IUPUI is preparing in case school will not return in the fall

On April 21, an email was sent out to the School of Liberal Arts faculty detailing the five possibilities for what could happen to the fall 2020 semester.

The e-mail, which included a report on the scenario plans for IUPUI, IUPUC, and IU Fort Wayne, outlined the five scenarios that could occur during the fall semester, along with their likelihood of occurrence. 

According to the email, here are the five possible scenarios:

Scenario 1: Return to face-to-face teaching for the fall and spring semester

Scenario 2: Hybrid learning—face-to-face and online during the fall semester, with face-to-face learning in the spring semester

Scenario 3: Online learning during the fall semester and with face-to-face learning in the spring semester

Scenario 4: face-to-face learning in the fall and online learning during the spring semester

Scenario 5: Entire academic year, both the fall and spring semester, taught 100% online

According to the email sent out by Robert Rebein, the interim dean of the School of Liberal Arts, he believes that scenario 2 or 3 seem to be the most likely to occur, with scenario 1 and 4 seeming the least likely to occur.

“...without a vaccine or a simple, accurate way to know who has immunity and who doesn’t, I just can’t see the leaders of a medical campus allowing students to jam together in dorms, lecture halls, or the campus center and gym,” Rebein said in his email.

Furthermore, campus leadership has said that a decision will be made by June 15, after all scenarios have been reviewed by the chancellor’s cabinet and other campus stakeholders, according to Rebein and the report.

“To that end, I am asking all faculty, department chairs, and program directors to begin preparing for the Fall with the assumption that all courses will be delivered remotely for the entire semester,” Rebein said in the email.

Along with the plans for the fall semester, there will be no refunds for parking passes due to wanting to provide consistent operations when normal operations are resumed, despite that they may not resume in the fall semester.

“Though campus has transitioned to a remote learning environment, the costs associated with the maintenance of parking lots and garages remain. Given this ongoing expense, IUPUI is not offering refunds for student spring semester permits. This decision ensures the university and Parking and Transportation Services will be able to continue to provide consistent operations to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff when we resume normal operations,” Mark Volpatti, associate vice chancellor for Auxiliary Services, said.

Despite this, their office is “closed indefinitely due to COVID-19”, according to their voicemail.

We have reached out to Volpatti for further clarification of if refunds will be given if one of the five scenarios occurs in which school will not resume normal operations in the fall.

Along with the COVID-19 impact on students’ school and refunds, the school is als