Jenna Ingalls |Staff writerAugusta University’s President Brooks Keel is hosting another virtual town hall meeting on June 2 at 2 p.m. to address the action plan and budget submitted May 25 and the university's strategy for returning to campus in the fall.In an email from May 29, Keel's office said the town hall meeting would "provide updates on potential budget cuts, plans to come back to campus and plans for fall semester."In a town hall meeting held on April 30, Dr. Keel and Provost Gretchen Caughman discussed some of the budget plans for the fall. The Atlanta Journal Constitution earlier this week released the proposed budget plans University System of Georgia schools, including Augusta University.The budget was reduced by 14 percent for all USG colleges and universities. It is estimated that 70 positions will be removed at AU. The document proposes that 69 vacant positions will remain open and not be filled during 2020-2021 academic year and that one filled position will be removed. In the entire USG system, a total of 1,915 positions will be lost, according to the document released by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Georgia State University will reduce the most positions with 470 slated to be cut.Overall, AU has proposed cutting $32.9 million from its operating budget, with $4.5 million coming from the Medical College of Georgia. Some $4.4 million will come from AU furloughs.The University of Georgia has proposed cuts of $58.9 million, Georgia Tech $46.8 million and Georgia State University $39.9 million. Also, Kennesaw State University has proposed a reduction of $22.8 million and Georgia Southern $19.9 million. The total USG reduction will be $321.7 million from the original budget of $2.29 billion.Potential funding at AU will be cut from 16 different areas, including Allied Health, the Medical College of Georgia, the College of Education and multiple other departments. These cuts include reduced funding for classroom technology, student positions, building renovations and personal services for the departments.Although the budget offers fiscal answers, there are still questions regarding what the fall semester will look like in terms of instruction and logistics, and Keel is expected to address those on June 2.Courses are expected to return to face-to-face instruction on Aug. 10 when the Fall 2020 semester begins. Professors and lecturers are being encouraged to teach hybrid or online if possible. Details of logistical issues have not been released or finalized. Will students and faculty be required to wear masks? How will social distancing take place in hallways between class change and in elevators? How will social-distancing and mask-wearing be enforced?As students and faculty of AU wait for more information to be released, another USG school has announced their plans for reopening. Mike Becker, president of Georgia State University, released a video sharing some of the school’s tentative plans for reopening.“Wearing masks will be expected in all public areas and required in elevators, and elevators will be limited to a capacity of four people or fewer,” Becker said.The classes will be done in a hybrid fashion, meeting face-to-face and online, according to Becker. This allows for fewer students in the classroom, so social distancing mandates are easier to follow.Although these protocols are for GSU, it is likely AU may have similar plans since both schools are a part of USG.Because the information about the virus continues to grow and develop, it is necessary for students and faculty to remain flexible in response to AU’s decisions.AU President Brooks Keel in the last town hall meeting said: “We will get those answers to you as quickly as we possibly can.”View the upcoming Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, June 2 at 2 p.m. Contact Jenna Ingalls at jeingalls@augsuta.edu.