Strict Protocols Keep Campus Safe

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Strict Protocols Keep Campus Safe

Reopening a college campus amidst a worldwide pandemic may not have been an easy task, but it was a surmountable one for Davis & Elkins College. The intense efforts that began in March resulted in the 176-page “Davis & Elkins Guide for Return to Campus” in which students, faculty and staff were given a shared responsibility to take sensible action for everyone’s safety. The Guide represents the work and dedication of the Davis & Elkins College Re-opening Task Force and its 10 subcommittees. Chaired by Vice President for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement Dr. Rosemary Thomas, the group took a comprehensive approach to ensure all aspects of campus life were included. Partnerships with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and the Randolph-Elkins Health Department, along with resources from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided valuable guidance. Additional support was given by the Pandemic Response Task Force formed within the College’s Board of Trustees – Dave Cutlip ’77, Pete Dougherty ’75, Bill Johnston and Barbara Porter ’76. Thomas explained that change was a constant as state and federal guidelines and new information arrived sometimes hourly. With that came different challenges for the group to consider in altering plans while keeping safety as the No. 1 priority. Each Friday, the College community and parents were presented with updated information to help make their plans for returning to campus as seamless as possible. In August, students began moving in with a phased process over a two-week period to avoid large groups Sophomore Hussain Hamid gets his temperature arriving at the same time. taken before entering Benedum Dining Room. In Adding to the protocol, Campus Nurse Diana Burke-Ross organized COVID-19 testing for all addition to a temperature check, students are faculty, staff and students and established a system for screening employees daily as a precautionary measure. While required to use hand sanitizer and the no-touch meal card swipe system. students were encouraged to restrict travel off campus, those who do are placed in quarantine and tested for COVID. BurkeRoss was also instrumental in setting up an isolation area establishing a series of procedures to follow when positive cases were identified. “Our goal was to create a safe ‘bubble’ for our students and staff,” Burke-Ross said. “With very few exceptions, the students have been amazing with following our strict COVID protocols.” A major emphasis was placed on those rules – wearing face masks, practicing social distancing and changing living and dining routines. While the campus remained closed to all unofficial visitors, student events took place virtually or in small groups. D&E nursing faculty Dr. Huixin Wu and Lora Abruzzino prepare COVID-19 tests to be sent to a lab for analysis. All faculty, staff and students were tested before the start of classes. Additional testing continued throughout the semester.