LSU Interim President Tom Galligan and Executive Vice President and Provost Stacia Haynie met with the Reveille via Zoom to discuss how optimistic they are about the upcoming fall semester, despite its unconventional circumstances. 
Among the topics Haynie and Galligan addressed:

• Starting two weeks early is under consideration
• Saturday classes have been considered but not received well amongst faculty and students
• Face masks will likely be a part of student policy
• LSU football season is likely but fan attendance and social distancing measures are still under consideration

Galligan said the enrollment numbers for the fall semester are “so far, so good,” calling the incoming class “one of the largest,” “most diverse” and “one of the most academically qualified” the school has ever seen. He is aware that the number of students who plan to physically return to campus “will depend on the continued progress against COVID-19.” 

“We are ahead in terms of applications, in terms of students who are admitted and most critically in terms of students who have paid their enrollment deposit and students who have paid their housing deposit,” Haynie said regarding the empirical data the University studies. 

The University received 28,000 applications, up from 24,000 last year, according to Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard, and 6,700 students have completed their fall enrollment deposits, up from about 6,000 last year.

Haynie said the University is working “feverishly” to ensure students are able to arrive to a campus that is “prepared for them to continue or start their journey” safely.

Galligan said the University is still trying to construct a concrete plan for the arrival of international students, but he is considering asking students to arrive two weeks early. Haynie added one of the biggest challenges for international students will be obtaining a visa. 

Routine visa services have been suspended, and embassies and consulates have canceled “all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments since March 20, 2020. Embassies will only be able provide emergency and mission critical services until further notice, according to the U.S Department of State.

“We are certainly hopeful, [and] we value the diversity of our student population,” Haynie said. 

Haynie and Galligan discouraged students from considering a “gap-semester” or a “gap-year”.

“Words of wisdom from me would be, one, your safety is our number one priority, so we are going to do our best to be as safe as we possibly can,” Galligan said. “Don’t postpone your future.”

Ballard said the University is doing everything they can to ensure students will receive the LSU experience this fall. 

Galligan said the University exudes a type of magic when physically being on the campus, and the “magic may look a little different, but the magic is still going to be there, and it’s important.

Galligan said the University is working with the Faculty Senate, Student Government and Graduate Student Association to discuss the 2020-2021 academic calendar, regarding whether or not students and faculty will return back to campus after Thanksgiving break to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases. Haynie reiterated the concentrated study period would be remote, classes would be online and exams would be conducted remotely.

While the University had been considering Saturday classes to finish the semester by Thanksgiving break, Haynie said the University has not received “as strong of a feedback” for that option. 
“We’re talking about multiple options, but I would agree, when we raised this to Student Government and others, Saturday classes was not the first choice,” Galligan said. 

Haynie said the faculty is working continuously to ensure their material will be available so if students show symptoms, they can stay in their residency, access the material at home and “stay on track” with their course. 

“It’s a challenging semester ahead for us, but I cannot say enough about our faculty, and how innovative they are, how creative they are; we are certainly securing the technology they need, the software they need to capture their lectures and be sure their material would be available,” Haynie said. 

Haynie recalled how ESPN aired LSU Football’s championship game, with ESPN calling it “a season like no other”, and she said “this will be a semester like no other.”

Haynie said larger sections are likely to move online, but some areas on campus would be able to accommodate them with proper social distancing. 

“We’ll be working with our faculty for those classes that are capable of approaching the class in a way that would ensure the academic quality of the education experience,” Haynie said. “There will be a variety of ways faculty will approach the classroom, as they do every fall.”

Galligan believes learning will be better “at the end of the day.” 

“You have more people who have learned to become more comfortable with technology to use it to augment what they do in their classes and improve the quality of their learning in the classroom,” Galligan said. 

Haynie agrees with Galligan’s notion that “we have to assume we will have made progress battling this disease by the fall, that we will not be exactly where we are right now as we think about welcoming back students in the fall.

In a June 1 announcement, Galligan said his “Roadmap to Opening” would consist of wearing face masks, and face masks are especially imperative when in hallways, elevators and stairwells – which are not large enough for proper social distancing. He added that students will have to follow University guidelines and policies as a part of student conduct, saying face coverings will be a policy.

“If people are outside and six feet apart, then that’s different than if they’re coming in and out of a residence hall; it’s different than if they’re in a classroom,” Galligan said.  “The mask is for everybody’s protection. Our ability to continue to be together on campus, to continue to be together on campus means we got to wash our hands.”

Galligan wants all fall athletics to continue, especially football. 

“Safety will be our guidepost, and education will be important to us. We want to have fans in the stands,” Galligan said. 

Athletic organizations will construct their plans and proposals to the University in regards to how social distancing will be established. Galligan does not know whether or not 105,000 people will join together in Tiger Stadium for the start of football season, but he acknowledged the need for safety first.

Haynie said the University is assessing events such as Greek Life recruitment and Tiger Band rehearsals and is working closely with the directors of all programs, deans and vice provosts who help facilitate those programs.

Galligan stressed the importance of his June 1 announcement, saying it is “our best, current plan based on what we know.”

“There will be things that will definitely change, and as those things change, and as we know more, we will get out further announcements with applicable plans for when we know,” Galligan said.