NORTH ADAMS - The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will be welcoming students back to its campus here in North Adams this fall, with in-person classes set to begin on September 2.

MCLA Dean of Enrollment Management and Community Relations Gina Puc says the decision is based on the low coronavirus numbers in the state and in Berkshire county.

Puc said, “As we watch these trends and follow closely Governor Baker’s phased approach to re-opening, we felt like we were well-positioned to present a safe as possible return to campus in the fall.”

MCLA students will be on-campus until Thanksgiving, and then finish the semester at home. Fall classes will be a hybrid of in-person and remote learning.

Puc said, “Students will be broken into two or three groups per course. Each group will attend class one day a week, to allow for that social distancing.”

Changes are coming to student housing as well. Puc says all students living on campus will have their own rooms, and 18 beds will be set aside for quarantine.

“We’re able to accommodate just shy of 800 students on campus," Puc said. "We’ve always had a decent sized commuter population serving the local Berkshire County area, so those commuter students will be able to continue in that manner too.”

The school is establishing several other safety measures, including having people wear masks in common spaces on campus and installing touch-less door openers.

“We’re putting up a ton of signage, coming up with cleaning schedules," Puc said. "Dining services, we’re anticipating, will offer a lot more to go options and take-out options, not unlike a lot of the local restaurants.”