Fall 2020 Reopening Plans At The Top 100 U.S. Business Schools

SAFETY IS FIRST PRIORITY AS CHICAGO BOOTH EMBRACES ‘DUAL MODALITY’

In a message to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business community in late June, Dean Madhav Rajan praised the way those at the school have collaborated during the pandemic, and predicted further enthusiasm, creativity, and flexibility in the months ahead as the school employs its hybrid approach to instruction across programs.

“Chicago Booth’s core values of rigorous inquiry, a data-driven approach, respect for the individual, and a supportive community have remained at the forefront throughout the pandemic,” Rajan wrote. “These values continue to drive us to deliver on our mission to provide knowledge with enduring impact, and to influence and educate future leaders.”

The safety of the Chicago Booth community is obviously the first priority, says Starr Marcello, deputy dean for MBA programs. As such, the school has announced initial plans for “dual modality” in the autumn quarter — a hybrid approach including in-person and remote classes, “allowing us to bring back as many members of our community as possible for the new academic year, while adhering to public health guidance involving social distancing and other Covid-19 health measures,” she says. “Our approach gives us the flexibility to adjust as needed based on evolving external conditions and trends of the pandemic.

“With dual modality, faculty have the option to be remote or in class, and students have the option to be remote or in class,” Marcello continues in an email to P&Q. “Some classes will be offered in a hybrid format, with some students in class and some remote, while some classes will be offered remotely only. Both faculty and students reported the remote experience this past spring exceeded expectations. As for our safety protocols, we have a number of measures in place including a mandatory Covid-19 training prior to students being on campus, universal face coverings, social distancing practices, hand sanitizer stations, self-monitoring, and more.”

The university and Booth worked closely with University of Chicago Medicine, Marcello says, where some of the world’s leading experts in infectious disease practice. The school also is following the guidelines of public health agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, including the state’s “Restore Illinois” plan.

Students, faculty, and staff all have had a voice in preparations for the fall, Marcello says, emphasizing that the situation is very fluid.

“We are currently working with our community to develop further processes and scenarios as we continue to monitor this unprecedented situation,” Marcello says. “The good news is our dual modality structure provides flexibility for students and faculty. We recognize this hybrid model is not what everyone originally anticipated. However, we hold steadfast to our commitment to deliver the same world-class education Booth is known for — regardless of whether that learning takes place in person or virtually.”

SCHOOL	CONTROL	STATE	STATUS	FALL 2020 CLASS START/END DATES
Georgia Tech (Scheller)	Public	GA	Planning for in-person	August 17 to November 23
Harvard Business School	Private	MA	Proposing a hybrid model	September 2 to December 3
Howard University	Private	DC	Proposing a hybrid model	August 24 to November 25
Indiana (Kelley)	Public	IN	Proposing a hybrid model	August 24 to November 12
Iowa State (Ivy)	Public	IA	Planning for in-person	August 17 to November 25
Louisiana State-Baton Rouge (Ourso)	Public	LA	Planning for in-person	August 24 to December 5
MIT (Sloan)	Private	MA	Proposing a hybrid model	September 1 to December 9
Michigan State (Broad)	Public	MI	Proposing a hybrid model	September 2 to December 11
New York (Stern)	Private	NY	Proposing a hybrid model	August 26 to December 9
North Carolina State (Poole)	Public	NC	Planning for in-person	August 10 to November 13
Northeastern (D’Amore-McKim)	Private	MA	Proposing a hybrid model	September 9 to December 12
Northwestern (Kellogg)	Private	IL	Proposing a hybrid model	September 21 to December 10
Notre Dame (Mendoza)	Private	IN	Planning for in-person	August 17 to November 19
Ohio State (Fisher)	Public	OH	Proposing a hybrid model	August 25 to December 4
Oklahoma State (Spears)	Public	OK	Planning for in-person	August 17 to December 4
Pennsylvania State (Smeal)	Public	PA	Planning for in-person	August 24 to December 11
Pepperdine (Graziadio)	Private	CA	Proposing a hybrid model	August 31 to December 7
Rice (Jones)	Private	TX	Proposing a hybrid model	August 24 to December 8
Rochester Institute of Technology (Saunders)	Private	NY	Planning for in-person	August 26 to November 24
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark and New Brunswick	Public	NJ	Proposing a hybrid model	September 1 to December 10
Southern Methodist (Cox)	Private	TX	Planning for in-person, but with exemptions for those preferring to learn remotely	August 24 to December 4; final exams online
Stanford GSB	Private	CA	Proposing a hybrid model	September 11 to December 4
Stevens Institute of Technology	Private	NJ	Considering a range of scenarios	August 31 to December 11
Syracuse (Whitman)	Private	NY	Planning for in-person	August 24 to November 24

Source: Manaferra & school websites