WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Students tired of sitting at home and itching to get onto college campuses will have their chance to do so soon with a few new rules in place.
When school starts this year, there’s going to be fewer students living on campus at Otterbein University, but the good thing is that it’s quieted initial concerns about how the university was going to house all of its students while following social distancing guidelines. Plus, it’s made room for them to be able to create quarantine and isolation rooms if students end up with COVID-19.
Rising senior and Resident Assistant Frandie Francique heads across campus to Mayne Hall at Otterbein University in Westerville. As a part of her role, Francique will be helping to make sure students mask up and follow social distancing guidelines in dorms.
“Just to make sure that you’re following the rules doesn’t scare me or anything like that. I think as long as you know we’re sending out the positivity of like, hey… let’s get together to create a space, create a community here on campus in our halls I think people will lean into that.”
Francique is just one of hundreds who will be staying on campus. With new social distancing guidelines President John Comerford said it’ll definitely be different this year with masks required in public spaces and limited access or no access to areas like kitchens. Well aware that everyone won’t follow the rules.
“We anticipate that if there is exposure if students aren’t gonna social distance, wear masks, it’s going to be in those evening hours. And it’s going to be in smaller groups,” Comerford said.
Students who stay on campus will have roommates unless they choose otherwise.
“Having a roommate in a residence hall is no different than being married living with your kids or whatever you’re doing at home,” Comerford said.
That plan is possible because rooms for three people have been turned into doubles, and doubles have been turned into singles. Plus, with 150 less students coming to live on campus, the university now has space for quarantine and isolation rooms—all in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the health department.
Comerford said they’ll be encouraging students to limit their interaction to their immediate circle, which includes roommates.
“We’re gonna have testing available on campus. And then we’re working with Franklin County Department of Health to do contact tracing. And then we’ve also worked with them on an isolation and quarantine plan interested to staff—it keeps changing. (Students) can be segregated and put into a place where they have a private restroom. And then the food delivered and so they’re not interacting with the campus community.”
They’ll also be able to take online classes so that their education isn’t totally interrupted.
Francique graduates next year. While she has some concerns about getting the virus while at school, she’s just happy to be finishing her senior year on campus.
“Of course this is not how I expected my senior year to go, but the fact that I can come back I can still, to an extent, socialize and you know, make memories with my friends like I’m happy about that.”
While things are constantly changing, the university is confident in its plan so far. Ohio Health also runs the student health center on campus, giving students access to good care from the start. Plus, they’ve already put in additional filtration systems in different buildings to protect against the possible spread of COVID-19 through the air.
