While other colleges in New Hampshire intend to resume in-person classes this fall, Southern New Hampshire University plans to keep its distance.

Aisha Khiyaty of Quincy, Mass., received a flurry of text messages from fellow SNHU students Wednesday after the school announced it wont reopen its campus until at least next spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lot of New Hampshire schools have already said theyre going to open up, said Khiyaty, who is entering her senior year studying law and politics. Not having our school be a part of that is aggravating.

The university cited the safety of everyone on campus, the continuing lack of a vaccine, limited availability of tests and an inability to provide robust and enriching campus-based experiences SNHU students know and expect as reasons for the decision.

SNHU will reduce campus tuition to its online rate of $960 per three-credit course. The university said it looked into a number of ways to bring back its nearly 3,000 on-campus students, including hybrid options, low-residency options and rigorous social distancing policies.

Khiyaty said she wasnt surprised, but she is disappointed no students were consulted.

Paul LeBlanc, SNHUs president and CEO, said the decision was made by a task force of experts.

I think there is a lot of student frustration, and they feel like, Nobody asked us what we want, he said. This isnt about what we want or not. We all want to open. We all want to be back together in September. This is really about following the best public health policy we could.

The university is set to lose multi-millions as a result of the decision, he said.

Ainsley Knox, who will be a sophomore in the fall, started an online petition to push for on-campus classes. As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, more than 1,300 people had signed. Knox wrote that she thought another semester of remote learning would harm students mental health.

The decision to remain remote for the 2020 fall semester is causing more problems for students than if we were allowed to return to campus, she wrote. If on campus, we would take precautions such as sanitizing stations, social distancing, and wearing masks.

Knox noted that the University of New Hampshire, a much bigger institution, is planning to open next fall.

Saint Anselm College announced earlier this week classes will resume on Aug. 19 for an adjusted semester. Students will return in a phased-in approach, according to the college.

In-person instruction will conclude Nov. 20 when students head home for Thanksgiving break, according to the plan.

As we did in March when faced with this unprecedented pandemic, we will be guided by what is right for our community, said President Joseph A. Favazza, in a statement. But the Hilltop is our home. It is where we belong. Therefore, we are committed to safely bringing campus life back to Saint Anselm.

The plan includes testing and tracing protocols. Students must wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. The school had an enrollment of about 2,020 students as of last fall.

Last month, the University System of New Hampshire and the Community College System of New Hampshire announced they intend to have students return to 18 locations across the state for the fall semester.

To reopen SNHU would have required access to affordable testing that is fast and accurate, along with good contact tracing, LeBlanc said.

Those things are not right now available in the way that they would have to be, LeBlanc said. Even if we had those things, we were talking about a version of campus life that I think looks very different than what students imagined.

The university hopes to welcome students back in the spring, allowing seniors to graduate together.

Everyone is in this boat together, LeBlanc said. I think part of what is so frustrating right now is the physical distancing we are all required to keep, and it can feel isolating.

Khiyaty said juggling six online classes this spring was much harder than it was on campus. Being away from the campus means less support from fellow students and professors, she said.

All of the same classes will be available, LeBlanc said.

If these students wanted an online education, they would have signed up for it, he said. So I completely get the, online doesnt work for us, because that is not what they want.

The traditional campus experience is hard to replicate online, LeBlanc said.

SNHU is known for its online programs, and the university will provide extra support to students making the transition to remote learning. Some resources include bolstering online tutoring, academic support and mental health counseling services, LeBlanc said.

While it cant replicate being on campus, the university will work to bring groups of students together based on their interests.

We dont have illusions. It is not the same, he said. We get it.

In April, the university announced it would give 1,050 incoming freshmen and transfer students with freshman standing free tuition to live on campus but take hybrid online classes while living there. The so-called innovation scholarship remains, LeBlanc said.

The classes were going to be through our large online operation, he said.

LeBlanc worries most about freshmen who have never had an on-campus experience.

I think we have our work cut out for us to really make them feel like they have arrived in their new home, if you will, even if they are physically sitting in their parents dining room, LeBlanc said. Thats the challenge.

Officials are also working on a plan to cut tuition 61%, from $31,000 to $10,000, starting in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Khiyaty pointed out colleges in hard-hit Massachusetts have figured out how to open for the fall semester.

If they can figure out how to make it work, she said. I feel like our school has a way to ensure safety on campus.

While talking with other schools to understand challenges surrounding COVID-19, SNHU did not take into account other institutions decisions in deciding not to reopen, LeBlanc said.

We feel strongly that every colleges circumstances are different, context is different and the resources are different, he said. Everyone is trying to sort this out in terms of their situation so that is how we treated it.

The universitys task force will continue to monitor public health guidelines and could open some facilities in the future, such as the library or campus meeting spaces.

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SNHU sticks with online learning, won't open campus in the fall - The Union Leader