Upstate colleges in the age of COVID-19

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When classes start back this fall on South Carolina's university and community college campuses, some students will begin on their couches with virtual learning while others will be back in dorms and classrooms for a shortened semester. 

No two plans look alike. Here are a few:

Clemson University 

Clemson University announced a delay to in-person courses in an attempt to reduce a potential spike in cases if the school's thousands of students were to return to campus in mid-August.

Key Dates:

Aug. 19: Fall semester begins with virtual classes
Sept. 13: On-campus move-in begins
Sept. 21: In-person classes begin 
Oct. 9-11: Virtual commencement for Spring and Summer 2020 graduates
Class types: Online only until Sept. 21, then a mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid of both. Students and faculty can request to participate in online-only instruction for the semester. 

Regulations: Masks required in classrooms, buildings and outdoors when close to other people. Social distancing and limits to large gatherings will be enforced.

Testing: All on-campus students and employees must test negative before returning to campus. Random and symptomatic testing, especially of off-campus students, to begin in mid-August and continue throughout the year. Isolation and quarantine facilities to be provided for certain populations.

For the full plan, visit clemson.edu/coronavirus

More:What will life be like on SC college campuses this year? Ask reporter Zoe Nicholson!

University of South Carolina 

The state's largest school will begin its shortened fall semester with a hybrid of in-person and online classes. After Thanksgiving Break, classes and exams will be online. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 20: Classes begin
Sept. 7 (Labor Day): Remote class day
Oct. 15-16: Fall break cancelled, remote class 
Nov. 3: Election Day, remote class 
Nov. 24: In-person classes end
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Class types: A mix of in-person, virtual and a hybrid of the two. No class with over 100 students will meet in-person. 

Regulations: Masks in buildings and outdoors when around others, temperature checks at campus fitness facilities

Testing: All employees and students to be tested, random and symptomatic testing to continue throughout the year

To see the full plan, visit sc.edu/safety/coronavirus

Anderson University

Anderson University will begin its semester in mid-August. While online-only instruction is an option for students, capacity is limited. Exams will be online. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 12-14: Move-in days for new students
Aug. 16-18: Move-in for returning students
Aug. 19: First day of class
Sept. 7 (Labor Day): No holiday, class held
Oct. 15-16: Fall Break cancelled, class held
Class types: A mix of in-person, virtual and a hybrid of both. In-person is not required, but limited virtual options are available on a case-by-case basis. 

Regulations: Masks required indoors, outdoors when around others 

Testing: Not required, but strongly encouraged is students or employees feel symptoms

To see the full plan, visit andersonuniversity.com/news/covid-19 

Furman University 

Furman is using a phased return plan that has some students back on campus for the start of classes and others starting with a month of virtual class.

Key Dates:

Aug. 12: Freshman and transfer students move in
Aug. 15-17: Fourth- and fifth-year students (seniors) move in 
Aug. 18: Classes begin; sophomores and juniors begin class virtually
Sept. 11-13: Sophomore and junior move-in 
Class types: In-person, virtual and hybrid courses that are both in-person and virtual. Students can request to take all classes virtually for the semester and not pay room or board, but will not receive a tuition discount. 

Regulations: Masks required in most places, social distancing encouraged

Testing: Symptomatic students and employees, random samples of the campus population, regular testing of targeted groups like student-athletes

To see the full plan, visit furman.edu/furman-focused

Wofford College 

Like many SC colleges, Wofford students will move out of their on-campus dorms before Thanksgiving before finishing the semester online. There is no fall break this year. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 26: Move-in begins
Aug. 31: Classes start
Nov. 20: Last day of in-person classes
Class types: In-person, with the option to be virtual it health conditions require it. Classes are online-only after Thanksgiving Break.

Regulations: Masks required in classrooms and when around others, social distancing encouraged

Testing: No testing required, but health screening of students and employees provided

To see the full plan, visit wofford.edu/wofford-together

Bob Jones University 

Bob Jones University will shorten its in-person semester and move online after Thanksgiving. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 14: New student move in
Aug. 15: Returning student move in
Aug. 18: First day of class
Nov. 20: Classes and exams end before Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 24: End of semester
Class types: In-person, with remote learning as a back-up in case of a surge in cases. Freshman can choose to take their classes all-online for the semester. 

Regulations: Masks required indoors and when around others, social distancing enforced

Testing: No testing, but each student will be screened for symptoms when they arrive to campus

To see the full plan, visit bju.edu/return-to-campus

North Greenville University

North Greenville has not made too many adjustments to its academic calendar, with fall break and final exams still on planned to continue as normal. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 17: Freshman move in
Aug. 18-19: Upperclassmen move in, by appointment only
Aug. 20: First day of class
Class types: In-person, online exemptions for at-risk students with preexisting conditions

Regulations: Masks strongly encouraged, staff and students asked to socially distance, students may be asked to help wipe down surfaces 

Testing: No testing 

To see the full plan, visit ngu.edu/nguedustrong

Converse College

Converse moved its fall semester up a week in order to end its semester, exams included, before Thanksgiving Break. 

Key Dates:

Aug.13: Classes start
Sept. 7 (Labor Day): Class held
Oct. 12-13: Fall break cancelled
Nov. 20: Last day of class
Nov. 21-24: End-of-semester exams
Class types: In-person, with the option to move online if cases surge in Spartanburg

Regulations: Face masks required in the building and when around others

Testing: No testing available 

To see the full plan, visit converse.edu

USC Upstate

Unlike its Columbia campus, USC Upstate will have a fall break and Labor Day holiday, according to the academic calendar. The school will employ a phased return to normal operations, beginning with bringing a small number of students back to on-campus housing in August. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 20: Classes begin
Class types: In-person, online and a hybrid of both. Students can choose to learn virtually for the semester. 

Regulations: Face masks required in the building and when around others

Testing: No testing available 

To see the full plan, visit uscupstate.edu

Tri-County Technical College 

Tri-County is offering a wide range of course delivery options to ensure students can receive the education they feel most comfortable with. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 17: Classes start
Nov. 24: Last day of class
Class types: Students can choose their classes based on a delivery method of in-person, online or a blend of both

Regulations: Masks required on-campus, social distancing enforced

Testing: No testing, but students must review a video and fill out a health screening form before returning to campus for the semester every week

To see the full plan, visit tctc.edu

Spartanburg Methodist College

The two-year college created a new word, "HyFlex," to describe its course delivery method this year: students can choose which ways they take their hybrid classes of in-person and virtual instruction, including all-online. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 19-21: Classes begin all online
Aug. 24: First day of in-person classes
Class types: A combination of in-person and online. Students can request exemptions to take all-online courses. 

Regulations: Masks required when around others, social distancing enforced. 

Testing: No testing, but students and employees will be asked to track their daily health on an app. 

To see the full plan, visit smcsc.edu/response-covid19/

Greenville Technical College

Greenville Tech overhauled much of its course offerings to ensure each student can choose how they want to learn this semester. That includes a "flex class" that begins in late September and is aimed at giving students a semester's worth of learning in 10 weeks' time. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 24: Classes begin
Sept. 21: "Flex classes" begin
Class types: Flex classes are 10-week courses that reward students with full a semester's credit. Fifty-percent of classes will be online, 10% face-to-face and 40% a blended model of both

Regulations: Face masks required

Testing: No testing

To see the full plan, visit gvltec.edu 

Spartanburg Community College

Similar to Greenville Tech, Spartanburg Community College will offer multiple "flex terms" aimed at providing a semester's worth of education in a five- to 10-week courses. 

Key Dates:

Aug. 17: Classes begin
Sept. 17: 10-week "Flex term" begins
Sept. 21: Five-week "flex term" begins
Oct. 12: Seven-and-a-half-week "Flex term" begins
Oct. 28: Five-week "Flex term" begins
Class types: Students can choose between in-person and online

Regulations: Face masks required, social distancing enforced

Testing: No testing

To see the full plan, visit sccsc.edu

Spartanburg Herald-Journal reporter Samantha Swann contributed to this report.