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A return to normal face-to-face classes this fall at the University of Kansas and other Regents schools is far from a certainty, the state’s higher education leaders were told Wednesday.

Members of the Kansas Board of Regents heard a variety of updates on how schools are planning to deal with fall-semester classes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While university leaders did not provide specific details about how classes may look, the board was told remote learning may continue in the fall semester.

“Everyone is leaning toward a fall semester that is some sort of blend between remote learning and face-to-face learning,” Ken Trzaska, president of Seward County Community College, told the Regents.

Trzaska is the co-chair of the Regents’ System Council of Presidents, which includes KU Chancellor Douglas Girod and the presidents of all the Regents’ four-year universities, plus select community colleges. Trzaska was providing the board a summary of a recent meeting of the System Council of Presidents when he said schools were strongly considering remote learning options for the fall semester.

KU officials have not publicly announced plans for how classes may resume in the fall. University communities like Lawrence are heavily dependent on a return of students to the community. With virtually all students away from the KU campus this semester, Lawrence currently is projected to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

If students do return to campus this fall, other big decisions likely loom, Allison Garrett, president of Emporia State University, told the board.

“Assuming we begin face-to-face classes at the normal time in fall, there may be additional decisions that have to be made,” she said. “For example, does every residence hall room become a single room? That would have a financial impact on all of us.”

Garrett said all the state’s universities also are concerned about declines in fall enrollments, particularly with international students, and also are concerned about student performance.

“If we are still online in the fall, there are concerns about how we engage students during this time of remote instruction, which could be extended,” she said.

Board members did take one action aimed at easing enrollment concerns tied to the pandemic. The board unanimously approved a temporary change in policy that will allow students who are delinquent on tuition or other payments to universities to enroll for future semesters. In the past, students who had delinquent accounts were prohibited from enrolling for future semesters. The board agreed to suspend the policy until at least Sept. 30, 2021.

In other business, the board:

— Heard a preliminary recommendation that would change on-campus living requirements for freshmen at KU and Kansas State University. Regent Jon Rolph said a Regents-appointed task force on dining and housing issues has made an initial recommendation that KU and KSU “consider requiring freshmen to live on campus.” Rolph said the recommendation was being made, in part, because research has shown that freshmen have a greater chance of success if they have a sense of belonging, which can be fostered in residence halls. But Rolph also said the task force thinks the recommendation shouldn’t seriously be considered until after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed and social distancing measures have been relaxed.

• Approved a request from Wichita State University to tear down Cessna Stadium, which has been the longtime home of the state track meet for the Kansas State High School Activities Association. WSU officials said the stadium is in need of serious repairs and was underutilized because WSU has not had a football program since the 1980s. Work on tearing down the 30,000-seat stadium wouldn’t begin until WSU has secured the approximately $1.4 million needed to demolish the facilities. The Regents also said the university should use that time to work with state track meet officials about the future plans for that event. The state track meet is one of the largest in the country because it features all six classes of high schools competing at the same event. It brings several thousand fans and athletes to Wichita over the Memorial Day weekend.