Contact: Sid Salter
STARKVILLE, Miss.— ̫ӳ President Mark E. Keenum said the university is fully committed to welcoming students back to campus this fall and that plans to resume in-person classroom and laboratory instruction in the Fall 2020 semester are “on schedule and taking solid form” as the university continues development of specific new operating guidelines.
Keenum on April 28 announced ̫ӳ’s “institutional intention” for ̫ӳ to resume more traditional operations in the fall. Under Keenum’s direction, the university has convened a COVID-19 task force that is focused on fostering a safe environment for the return of ̫ӳ students, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus within the confines of official federal and state government guidance and that of the leadership of recognized public health agencies.
The ̫ӳ task force will produce guidelines to assist ̫ӳ across all campuses in transitioning back to more traditional campus activities. These will include:
—Revising the academic calendar to minimize disruption.
—Focusing on spread reduction techniques including social and physical distancing, increased cleaning and disinfectant protocols across facilities, and the availability and use of face coverings.
—Re-populating ̫ӳ through a robust screening strategy bolstered by testing where needed and contact tracing. Containment and isolation procedures if positive COVID-19 cases become present on campus.
—Exploring the appropriate mixture of hybrid, online, and face-to-face instruction, classroom and other facilities usage, and innovative class scheduling.
—Considering innovative and alternative best practices in campus life, business functions, athletics, Extension and other public outreach, and campus life.
With ̫ӳ Provost David Shaw’s leadership position on the state task force in developing strategies for the reopening of all of the state’s public universities, Keenum said ̫ӳ will benefit from the expertise of other veteran higher education administrators on the IHL task force and share that information with ̫ӳ’s COVID-19 task force. Joining Shaw on the IHL task force is ̫ӳ Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt.
Keenum said ̫ӳ’s COVID-19 task force would develop a strategy to reopen that included guidance and input from the IHL task force, direct input from ̫ӳ stakeholders, and the shared governance model that already exists on the ̫ӳ campus with faculty, staff and students.
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