Will Penn State reopen in the fall? Based on new guidelines, it’s headed in the right direction
Penn State said late Wednesday it is on pace to meet, or exceed, all state guidelines on reopening universities by the fall — although it has not yet officially confirmed classes will take place in the fall.
The state Department of Education issued a 16-page set of guidelines earlier Wednesday that included checklists and various considerations. According to the document, Penn State is required to create an equivalent of a Health and Safety Plan that outlines how to mitigate the spread of the virus and how to resume in-person instruction — something the university has already been working on with three task force groups and 12 action groups.
Among the various guidelines are providing hand sanitizer around campus, supplying face coverings and personal protective equipment (PPE) and limiting classroom size. And the university already announced in May it had purchased 500,000 masks and will set up 2,500 sanitizer stations at the entrance of every building and classroom.
“The health and safety of our community is the priority across all of our campuses,” university President Eric Barron said in a news release Wednesday.
When it comes to announcing the final decision on the fall semester, Barron previously set a self-imposed deadline for June 15, but he has said that Penn State is currently operating as if in-person instruction will resume. Barron went so far as to say Wednesday that the university is even considering bringing “some small cohorts of students” back to campus in the summer.
Barron previously left the door open for in-person instruction to resume as early as the second summer session, which starts July 1. The state announced Wednesday that such instruction could resume by Friday, in counties that are not in the “red phase,” the most-restrictive phase of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan.
Centre County, home to Penn State, moved to the green phase on May 29.
“We’re grateful to have this guidance specific to higher education and we’re especially pleased that the Education Department’s expectations align with what Penn State would consider essential to welcome students and employees back to our campuses,” Barron said.
The university outlined a set of five expectations for students, faculty, staff and visitors:
- Avoid congregating in large groups
- Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between other people
- Wear a mask or face covering
- Avoid high-touch surfaces, especially in public spaces
- Wash your hands frequently, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home if you’re sick
Wolf urged students to take such guidelines seriously.
“I’m especially troubled by reports that some students are returning to college towns and ignoring these practices,” Wolf said. “No one wants to see any portion of the commonwealth revert to a closed operational state because of a resurgence of COVID-19.”
Specifics on what a reopened Penn State might look like are expected to be released in the coming weeks. But, based on guidelines released Wednesday, students and faculty will have to wear face coverings in classrooms, classrooms will be capped at 250 people, plastic partitions or barriers will be installed where social distancing cannot be observed (e.g. dorm bathroom sinks) and staggering the use of gyms and game rooms will be urged.
The state Department of Education offered no guidance on collegiate sports Wednesday, simply saying such information is “forthcoming.” But the department also wrote that, “Schools should consider further restricting gathering size of spectators for large events such as athletic games.” (Beaver Stadium’s capacity of 106,572 makes it the fourth-largest stadium in the world.)
“This is a complex task with short-term questions and long-term challenges to work through, not just for Penn State, but for all of higher education and our nation,” Executive Vice President and Provost Nick Jones said in April. “The new reality is that COVID-19 must be factored into every decision and every aspect of campus life.”
