MIAMI VALLEY — Two Miami Valley universities are welcoming students back to campus next week. Wright State University and University of Dayton are working to keep students safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday was the first of four move-in days for Wright State University students, including incoming freshman Madison Zamer.
“It’s nerve-racking a little bit,” Zamer said. “But then it’s like okay because you know they are taking care of the pandemic right.”
The pandemic has forced colleges and universities to make drastic changes from students moving into their dorm to how they live and attend class.
“We all got a dorm to ourselves, and we just share the bathroom in here - so that made me feel a little better that we are not all coming from different places and into one single dorm,” Zamer said.
All but one of Zamer’s classes will be held virtually this semester.
“I think we had the choice, if we wanted to, to be all online. But I wanted to have one in-person class to get the college feel,” Zamer said.
Lisa Kenyon is a professor at Wright State University and chair of the Academic Reopen Committee. She said the committee has strategized what classes would be remote, and which classes would be in-person for students this semester.
“We have set what we call COVID guidelines or COVID capacities, so there is less students in that room to allow for physical and social distancing,” Kenyon said. “So, we can’t bring back 10,000 plus students because we don’t have the room for them.”
To have enough classrooms, Kenyon said 70 percent of the university’s courses are online, while the other 30 percent is a combination of blended and in-person classes.
“There is a small group that are in-person - only because of the learning objectives involved in that course,” Kenyon said.
At the University of Dayton, the numbers are flipped. University officials said 70 percent of their courses are in-person or blended. The other 30 percent will be online during the fall semester.
“I am going in for about four of my classes, then the rest are going to be virtual,” said Francesco Digiannantonio, a University of Dayton student. Both students told News Center 7′s Katy Andersen they believe their universities are taking the right approach.
However, they fear they could have to move again if the virus impacts students and faculty at their campuses.
“I think they are doing the best they can and doing what they need to do,” Digiannantonio said. If there’s ever a COVID-19 outbreak on the University of Dayton campus, university officials said students will go completely remote.
Wright State University officials said they're still finalizing a plan.
Classes for both UD and Wright State begin Monday, Aug. 24.
Cox Media Group
