SAGINAW, MI - While Saginaw Valley State University students will return to campus in the fall, student activities and services will look different.
SVSU announced the changes during its third virtual town hall on Thursday, June 25.
Provost Deborah Huntley said around 75 percent of courses in the fall will be in-person or hybrid, meaning both in-person and online. Courses that are online will make up about 25 percent of offerings, up from last year’s 10 percent. As of now, SVSU is not planning to alter the winter schedule, and classes will be offered in-person.
During the fall semester, students may be asked to attend classes in-person on a rotating basis, according to Associate Provost Joshua Ode. Doing so will help SVSU still offer in-person courses while following CDC recommendations.
“Because of social distancing guidelines, there will be some face-to-face courses that cannot accommodate all of the students in the class at one time,” Ode said.
Because of low-class sizes and a spacious campus, Ode said most courses will still be able to meet face-to-face. These courses will be able to accommodate at least half of all students enrolled in the course at a time. Students who need technology, such as a laptop or software program, for class days when they are not physically present can request them online.
In addition to rotating in-person attendance, SVSU will convert more spaces around campus into classrooms, Ode said. SVSU’s banquet and seminar rooms will provide five additional instructional spaces, and these spaces will be able to hold about 42 students each. The Malcolm Ford Theatre, Rhea Miller Recital Hall, Ott Auditorium in Gilbertson Hall and a room in the Zahnow Library will also be converted into classrooms.
The Zahnow Library will reopen in July with fewer spaces, Ode added. Remote and some face-to-face tutoring will still be offered, although details are not yet finalized. Expectations for a Safer Tomorrow student ambassadors will help incoming students transition to the college experience while helping them navigate the changes around campus caused by COVID-19.
During a virtual town hall on Thursday, June 25, SVSU announced the Zahnow Library will reopen in July with modifications to its study areas.
Residential dorm modifications
Students will be allowed to return to their dorms after Thanksgiving if they choose to, according to Huntley. Since classes will be remote after the holiday, SVSU will again offer partial refunds for students who do not return to their dorms for the rest of the fall semester.
Shared bedrooms will be converted to singles when possible, and SVSU anticipates losing about 220 beds to accommodate social distancing, said Ron Portwine, associate vice president for Administration and Business Affairs. A building in Pine Grove will be converted into a quarantine space, but some students who test positive for COVID-19 may be asked to self-isolate within their assigned room.
Student activities and organizations
Dean of Student Sidney Childs said students can still expect to have student activities, lounge and gathering spaces and organizations in modified forms. However, Counseling Center services, academic advising and professor office hours will be online-only.
Fitness classes and club sports will also still be available, but programs may be altered for social distancing by limiting the number of students who attend or by offering virtual versions of these programs, Childs said. Final decisions about varsity sports have not been determined at this time.
Human Resources Director Corrie Piotrowski added that her department will be responsible for ensuring all faculty and staff wear masks when around other community members. Not wearing a mask as a student will be considered a violation of the student code of conduct.
J.J. Boehm, interim executive director of University Communications, said SVSU will send faculty, staff and student coronavirus-related updates through weekly NEST Bulletin emails. A list of frequently asked questions related to SVSU’s COVID-19 response can be found on the Virtual Town Hall web page.
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