Southwest Tennessee Community College plans to hold in-person classes during the fall semester. As part of its preparation, it held a virtual town hall meeting today to explain what students can expect.
One of the first things students will notice is that the semester dates have changed. STCC has eliminated mid-semester breaks for both the fall and spring semesters. In addition, it plans to end all in-person classes by Thanksgiving. This may avoid introducing COVID-19 to campus by students who traveled for Thanksgiving.
Every day, the school will screen students and perform temperature checks before admitting them to classrooms. People whose body temperature exceeds 100° F may not enter the campus. Excluded individuals cannot return to campus without clearance from a medical professional. They must also have been symptom-free for 72 hours and cannot return for at least 7 days after the onset of symptoms. Students and staff must report any illnesses to the school, as well as any known exposures to COVID-19.
Individuals at high risk for COVID-19 exposure must not enter campus for at least 14 days from their last exposure. This includes students who have clinical rotations in healthcare settings. While the student is quarantining, the school will offer online or live-stream access to classrooms. This will allow the student to remain current with classroom studies.
Students must wear a mask while on campus and must practice social distancing. To protect students in lab situations, STCC plans to sanitize classroom equipment every two hours. Following CDC guidelines for schools, STCC will remove or block desks in classrooms to allow six feet between students. The school will limit restrooms to 50% capacity.
After reading this, it would be nice to know WCC’s plan for the fall semester.
Photo Credit: United States Navy , via Flickr
