University Announces Return to In-Person Education in Fall 2021

Montclair State University will offer a full range of in-person instruction, student services and events, and return to full occupancy in the residence halls, starting with the fall 2021 semester.

Students were told on Wednesday, March 24 that the University is developing plans to provide a “new normal” experience.

“We will be working to make your fall 2021 semester very different from what we have experienced over the past year,” the message said. “We want you to be able to enjoy the rich and vibrant campus life that has been the hallmark of Montclair State University.”

Throughout the pandemic, Montclair State continued to provide some on-campus classes and to allow some students to live in its residence halls. Rates of infection on the campus remain much lower than in the surrounding communities, and to date there have been no documented cases of the virus being transmitted in a classroom or laboratory setting. The University credits this success to widespread adherence by students to its safety protocols, as well as an extensive testing program and rapid, thorough contact tracing conducted by campus health professionals.

The focus on safety will continue in the fall. Montclair State will follow all applicable state and federal guidelines and rely on the recommendations of its on-campus experts, just as it has done for the past year.

In the meantime, the campus community should keep wearing masks, doing Hawk Check, and staying home when sick. As vaccinations are becoming more widely available, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they are able.