This is my very amateurish best case scenario for a semi functional fall quarter. I am assuming there is widespread availability of testing (but not 100 million per week type of coverage) and there are a couple of very effective treatment of COVID-19 (like Remdesivir) .
University can resume normally but large scale function will be curtailed. No sports event. Large lecture will still be temporarily replaced by remote learning. But smaller classes are allowed but with some physical distance between students and instructors. Dinning Halls are opened but students can go there only at staggered periods. Dorm is open but RA have to monitor temperature of students. Everyone may have to wear mask.
Is that the U of C experience parents pay $80,000 per year for? Of course not. But without the COVID-19 vaccine, we all have to deal with the realities. And this isn’t an unique U of C problem. It is the same dilemma every single college, high school and grade school administrator has to face. We all want to get back to normal. But without the vaccine, life cannot get back to normal. In the meantime we all have to adjust and make sacrifice (or at least lower our expectation).