Houston, Rice, Texas Southern switch to remote learning, 'soft opening' amid COVID-19 surge

Three Houston universities are going to rely on remote learning to start the spring semester, as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in many parts of the country.

"The real goal here is to decrease the density of students in the classroom at any given time,” Dr. Stephen Spann, the University of Houston’s vice president of medical affairs, said in a KHOU report.

Houston, Rice and Texas Southern are all on board with the distance-learning when the academic calendar resumes next week. Texas A&M, about 90 miles away in College Station, will go with live classes, the report said.

The "soft opening” will be like the one held in the fall semester, University of Houston President Renu Khator told KHOU. Professors can change the course format from in-person to online or a combination.

"UH will have soft opening until Jan. 30 — classes begin as schedule but in mixed format. Residence halls and offices open as scheduled. Services available both online and f2f. Protect yourself and consider getting vaccinated/boosted,” Khator tweeted. 

COVID-19 tests will continue to be administered on the University of Houston campus, with at least 2,000 tests administered in kiosks there earlier this month.