President Jack Shannon spoke at the Shelby County Health Department COVID-19 Joint Task Force press conference on August 11 about efforts to create a safe environment for the fall semester for returning  faculty and students.

Summary of President Shannon’s address, reprinted from an article in the Daily Memphian by Jane Roberts:

Although 80% of classes will be online or as a hybrid of remote and in-person learning, the campus moved forward with guidance from the health department, said president Jack Shannon.

“Let me be clear. While we will have students living on campus this fall, nearly everything about the fall semester will be different at CBU. Our cafeteria is focusing on meals that can be picked up and enjoyed outside or in student rooms or staff offices,” he said, noting that many campus services, including librarians and career counselors have been converted to remote operations.

“One good thing that might come out of this is that we rethought how we conduct our business day in and day out. Many of the virtual options that we have adopted in light of the pandemic, I anticipate that we will continue to offer because it provides us the opportunity in true Lasallian fashion to meet our students where they are and provide them with the services they need, regardless of physical limitations or time of day.”

Except for CBU’s nursing and physician assistant majors, only five classes will have enrollment of more than 16; 27 others will have between 11-15 students, Shannon said.