Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has taken an aggressive approach to re-starting the state’s economy, on Thursday said he wants Florida’s 12-school university system to resume in-person classes this fall. The system’s Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 universities, currently is plotting a course for reopening dorms, cafeterias and other community hubs and expects to offer a formal decision on whether in-person classes will resume in June or July.
State university officials are hesitant to project what fall enrollment could look like before the BOG makes any decisions.
At FAMU, William Hudson, vice president for student affairs, said “it’s too early to really do a gauge. We don’t know what will happen.”
Right now, both summer and fall enrollment projections are similar to where they were at this point a year ago, Hudson said.
Schools already are suffering millions of dollars in losses on housing, food, and events that have been canceled by the viral disease even as questions about enrollment loom.
Enrollment projections at the University of Central Florida, the state’s largest college, are down by 6.7 percentage points for the fall, or 2,526 students, school leaders said Wednesday.
DeSantis on Thursday said it's possible for universities to resume classes safely.