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Chapman, Loyola Marymount, Consider Plans For Students To Return For 2020 Fall Semester

ORANGE (CBSLA) —  A handful of local private universities are planning on inviting students back to campus for the fall term.

One of the colleges planning on welcoming students back is Chapman University in Orange, with a projected incoming class of 1,700.

"Chapman is lucky because virtually all of our classes are very small, I think classes larger than 50 students are one percent," said Chapman University President Daniele Struppa.

"We expect to be able to offer classes up to 20 students in a class, which we suspect is the requirement from the governor," he said.

Struppa said it's very possible that some classes will be held outside on the football field or other outdoor spaces.

The occupancy in Chapman's residence halls and apartments will be reduced by 900 students.

Masks and temperature checks will also be required on campus.

A donation of $1 million gifted to the university by a parent will be used to purchase personal protective equipment or PPE for students and faculty.

"We're going to hiring tracers to follow up on kids who appear to be infected," said Struppa.

Loyola Marymount University and Biola University are considering plans for in-person classes in the fall and The Claremont Colleges are leaning that way as well.

LMU tells CBSLA the university "anticipates welcoming students and faculty back to its campuses for in-person instruction in fall 2020, provided it is safe and aligns with guidance from public health authorities. The university is considering a broad range of alternatives and preparing contingency plans that incorporate new health and safety protocols."

On Tuesday, University of California and Cal State officials confirmed that thousands of college students in Southern California will continue using remote learning into the fall semester.

The UC system is adopting a mixed approach with some material delivered in the classroom and in lab settings.

The Cal State schools will continue primarily with online learning, with some exceptions for in-person learning.

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