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Enforcing CDC Guidelines

Following CDC Protocols | Photo by Grace Ramsdell | Edited by Kayli Thompson | The Wright State Guardian


It’s no secret that the start of the fall semester brings new challenges to overcome, new faces to meet, new places to visit and passing grades to chase.

What is new about this fall semester in particular is Wright State University’s (WSU) response to the coronavirus and university efforts to follow guidelines presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The fall semester at WSU kicked off on Aug. 24, with the majority of classes being taught online. Some courses however are still being offered in person, forcing university officials to have set standards in the classroom that allow for proper social distancing along with student cooperation in regard to mask wearing.  

Bravo, Raiders! 

“I think students so far have been remarkably compliant with all of the guidelines and regulations set in place thus far, and I would like to thank students for doing just that,” said Interim Provost Dr. Douglas Leaman.  

With WSU currently having zero active coronavirus cases on campus, it would appear that Leaman’s assessment of student cooperation is accurate.  

Worst case scenario 

What happens if someone doesn’t cooperate with the set standards though? How does the university plan to handle situations where student health and safety may become compromised?  

“First, we want to make sure it’s not a situation where the student may have just forgotten to wear or bring their mask,” said Assistant Director of Community Standards and Student Conduct Christopher Hogan. “Wearing masks everywhere is a new thing, and we understand that sometimes people just forget.”  

In the event that the situation isn’t a mere forgetful morning, but rather a student is actively choosing to break campus policy however, the outcome of the situation would be a little different. 

“We are asking faculty members to dismiss the class, report the student to the Office of Community Standards and Student Conduct, and initiate the student conduct process,” Hogan said.  

With student health and safety a top priority inside and outside of the classroom, the university does not want to take a risk continuing to teach a course where a student is actively dismissing safety guidelines presented by the CDC, and putting his or her fellow classmates in danger.  

“While it would be an unfortunate circumstance for a professor to have to dismiss a class, the flexibility of online learning would allow for students to receive the information from that class remotely, and would ensure the safety of those enrolled in the course,” Leaman said.  

Luckily for students and faculty at WSU, measures such as dismissing the classroom setting have not happened, and are not anticipated to happen in the future.  

“I just want to applaud the students and faculty of Wright State for realizing the severity of the situation at hand and taking the necessary steps to keep one another safe,” Leaman said.  

Other universities throughout the United States haven’t been as lucky as WSU during the pandemic, and the numbers of confirmed cases is staggering.  

Forbes magazine presented data from The New York Times on Aug. 26 that identified at least 26,000 cases of coronavirus and 64 deaths in a study that looked at over 1,500 universities in the United States, including every four-year institution as well as every private institution that actively competes in NCAA sports.  

Wright State students can find comfort in knowing that while in the midst of uncertain times, the faculty and those in positions of power within the university are taking every measure necessary to ensure the safety and well being of all students.


Nicolas BenVenuto

News Editor

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