SALISBURY — Local colleges are moving toward normalcy and looking ahead to the fall semester.

Catawba College plans to mostly be back to normal next semester and is not requiring vaccinations at this time. It’s strongly encouraging them for anyone who plans to be on campus.

Catawba Director of Marketing and Communications Jodi Bailey said the college plans to make an announcement on the fall semester this week, but anyone who remains unvaccinated should continue to follow safety protocols.

Bailey said other precautions such as hand sanitizer stations and enhanced cleaning will remain in place at the school because they are good practice.

Livingstone College is taking a somewhat different approach. It is one of a handful of higher education institutions in the state requiring everyone returning to campus to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Livingstone Chief Operating Officer Anthony Davis said the college still believes the vaccine is the best tool to return to normalcy, and most people have been on board with the push to vaccinate. The college does not plan to discontinue all personal protective equipment use because of new variants and the disease still circulating in the community.

Davis said the college will relax restrictions if 70% of the campus is vaccinated.

The college used a mix of online, hybrid and in-person classes during the past year, but it’s moving classes back to their regular format in the 2021-2022 year.

The tagline for the college is to achieve immunity in the community and address hesitancy.

“At the end of the day, it’s about health and safety of all parties,” Davis said.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will continue to follow its plan, outlined on its website. Masks indoors and social distancing are required. In a normal year, about 33% of the college’s classes would be offered online, but that number is currently 50%.

In 2020, when the college modified its schedule at the start of the pandemic, 92% of classes were online. RCCC has been moving more classes in-person for the last two semesters.

Chief Community Relations Officer Sarah Devlin said the college responds to the needs of its students and tries to give them what they need, noting some students enjoy the online format and do well with the flexibility of the courses.

RCCC Vice President of Academic Programs Michael Quillen said the college anticipates the ratios will return to normal in the future.

Vaccines are encouraged but not required at RCCC, and the college will host three vaccine clinics in July.