan to the SUNY headquarters by December 10. Of course with the COVID-19 situation always changing, the current reopening plan for SUNY Oneonta could change. The current plan has the college starting the first day of spring semester classes on Feb. 1, 2021.

For more on this story provided in partnership with AllOTSEGO, click here.