No doubt about it that the 2021-2022 school year is looking very different from last year on campuses across the U.S., as students began or returned to colleges and universities for a more “normal” educational experience. Most schools opened to mostly in-person classes rather than the remote learning that was so widespread this past year, and institutions began offering and encouraging social opportunities for the first time since the pandemic forced school closures and sent students packing in March 2020.
It’s not surprising that safeguarding student and teacher health is top of mind for school administrators, especially in the wake of the surge in cases from the delta variant over the summer. One bad outbreak of COVID-19 on a college campus could force any institution to sequester students in their dorm rooms or completely shutter its doors, at least temporarily. This fall, colleges and universities developed differing plans to protect student health and reduce virus transmission. And so far, these measures seem to be working.
According to a report from the American College Health Association and the COVID Collaborative, establishing best practices, learning how to collaborate within and across institutions and embracing lessons learned during the pandemic will better equip colleges and universities to current and future challenges.
Colleges and universities across the nation are taking creative and effective measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Here are some of the programs, policies and strategies institutions of varying sizes are taking to help prevent virus infection – and keep the doors open. Other schools, recognizing the need for safe, social opportunities, are holding specially-planned events or creating spaces where students can gather safely. These programs are examples may inform mitigation plans or spark ideas for health-protection strategies on similar campuses.
COVID-19 Communications. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn., created a COVID-19 hub and dashboard in a central location on the school’s homepage that’s updated daily with clear and understandable messaging. Students who have not received the full vaccine doses are tested weekly throughout the semester.
Peer Health Educators. In the spring of 2020, six residential colleges and universities in western North Carolina, led by University of North Carolina Asheville, collaborated with the Mountain Area Health Education Center to mitigate COVID-19 infection rates by creating a cross-institutional peer education program involving more than 90 peer educators across the campuses. Student Health Ambassadors spread accurate information through peer-to-peer education. Each of the participating schools was able to remain open and residential for the entire 2020-2021 academic year, and infection rates were lower on these campuses than in the surrounding areas.
COVID-19 Digital Signage Toolkit. Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Penn.) created a digital toolkit to promote consistency with the school’s messaging through campus signage and downloadable PDFs that can be posted throughout campus.
Surveillance Testing and Wildcat Pass. The University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H., implemented an ambitious surveillance testing program. The school built an on-campus lab to accommodate twice-weekly student testing and weekly faculty/staff testing. Before the semester, each student must sign a contract to acknowledge participation in the program and engage in safety behaviors like physical distancing and mask wearing in order to remain on campus. In addition, the school has a Wildcat Pass to help students keep track of their ongoing compliance status and alert them when they need to take measures to remain compliant.
Online education modules. The University of Chicago created online educational modules in collaboration with Environmental Health and Safety, UChicago Student Wellness and the Provost’s office. Students, staff and faculty were required to complete the modules before beginning the academic year.
Vaccine Incentive Program. Miami University, Oxford, Oh. offers students a chance to win more than 80 prizes through its “Your Shot to Win” program. Full-time students can participate, and prizes include tuition credit for one semester, bookstore gift certificates, hockey tickets, laptops and more.
Social Distant Gathering Space. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind., created Library Lawn, an outdoor, socially-distanced student gathering space where students can hang out and attend physically distanced concerts and other events.
Apps to Reduce Crowds and Send COVID-related Messages. At the University of Miami, Coral Cables, Fla., students can take advantage of The GET mobile app that can help students avoid long lines in dining halls and allows them to pick up their meals to go so they can avoid long exposure time and reduce close-crowd contact. The university’s UMiami mobile app has an opt-in feature that allows students to receive updates and reminders to take the University’s daily symptom tracker.