Boston University is studying how and when it can return to in-person classes, but is not ruling out the possibility the fall semester could be delayed.
BU president Robert Brown recently outlined the school's "COVID-19 Recovery Plan," which -- in the best case scenario -- would result in students being safely on campus for the fall semester.
But the school is also studying the possibility the start of the fall semester may have to be postponed. A January reopening is not out of the question, officials say.
“We are planners, we like to be thinking about what the possibilities might be so we can be prepared, so that is certainly a possibility, but its not the primary one we’re working for," Jean Morrison, the school's provost and chief academic officer, told NBC10 Boston. "We’re focusing our planning on a fall return to campus.”
The remarks come after Brown last week announced that in-person summer activities and classes had been canceled. Minimal housing and dining services will continue to be available this summer, the school says.
The school's research operations may pick up sooner, according to Morrison, since they involve a controlled environment. Clinics will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.
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BU last month announced it would move its classes online amid the coronavirus outbreak. The university said residences and dining halls would remain open for those who were unable to return to their homes.
