It’s encouraging that University of Hawaii President David Lassner sees possibility for a robust mix of in-person and online instruction, starting next fall. Meanwhile, though, the 10-campus system plans to continue conducting most classes online for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year.

This semester, about 85% of courses in the system are being conducted remotely; 10% combine remote and in-person instruction; and 5% are fully in-person — labs, clinics, workshops and studios. Compared to many colleges grappling with thousands of COVID-19 cases, the UH system’s estimated to-date total is relatively low: hovering at about 50 cases.