University of Maine system chancellor Dannel Malloy recently announced that all the university’s campuses, including USM Gorham, are now planning to return to a more “normal” pre-pandemic academic and campus environment for the fall 2021 semester.

In his March 10th announcement, the chancellor stated that students should anticipate a more “traditional, in-person college experience” in the fall, including a greater number of in-person classes, with more facilities re-opening, a higher percentage of residential students, and more on-campus activities that traditionally are an important part of the college experience. Chancellor Malloy stated “We are actively working toward normalcy with a full expectation that our late August opening will be very much those of past years … it’s an exciting moment for us. With public health restrictions easing, and new confidence stemming from the growing numbers who can and will receive the pandemic ending vaccines that are available, it feels like we can finally say the pandemic’s grip is loosening”.

Chancellor Malloy closed his announcement by reminding the university community that these plans could still change, based on science and the potential for the Governor to issue further civil orders.

These planned changes to the more restrictive settings in place during the 2020-2021 school year have been mostly welcomed at the USM Gorham campus, where currently there are significantly fewer students in dorms, fewer in-person classes, and less access to activities and facilities, compared to recent years.

The traditional spring break was canceled for this semester, due to concerns that students would be exposed to the virus while traveling out of state for the break.

Graduation is still scheduled for May 8th. Recently some students and family members have been questioning whether the university could make changes to the current plans for an all-virtual graduation. This change would be based on the recent lifting of some restrictions on gatherings and increasing vaccination rates. However, so far, the university has not announced any changes to the May 8th graduation. Currently, the university plans to maintain campus-wide restrictions during the remainder of the spring and summer.

Throughout the current semester, the university has continued with mandated random system wide COVID-19 testing for students and staff. Out of nearly 18,000 tests state-wide, the positivity rate has generally hovered between 0.15 and 0.20, which indicates a low incidence of the virus. At USM there have not been more than eight students and faculty at any one time who were following COVID-19 protocols, due to having a positive test.