By: Maria Giovanna Jumper
After the shutdown in March, the university has been working tirelessly to ensure that we are back on campus in the fall. While what this will look like is still unclear, here is what we know.
The plan has been titled “the Restart, Recover and Reimagine Adelphi.” In short, the plan includes changes to move-in, spaces on campus, and the one on everyone’s mind, the updated fall calendar. One of the biggest changes will be the transition back to online classes after Thanksgiving. The university has planned to keep campus open until Thanksgiving break. During the break students will move out for the winter and then finish their classes online. Finals, which begin on December 15 and end on December 21, will also be held via online formats. This will be an adjustment, but the university and professors now have time to plan and have experience using online formats.
“Our goal is to minimize situations that increase the risk of person-to-person transmission and protect the more vulnerable within our community while providing the atmosphere for an outstanding educational experience,” said Eugene Palma, chief administrative officer and associate Vice President.
As you all know, orientation was converted to a fully online format for the first time ever in order to ensure student safety. But the plan goes much further than this.
Dr. Sentwali Bakari, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, has said for first-year students, “Our ultimate goal is to foster students’ sense of engagement and belonging to the University. We want to affirm their presence and let them know how significant they are to the Adelphi Community.”
One of the first ways that the virus has changed the start of the fall semester is the extended move-in time. What usually was a few days’ endeavor has been converted to a week of spread out move-in times to lessen congestion on campus.
Additionally, upon arrival, resident students will be given medical kits that will include masks, hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Adelphi is also working on putting social distancing markers around campus to limit contact between people.
Other new features to resident life will include 10 percent vacancies of on-campus rooms to leave space for quarantine if necessary and a social contract for students to enforce student protocols.
Dr. Bakari continued, “We’ll need students’ cooperation in being safe and responsible and creating a culture around health safety.”
Campus events, counseling and other resources will also include both virtual and in-person variations. Included will be new virtual options for Jaggar Community Fellows and Panthers With a Purpose, two programs that offer internship experience with local nonprofits to students.
Plans for classrooms and public spaces are still developing, but the university has been frequently updating students.
For more information and updates, be on the lookout for emails, especially those from Dr. Bakari or the President’s Office. Additionally, you can always look on the Adelphi website under the “for you” tab for more information.
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