Colleges in Manatee and Sarasota ease COVID restrictions as fall semester approaches

Area colleges and universities are moving toward normalcy after a year of mask mandates, online classes and virtual graduations.

Two campuses — New College of Florida and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee — are part of the State University System, which recently announced a return to “pre-COVID operations” for the 2021-22 school year.

USF, including the Sarasota-Manatee campus at 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, will transition to “pre-COVID operations and pre-COVID classroom capacity” on June 28, the start of summer classes.

The transition also includes a return to “full in-person participation in athletic and social activities,” according to an announcement made earlier this month.

“We realize that moving to this next phase — while very welcome news — raises many questions,” the update reads. “USF will continue to closely coordinate with the (Board of Governors) and provide more details as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the shift toward normalcy is already taking shape. The university, which required masks on campus, announced on May 18 that it was now following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Masks were no longer necessary for immunized staff and students, while a face covering was “recommended for those not fully vaccinated,” the announcement said.

And on May 8, USF held in-person graduations for the first time since December 2019, awarding more than 7,000 degrees during two ceremonies at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

“Vaccines are now widely available through many sites on and off campus,” the university said in its latest update. “With this in mind, USF expects that faculty, staff and students will take advantage of these opportunities to protect themselves and the rest of our community as we look forward to more normalcy on our campuses in the weeks to come.”

New College

New College, 5800 Bay Shore Road in Sarasota, announced a similar plan to launch in-person classes and activities in the fall semester, which begins in August.

“We will continue to follow CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 and plan to fully reopen in August based on scientific forecasts that the virus will be largely under control by this summer,” New College said on its website. “We anticipate that more than 90% of our classes will be taught in person, all student activities will resume normal operations, and campus housing will be fully occupied this fall.”

Effective Monday, the campus will end its mask requirement based on recent updates from the CDC and state health officials. New College will instead recommend that people wear a face covering indoors, and that people avoid large crowds outside, college spokeswoman Ann Comer-Woods said in an email.

New College is also encouraging students and staff to get vaccinated, she continued, noting that any reopening plans could change if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens.

“While the College anticipates that Fall 2021 will be a return to normal operations, we will certainly be cognizant of the evolving reality of COVID-19,” she wrote.

Ringling College

Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, will resume in-person options for its classrooms, studios and labs in the fall, spokeswoman Chelsea Garner-Ferris confirmed.

“Regarding the Fall 2021 semester, the learning and engagement facilitated by having in-person interactions with faculty and fellow students are at the heart of a Ringling College of Art and Design education,” she said in an email to the Bradenton Herald.

“We have heard the concerns of students and faculty about the need for the social aspect and intricacies of skill development that can only happen in physical classroom/studio and lab settings,” she continued.

It was possible that some liberal arts classes would still be offered online, helping with space constraints on campus. And Ringling College had yet to make any substantial changes based on the new CDC guidance as of Friday afternoon.

Garner-Ferris said the college was “awaiting further CDC guidance for workplaces and colleges/universities.”

State College of Florida

As of Friday morning, potential changes were still forthcoming at SCF Manatee-Sarasota, which has campuses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice.

Social distancing was still required as of Friday morning, while masks were no longer required as of May 19, according to Jamie Smith, the college’s associate vice president of communications and marketing.

Masks were, however, still recommended for people in crowded indoor settings, for those who were not fully vaccinated and for anyone who felt more comfortable with a face covering.

The college is currently open to students, faculty, staff, immediate family and guests who have a supervisor’s approval, along with anyone deemed “essential to college operations,” SCF said in its latest update.

“SCF will continue to evaluate and share announcements regarding Summer B and the Fall term later in the semester,” the update reads.

This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.