The extra weeks between the end of the fall term and the beginning of the spring term won’t be used to implement new COVID-19 protocols or policies, said representatives of Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women.
The academic calendars at both MSU and The W were amended this fall. The fall semester ended the week of Nov. 23 and classes will not resume until January (Jan. 6 for MSU, Jan. 11 for The W).
For the universities, the extended break between the semesters provides a chance to give both campuses a thorough cleaning/sanitation, but both Ankia Perkins at the W and Sid Salter at MSU said there will be no wholesale changes in how the campuses address COVID-19 precautions.
“In the first third of being back in classes in the fall, we learned a lot,” said Salter, chief communications officer at MSU. “We applied that to what we were doing and haven’t received any additional protocols. We’ll stay pretty much with what we’ve had.”
Perkins, executive director of university relations, said it’s much the same at The W.
“As we wrapped up the semester, we encouraged the campus community to finish strong and remain vigilant and to remember their health, as well as their classmates, colleagues and the communities they would be returning to” Perkins said. “As students return to campus, we will encourage them to do the same and continue practicing social responsibility.”
Salter said the primary benefit of the extended break will be to allow those entrusted with cleaning/sanitizing efforts more time to do their work.
“In the fall, we used every weekend to do additional cleaning and sanitization,” Salter said. “We’ll stay with that overall plan, but obviously the reduction of the number of students we have on campus will take some of the pressure off our personnel. They’ve had quite a challenge.”
At The W, the main focus during the break is misting all common areas, classrooms, hallways, stairways and meeting spaces, as well as replenishing hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipe stations.
Salter said the biggest concern is student behavior outside the classroom.
“The social end of it continues to be the problem,” Salter said. “COVID fatigue is a real thing and some of our students have been feeling like they are missing some of the college experience. So a big part of our job would be to continue to stress how important it is to follow protocols, not only in the classroom and on campus, but after classes and off campus, too.”
What won’t change, said Perkins, is the commitment to safety as the pandemic continues unabated.
“The safety and well-being of our university community will remain our highest priority as we continue these efforts,” Perkins said.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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