A planning committee held listening sessions this week at UMass Boston to gather thoughts from students, faculty, staff, and others as the school prepares for what will likely be another semester of mostly remote learning in the spring.

“The committee will consider student well-being, health and mental health wellness, and best ways to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on students learning, faculty teaching, and staff well being,” Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco wrote in an Oct. 13 email to the campus community.

He added: “Given the current expectations about the impact of winter weather, the normal cold & flu season, and anticipated timing for a vaccine that will be broadly available, it is likely that the committee’s findings will not deviate widely from the current status quo. That is, the University is likely to continue largely in remote modality for the spring semester.”

The committee, Suárez-Orozco said, will aim to look for areas where experiences can be improved for students, faculty, and staff, and “conduct rigorous scenario planning.”