By Neil Doyle

NORMAL – It’s still unknown what school will look like next year, but Illinois State University is trying its best to be ready.

During the board of trustees meeting Friday, ISU President Larry Dietz said the university has 16 working groups looking at different aspects of COVID-19.

“We hope to have face-to-face instruction, all be it, probably an increase in the normal number of online classes, and we hope students can participate in modified campus activities,” said Dietz.

Board chair Julie Jones said there’s still a lot of uncertainty.

“We don’t know what sort of accommodations the students are going to need this fall, but I hope the university can be nimble enough to make adjustments of whatever kind necessary to make sure our students still receive a quality Illinois State education,” Jones said.

In particular, the school wants to prioritize updates for technology. Dietz said one of the bigger issues is ReggieNet, the university’s online learning platform, which he said is outdated and the university is looking into a new system.

Dietz said some important decisions will have to be made this summer, labeling July as a critical month.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]