UK shifts all Summer 2020 courses to remote learning

LEXINGTON, Ky. — All University of Kentucky instruction for Summer 2020 will move to online or remote learning formats, UK President Eli Capilouto said today, and spring semester students will get financial credits for housing, dining and parking.

In addition, Capilouto said UK next week will begin providing prorated financial credits to students for housing and dining plans that will be applied to student accounts as a credit for spring term charges. Each eligible student who receives this credit adjustment and enrolls in the Fall 2020 semester also will receive $125 in dining flex dollars to be used in that semester.

A similar prorated credit plan will be offered to students for parking permits as well.

With respect to summer classes, Capilouto said the move was necessary to provide time for faculty and support staff to make the transition to online learning and to give students and families appropriate advance notice so they can make plans. In addition, Capilouto said that while details are still being hammered out, other programming — such as orientation sessions and initiatives that help prepare students for college life — also will utilize online or virtual programming this summer.

Moreover, providing prorated financial credits of 36% for housing and dining is a matter of fairness for students who moved out of the residence halls and are not using dining plans since the halls closed on March 27, Capilouto said. And the move will help many families financially as the credits can be applied to outstanding balances for spring, as well as costs for housing, dining, tuition and fees this summer or in the fall.

Capilouto said university officials also hope that by applying these credits to the spring term, “we can provide some level of support that will help ensure students and families can continue their educational progress with us.”

“Our guiding principle has been, and remains, to ensure the health, safety and well-being of everyone in our community and those who are about to proudly join our community,” Capilouto said in making the announcements. “Given the continuing uncertainty about the trajectory of the virus and the unknown length of time social distancing and other measures will need to remain in place, it was necessary to announce this transition and ensure appropriate planning now for the summer.

Details about online and remote learning this summer:

• Summer courses begin May 11. Before then, faculty and staff will transition some 350 course sections to online or remote formats.
• UK offers several “bridge” programs to ease the transition for new students and conducts orientation — see blue u. — during much of the month of June and into July. Those programs and sessions will be conducted remotely as well. Specific details about the programming will be announced shortly.
• Last spring, UK announced a significant expansion of online course offerings. As part of that, UK announced that it would charge one tuition rate for undergraduate students taking a mix of online and in-person classes and a different rate for students taking only online courses, regardless of the student’s residency. Given the emergency and one-time nature of this transition, differential tuition for summer online courses will be suspended. For undergraduate courses this summer, UK will charge $499 per credit hour for tuition and fees. This rate change is subject to UK Board of Trustees approval.

Housing and Dining Credits

• Students who moved from UK housing by March 27 will receive a prorated credit for housing and meal plan costs for the rest of the semester – 36% of the spring 2020 costs for housing and dining.
• The 36% non-refundable credit will be posted to the student account beginning April 6.
• Specific credit amounts will be determined by the individual student’s room type and meal plan selected.
• The credit will first be applied to any outstanding balance a student may have and can be applied to Summer 2020 or to Fall 2020 for tuition, housing, dining or mandatory fees.
• If the student does not return for the fall, the student can receive a refund in September.
• Graduating students who have incurred these costs for housing and dining will receive a refund.
• Information about the credits will be posted on myUK, which students and guest users can access.
• Students and families also will be receiving additional information about the housing and dining credits shortly.

Parking Permit Credits

• Students who purchased parking permits for the 2019-20 academic year or the Spring 2020 semester and no longer need access to campus may return their permit to receive a prorated credit.
• Credits will first be applied to any outstanding parking citations associated with the student’s parking account. Any remaining balance will be credited to the student’s university billing account.
• To be eligible for a credit, students must return their parking permit along with a completed request for student parking permit credit form to UK Transportation Services no later than May 1, 2020.
• Complete details, forms and instructions are available on the Transportation Services’ website: uky.edu/transportation/COVID19studentcredit

“Moving our summer courses online is where we need to be to meet our guiding principle of protecting the health, safety and well-being of everyone in our community,” Capilouto said. “Our commitment now is to ensure a deep, rewarding and robust learning experience for our students this summer during these extraordinary circumstances and to do everything we can to ensure our students are successful and continue their educations as we prepare them for success now, and after college.

Our faculty and staff have risen to every challenge this unprecedented crisis has presented, working in partnership with each other, our students, and with those families and loved ones who support them.”