The decision to have in-person classes and let students move back to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic was not one that UCA took lightly.
It was several months before President Houston Davis sent out an email to every student issuing a statement on returning to campus.
“After many lengthy, detailed discussions with campus leadership and health officials, it is our plan to be in regular operation for fall semester and begin classes as scheduled on August 20,” Houston wrote in the email.
Throughout the rest of the summer, students received several more updates regarding campus operations such as changes to housing, dining and class instruction.
All students were given the option to live on or off campus, and incoming freshmen, who are usually required to live on campus, were given the option to attend class from home.
Students who decide to live on campus will be required to to follow social distancing guidelines. For example, students have been instructed to wear masks in certain areas of their residence hall and are unable to have outside visitors.
For the safety of students living on campus, hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed near areas high in student traffic and dormitories will be cleaned daily.
Lacy Allen, one of the freshman at UCA who decided to live on campus this year, said she decided to stay on campus because she “wanted the true freshman experience even if it meant that it would be a little different.”
Allen said that although she feels safe on campus she still has concerns. “Part of me is still concerned that something will happen and the COVID cases will rise.”
Zane Ashcraft, who is a senior this year, shares Allen’s concern. “I’m just worried that we’re all going to have to move off campus in a few weeks,” Ashcraft said.
Despite this, Ashcraft still chose to live on campus this year.
“I’m a senior so this is my last year. Even though the coronavirus has made things difficult, I still wanted to live on campus because of the college experience. When you go to college, you don’t just go for the classes. You go because it’s a living experience and I wanted that one last time,” he said.
When asked if he had any advice for freshmen dealing with COVID their first year of college he said, “My advice is to wear a mask and be careful. The more cases we get the more likely that we have to move out.”
Ashcraft’s advice to wear a mask and be careful is a sentiment shared by President Davis who sent out an email to the student body this week informing them of a guide entitled “Student Guide to Returning to Campus”.
The guide lists different changes that students could expect this year and tried to illustrate how UCA is attempting to control COVID-19. Students can access this guide by visiting the UCA COVID-19 response page on the UCA website.
