WAYNE – Students, professors and staff on campuses across the country have been making changes to their protocols in preparation for the 2020 fall semester and Wayne State College officials have their plans in place.
In early August, WSC released their COVID-19 Fall 2020 Operating Plan which highlights the four pillars of hygiene, masks, social distancing and self-screening. The first day of classes will be Monday, August 17 for face-to-face courses.
A decision was made coming off spring break at Wayne State College to move more to a remote delivery system. WSC President, Dr. Marysz Rames thanked the faculty, staff and everyone who made that happen.
“Some met online, some used email, some used Zoom,” said President Rames. “It was a wide variety of ways to deliver the curriculum for the remainder of the semester. But beyond that, the work that was done throughout the campus we had a wide variety of folks signed up to serve as mentors for students.”
Spring 2020 graduates were recognized virtually but any undergrad or graduate will be able to attend a future ceremony.
All face-to-face summer courses also shifted to remote deliver due to continued restrictions and guidelines for social distancing from the Nebraska DHHS.
WSC’s pledge states, “Building a Supportive Community” as information for academics, living and dining, student activities and resources, testing and tracing, facility operations as well as other updates and resources can be found under the operating plan. Visit wsc.edu and select the ‘Fall 2020 Plan Details’ tab.
Wayne State College officials have continued to meet since May while engaging with national organizations to provide guidance and support. The revised fall 2020 semester has moved up a week and will be done by Thanksgiving allowing students a longer break and the campus to prepare for what would happen with the virus.
“But also, it created a new December term which we’ve actually been talking about for quite some time,” President Rames added. “To provide students with that three-week period after Thanksgiving to take another course, for other students who want to lessen their load because they have an internship coming up, for students that need to get caught up because they didn’t do so well on the course.”
WSC students are being encouraged to practice social distancing once on campus and will be required to wear a mask in the classroom and highly encouraged outside the classroom. Sanitizer stations will be located across campus and a new app is available for all students, faculty and staff to download on their phone to check their symptoms every day.
In early August, students and families were signing up to move in and decorate their dorms over a two-and-a-half-hour time period where 10 families would move in per floor. Following their move-in throughout August, a 30-minute session addressed the four pillars and operating plan.
Returning students will move their personal belongings the week before classes start staggered by last name.
Campus officials were also putting up signage.
“Lets the students know that they’re committed to our Community Pledge and they hope that they’ll do the same thing,” President Rames mentioned. “That we’ll all be a community that works together to manage this situation that’s been presented to us with COVID-19.”
The 2020 Week of Welcome is scheduled to begin on Friday, August 14 with incoming freshmen and transfer students. Each student, faculty and staff member at Wayne State College will also receive two branded WSC masks. Other faculty will use face shields during their classes.
For questions specifically pertaining to classes, students should contact their professor or reach out to WSC Student Health at 402-375-7470 for more information.
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