Stanford University Plans For All Students To Return This Fall

PALO ALTO, CA — In an indication that COVID-19 trends will continue to progress favorably, Stanford University plans to bring back all students on campus for in-person instruction this fall.

In a letter on Wednesday to the school community, Provost Persis Drell wrote: “We are enthusiastically planning for in-person education and research,” with more information on health protocols to come. Drell said Stanford plans for “as normal a fall as possible,” depending on the pandemic’s trajectory.

The university is also reviewing whether it will require vaccinations for students who are on-campus, “once vaccines are fully and easily available for all.” Several colleges around the country have already mandated that those returning to campus get vaccinated.

Juniors and seniors were allowed back on campus for the spring quarter.

According to the school’s COVID dashboard, there have been 195 positive tests out of over 219,000 tests conducted of Stanford community members. Last week, the university reported two new positive tests among students and four among employees. The positivity rate is at 0.09 percent.

Drell also wrote that the university would work with international students facing visa issues and that staff employees would be allowed a flexible work arrangement involving on-site, hybrid and remote work.