In compliance with the “living with COVID-19” strategy by the government, partial face-to-face classes recommenced at POSTECH on Nov. 8, the 10th week of the semester.
The “living with COVID-19” will ease social distancing restrictions and return life back to normal in progressive steps. The first phase of the “living with COVID-19” strategy started from Nov. 1 and will last for four weeks, and up to 10 people can gather in private meetings. The plan is to lift all restrictions by Feb. 20, 2022. Following the strategy, most universities, including POSTECH, will implement a mix of online and face-to-face classes this fall semester. The Ministry of Education announced that it plans for all universities to allow face-to-face classes by next year’s spring semester.
Classes chose between staying online and converting to face-to-face classes. 83 undergraduate classes and 43 graduate classes switched to Face-to-Face classes. 37 undergraduate classes and 25 graduate classes chose a mix of online classes and Face-to-Face classes. 247 undergraduate classes and 136 graduate classes remained online. Due to these changes, “course drop” of converted courses is treated as “course cancellation”, which does not leave a “W” (withdrawal) on the student transcript.
The conversion of most face-to-face classes took place from Nov. 8, two weeks after the vaccination rate for enrolled students reached 70%, to account for the time needed for full antibody production. However, some courses started face-to-face classes early on Oct. 11, the sixth week of the semester. Any student who wished to leave dormitories did so by Oct. 9. Any student who wished to come to school following the academic changes moved into the dormitories on Nov. 7. Students were required to get tested and confirm negative for COVID-19 before entering the dormitories.
The safety rules for students who take face-to-face courses are as follows: Always wear a mask when participating in face-to-face classes or using public facilities. Attending classes will be prohibited to those who do not wear a mask. Measure and record your body temperature and sanitize your hands thoroughly when entering the school buildings. 
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 at POSTECH, the following precautions should be followed: wear a mask at all times, wash your hands for more than 30 seconds, and cover your nose and mouth while coughing. Students should refrain from visiting other regions and areas with many confirmed cases. Ventilate frequently, and avoid contact with people with fever and respiratory symptoms such as coughing and difficulty in breathing.