SRU is ready for a Rock Solid return in the fall

June 10, 2021

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.— Slippery Rock University will be fully open when the fall 2021 semester begins Aug. 23. Like many colleges and universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, safety measures limited capacities on campus, but The Rock is coming back with a solid offering of in-person classes and on-campus activities to engage students.

"We are ready for a Rock Solid return," said SRU President William Behre. "Students can expect a traditional college experience, meaning we will be together, in person."

Fewer than 700 students were living on campus during the spring 2021 semester, compared to pre-pandemic levels of more than 2,800. Approximately 80% of SRU's classes were online during parts of the spring 2020 and the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. That will change in the fall after SRU released its plan for the fall 2021 semester.

The following is a summary of the plan:

• Residence halls will be operating at near capacity but with no more than two students to a room.  
• In-person dining will resume. 
• The University will return to pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction.
• A return to in-person, co-curricular activities and all intercollegiate athletic events with fan attendance.
• All employees will be working on campus. 

SRU's Student Affairs Division is also planning a myriad of programming and opportunities tailored specifically to reengage the campus after the pandemic, including those for first-year students getting settled in on campus through the Week of Welcome, second-year students who might have missed becoming acclimated to campus last year and juniors and seniors counting down toward graduation and preparing for the next stages of their lives.

In addition to the engagement/re-engagement of students, the Student Affairs Office's strategy includes two others areas of emphasis: post-pandemic support and leadership competencies.

The Office of Student Support is addressing the emotional, financial and social changes students might have endured during the pandemic, as well as the long-term physical and mental health effects of COVID-19. Additionally, all Student Affairs programming will align with a leadership model that each month will focus on a different competency.

To learn more about scheduling a visit to SRU and enrolling for the fall, visit the Admissions webpage or contact the office at 724.738.2015 or asktherock@sru.edu.