College students at some universities across Ohio are now preparing to head back to campus after announcements for in-person classes came down from Ohio University and Miami University this week.
Ohio University’s plan includes approximately 31% of their undergraduate students moving back on campus and all their graduate and medical school students.
Phase two will have those students who move back “social distance at their permanent residence” for 14 days before they move to campus.
Students are also asked to complete an online learning module which provides information on symptoms of COVID-19 and ways of staying safe.
Ph.D. candidate Andrew Hunt is in his second year of his program at Ohio University and said for now he plans on staying in Cincinnati taking and teaching his classes virtually.
“I’m not coming back at all at this point,” Hunt began. “I am invited to come back but because all of my work has to do with words and working on things that can be done online, to my knowledge we aren’t currently planning on coming back.”
Hunt said those plans could change.He is one of several students with concern about too many students heading back to campus at one time.
Resulting in another spike in COVIS-19 cases like what Athens County experienced during the summer months.
“It's a lot of people in a small space and that's exactly what you want to avoid during the health crisis situation,” Hunt said of Athens during a typical school year.
Miami University also rolled out a plan which invites all students back to their campus in Oxford, Ohio. Students who return are required to get tested for COVID-19.
Upperclassmen said they moved in weeks ago but have avoided spending time with large crowds. Those on campus said they’ve received clear guidance for where the university is with phasing in students.
“The professors that are going to elect to have their classes in person, they’ve communicated that they will split their class into two different sections,” said Junior Abi Myers.
Myers said from there those two sections of a class will rotate time in class to keep students in small groups.
Myers works in the university’s recreation center and said her supervisors have been clear on decision making and where decisions come from since the start of the pandemic.
While students at Miami will be tested upon arrival, Myers and her friends wonder if more should be done to ensure all students are safe.
“I think that it's smart to have them move in a significant amount of time before classes start because ideally, they should quarantine for two weeks,” Myers said.
Miami University students will be able to resume move in on September 14 with hybrid classes beginning September 21.
Ohio University plans on beginning phase two of reopening on September 28.