Universities prepare to start spring semesters
While local higher learning institutions have planned later starts and fewer days off during the spring semester, all plan to bring students back to campus.
California University of Pennsylvania, which operated remotely throughout the fall semester, will have about 50% of classes available on campus, said Christine Kindl, vice president of communications, with most of those classes being labs, studio classes and performance courses.
She said students will be able to take in-person classes remotely if they choose, since every classroom is equipped with cameras for online viewing.
To reduce density in classrooms, Kindl said, some larger classes will use a hybrid model, where students attend in person some days and remotely on others.
“Students in certain experiential majors need hands-on, in-person learning or specialized equipment in order to progress,” she said. “Other students may prefer remote learning because they have concerns about their own health or the health of a family member at home. For the spring semester, we are trying hard to provide a range of choices so students can continue learning in the way that best meets their needs.”
Cal U. is limiting the number of students in residence halls to one per room to limit potential spread of the virus, and allow for isolation in the event of a positive test. And those who live in the dorms and student athletes will be tested prior to the start of the semester and at regular intervals throughout. Voluntary testing will be offered to off-campus students and employees.
Kindl said the goal is to test 1,200 members of the campus community before the start of the semester and up to 650 campus members each week during the semester.
Cal U. will begin the semester Jan. 25, and there will be no spring break. Classes end April 30, with finals in the following week.
Waynesburg University resumes in-person instruction on Jan. 18, with remote classes held Jan. 14-15. The school adjusted the academic calendar to eliminate long breaks, but added break days on campus to give students the time they need to rest from classes throughout the semester, said Stacey Brodak, vice president of university relations.
Classes will be handled the same as last semester, with some classes in person and some virtual, depending on the class and its needs and size.
“We felt we had a very successful fall,” Brodak said. “We were able to deliver an in-person learning opportunity for our students, and we felt we did that well. We took all of that knowledge from the fall and adjusted for the spring.”
One of the more significant changes from the fall to the spring semester is the strategy to increase testing, due to the increasing number of cases in Greene County.
Students moving in must show proof of a negative test result no more than seven days prior to arriving on campus, she said. Students can be tested when they arrive at campus, as well, if they are encountering difficulties getting tested beforehand.
WU has partnered with the Washington Health System to provide to students and employees guidance and resources related to COVID-19 testing, temperature taking and hospital care for those who require it.
Only two students will reside in typical triple and quad dorm rooms, to decrease the number of students in each residence hall. The university also has isolation housing for anyone who is tested positive for the virus.
“Really the success of the fall comes from everyone being willing to have that respect and care for one another,” she said. “We are just really proud of our students for heeding the guidance that we have put out there to care for one another.”
About 700 students moved into the residence halls at Washington and Jefferson College over this past weekend, following a plan of scheduled arrivals, testing upon arrival and two-week quarantining for students, said Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, vice president for student life and dean of students. Students will each live in single-occupancy rooms during the semester.
The students will be separated into two groups, with each group tested every other week, so that 50% of students are being tested every week during the semester.
“This year, we amped up the testing quite significantly, and we are adding faculty, staff and commuters,” Chatterjee-Sutton said.
Regular classes will resume Jan. 25, with some taking place virtually and others in-person. Chatterjee-Sutton said students will have the option to continue in-person classes online at any point.
The semester will have five weekdays without classes throughout the semester instead of a spring break, so the students are encouraged to stay on campus during the semester, she said.
Jeffrey Frick, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college, said they received a good response from students and faculty about how well things went in the fall semester, and they hope to improve the experience in the spring semester.