Franklin College announced today it will continue in-person instruction and traditional on-campus housing for students during the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year.

Franklin has successfully offered in-person instruction and on-campus student housing throughout this entire academic year in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, enrollment was up more than two percent and upper-class retention increased six percent, while many other colleges and universities experienced a decline. The college welcomed its largest incoming class in five years in August 2020.

 “We know the cornerstone of the transformational Franklin College experience is the high-touch, in-person instruction and support we provide to our students,” said Kerry N. Prather, Franklin College president. “We are fully committed to once again safely offering that experience to our incoming and returning students this fall.”

“In spring of 2020 when the pandemic caused Franklin and colleges across the nation to empty their campuses, our students communicated unequivocally their desire to return to an in-person college experience,” Prather said. “In response, we developed and implemented our “Fortify Franklin Plan” and it has been remarkably successful. We have been in-person throughout this academic year, and that is largely due to the conscientious maturity of our students.”

Prather also credits the faculty and staff for their flexibility, creativity and determination in developing and executing protocols that prioritized the health and safety of the campus community. Alternative virtual instruction was provided for students requiring isolation and quarantine accommodation, but the incidence of infection remained well controlled and has declined precipitously throughout the spring semester. The college produced and published videos on their social media platforms throughout the academic year reminding students and employees about the necessary mitigation protocols, and broad surveillance testing continued most of the year. The college has most recently produced videos encouraging students to take advantage of vaccination opportunities.

“As the scope of vaccinations increases and COVID cases continue to decline, I anticipate being able to safely eliminate some of our mitigation protocols for fall semester. We are definitely headed in the right direction, toward the light at the end of this tunnel,” Prather said.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.  

POSTED May 10, 2021