Penn State, community organizations join forces to prepare for return of students
Publicly available details about Penn State’s COVID-19 testing plan remain sparse, though the university and five other community organizations pledged Monday that any plan would be a collaborative one.
An 11-person committee is working to develop plans for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, quarantine or isolation, enforcement and compliance, and communication, according to a news release.
The group includes representatives from Penn State, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County, State College government, Centre County government, the Downtown State College Improvement District and Mount Nittany Health.
“It is crucial that our community has these open lines of communication and that we collaborate to ensure our collective health and safety through this ongoing pandemic,” Mount Nittany Health Executive Vice President Tom Charles, a member of the committee, said in a statement. “Everyone must work together to reinforce and engage in practices to prevent and contain the spread of the virus in order to keep our community strong. We are in this together.”
Tens of thousands of students are scheduled to return in less than one month to Happy Valley for in-person classes. Their pending arrival has left some students, faculty, State College Borough Council members and county residents to feel uneasy.
Dozens gathered last week on the lawn of Old Main to protest the university’s “Back to State” plans, while more than 1,100 faculty members signed an open letter to university administrators to express concerns about reopening.
The formation of the committee does little to address the root of those concerns as of Monday, but aims to develop a clear, consistent plan whenever it is unveiled.
Penn State expects to divulge its plans for symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, surveillance and contact tracing, student requirements, campus safety protocols, data sharing and more during an online town hall at 3 p.m. Thursday.
“The efforts of this committee are crucial for the long-term vitality of our economic rejuvenation,” CBICC President and CEO Vern Squier said in a statement. “Just as local businesses reopened in a phased and strategic manner, we want to engage the coming increase of people into an environment that is as safe and prepared as possible.”
Penn State, which is bracing to lose between $130 million and $150 million in revenue this year in its educational budget, has repeatedly said it expects to meet or exceed the state Department of Education’s health and safety guidelines for reopening.
Several other aspects are uncertain.
Penn State President Eric Barron acknowledged Thursday that the university’s inability to make promises is both stressful and frustrating.
Supply chain issues for testing and an inability to receive timely results have prevented the university from providing a complete, detailed plan.
“We deeply regret that each of you have been operating in an environment where you are concerned about your physical and mental well-being, as well as your financial security,” Barron wrote. “Certainly, each of these stresses weigh heavily on our efforts to focus on our shared purpose, which is our educational mission.”