The University of North Alabama (UNA) will welcome students back to its 130-acre Florence campus for in-person classes this Fall, according to a statement from the school.

Employees at UNA will begin a gradual return to campus in May.

UNA President Ken Kitts expressed confidence in the work done by the university to ensure the safety of its students.

“After weeks of monitoring the situation through frequent advisory team meetings, as well as closely following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health, our plan to allow residential students to return and for the resumption of on-campus instruction is meticulous and thorough,” he said in the statement. “We have been fortunate in the Shoals that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and rates of infection have been low. This, along with a leveling of confirmed cases and great work by our faculty and staff, gives us confidence as we look forward to welcoming our students back to campus.”

UNA shifted to remote learning on March 15 and had largely closed its campus by March 30. Summer classes and new student orientation will remain virtual settings. Enrollment for Summer programs is up 15%, according to UNA.

“We have taken – and will continue to take – the precautions necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of or students, faculty, and staff,” Kitts said. “We have also created the COVID- 19 Recovery Task Force, the mission of which is to continue to address safety and health concerns as the University takes these steps to reopen and prepares for our students’ return for the upcoming academic year.”

Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia