Millett Hall | Photo by Kayli Thompson | The Wright State Guardian
The daily routine. For every college student at Wright State University it may be a little different, but one thing every student’s daily routine will have in common this fall semester is wearing a mask, maintaining six-feet distance whenever possible, and lots of hand soap.
With the start of the fall semester beginning on Aug. 24, students and faculty returning to WSU should be aware of some practices to keep not only themselves safe, but the students and faculty around them safe as well as the battle against coronavirus continues.
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield, “Hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask, and monitoring your own health are simple yet effective ways to combat the spread of COVID-19.”
Hand washing should be done for at least 20 seconds before and after eating, when using the restroom, touching your mask, using public door handles and most importantly after coming into contact with someone who may cough or appear to be ill within your vicinity.
This hand-washing procedure will be crucial for those students who find themselves enrolled in in-person classes this semester, as they will come into contact with surfaces touched by many students throughout the day.
The CDC also states that if hand soap is not readily available at your current location, “you may use hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol to disinfect the entirety of your fingers, hands and wrists.”
What’s the Wright Plan?
Wright State has been proactive in it’s measures to keep students and faculty safe over the summer and into the fall semester, enacting an Infectious Disease Prevention and Mitigation Plan that can be found on the universities website.
This plan includes university policies on mask wearing, physical distancing, daily self-assessments as well as the universities plan to enforce these rules amongst those on campus.
According to an email sent by Interim Provost Dr. Douglas Leaman, “The expectation is that every individual on campus will follow university health and safety protocols.”
The email goes on to explain that, “students and faculty should remain kind and considerate to members of the Wright State community, but should also be helpful and remind others around them to be cognizant of their surroundings and to wear their masks when applicable.”
Housing made safe
For those students residing in on-campus housing, all residents must agree to comply with residential terms and agreements. These terms and agreements include items such as cleaning your restroom a minimum of once per week, not allowing visitors or guests within university housing during the coronavirus pandemic and maintaining 6-feet distance when congregating in groups of less than 4 outside of university housing.
Exceptions have been made for move-in week and for those requiring personal assistance only, however if the pandemic continues throughout the fall semester it is likely the university will enact these regulations into the spring semester as well.
According to the residential living section of the WSU website, “if a student comes into contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19, the university will take the necessary steps to quarantine and isolate these members of the raider community while providing them with necessary help and accommodations along the way.”
These steps include providing private rooms with thermometers and cleaning supplies, providing remote daily health assessments with WSU physicians or similar providers, meal delivery, remote counseling and wellness services and finally coordinating responses with the Public Health Department.
Any students living on campus who may have questions or concerns with their current housing assignments and the regulations to be followed may contact Residence Life and Housing at 937.775.4172 or may email housing@wright.edu with their concerns.
