Kentucky Kernel: August 17, 2020

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Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

THE NEW NORMAL

Incoming enrollment mostly steady

Is UK liable if students contract COVID-19?

4

5

Answering your questions on COVID-19 policy

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Monday, August 17, 2020

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Monday, August 17, 2020

Letter from the editor: Personal responsibility

By Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

I want to say, first, that I don’t want to be here.

I know that many students feel differently - that, whether for academic or social reasons, many of my peers not only want, but feel a need to be on campus.

And we can debate forever over whether or not UK should have reopened, whether or not the reopening is a money grab by UK, whether or not UK students are an economic boon or a public health crisis for the city of Lexington, but all of those debates are rhetorical now. Because in point of actual fact, we are here. What matters now is that UK has reopened and we – each one of us – have a role to play moving forward.

Every aspect of the last four months – the planning, the arguments, the workstreams, the millions of dollars invested in testing, all of the time and energy and thought that’s gone into reopening – has been to get us to today. August 17, the first day of classes.

For so long, August 17 has been the goal, and now that we’re here, it would be easy to pat ourselves on the back and let our guard down. But this is not the time to relax our vigilance.

If anything, now is the time to recommit ourselves to social distancing and health guidelines - because finishing the semester is the real challenge.

I don’t want to preach to you, students, about complying with the rules. I think that overemphasizing the role of the individual in maintaining a healthy community lets institutions like

UK go unaccountable for forcing us into a reopening situation in the first place.

But I also recognize that the university can’t (or won’t) save us. At an institutional level, UK is not prepared to enforce social distancing or to control an outbreak on campus. The only person protecting you is yourself – and the person next to you.

And so, in the absence of institutional solutions, I am asking each of you to take personal responsibility for our safety on campus this semester.

The basic motivation for this is that following the safety standards saves lives. But lives, apparently, are not enough for some citizens of our country, so I feel compelled to add more reasons.

If, as many students feel, reopening is worth it, then students must commit to keeping us open.

In-person instruction is supposed to last until November 24. If we are sent home before that, not only will we lose the on-campus life many students desire, but students are going to be blamed for the outbreak. Understand that when cases spike in the student body, people will say it’s our fault for not complying with the guidelines, and not UK’s fault for bringing 30,000 of us back to campus.

If we want to make it to November 24, then we have to measure every action against that goal and decide if it’s worth it.

Parties? Not worth it. Traveling for fun? Not worth it. Bars?

Not worth it.

I know that this will be difficult, and that many students

will feel disappointed and perhaps angry at being on campus if they can’t do the things they enjoy anymore.

I know that the reopening plans are confusing and that many of you have questions about COVID-19 protocol. I hope that our centerfold this week helps clear some things up.

I know that many of you are upset about online classes – that you have them, or that you don’t.

I know that, as editor of the Kentucky Kernel, I am supposed to be the voice of reason.

I am supposed to say the right things, to calmly encourage social distancing, to provide hope that we can get through this together.

But personally, I want to run screaming into the woods and go completely feral. I can’t offer you much hope because I don’t have a lot of it myself.

All I am capable of is doing what I have to do to get to the next day. I’m hoping that I can keep this up for the next 99 days, until November 24.

I can’t get there alone. I need all of you, and you need me, if we’re going to make it. Individual action may not get us out of the pandemic, but it might get us through the semester. To give us a push in the right direction, here are a few reminders: Masks are supposed to be worn when you are outside Masks are supposed to go over your nose Two people maximum in an elevator unless the occupants are family Unless it’s a family emergency, try not to travel out of Lex-

ington. Fall break was canceled for a reason. Frequent trips out of town or out of state are a risk not only to campus, but whoever you go visit.

If you test positive for COVID-19, first, I wish you a speedy recovery. And second, you are responsible for telling the contact tracer where you’ve been and for notifying your professors and classmates. Don’t lie because you’re embarrassed or hide something because it’s against the rules. And take it upon yourself to reach out to people you’ve been around; don’t wait for or expect the contact tracer to notify them first. It might be uncomfortable in the moment, but honesty is best in the long run.

Doing the right thing is hardest when no one is watching. So live every moment as if Eli Capilouto is standing behind you.

Remember that Lexington residents are going to be affected by your actions – many citizens are afraid of students because of the threat we pose.

Remember, also, that just because we are young, we are not invincible. Neither are your professors, who may be older and terrified of you.

This isn’t your typical letter from the editor. But this isn’t the typical year. As important as journalism is to the campus community, health and safety is more important. And as abhorrent as I find the phrase “wear a mask, watch UK win a national championship,” I suppose that rhetoric is best judged by its effectiveness, not its palatability.

So wear a mask. Maybe UK will win a national championship.

kentuckykernel

CONTACT Editor-in-chief

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editor@kykernel.com News/features editor

Lauren Campbell

news@kykernel.com Asst. news editors

Haley Blackburn Emily Girard

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Tuesday, April 21, 2020

news

Despite projected drop in enrollment, UK’s freshman class remains steady

By Sarah Michels

Freshmen Student Enrollment, 2010 - 2020*

news@kykernel.com

Contrary to earlier projections, enrollment for first-time students at UK has barely taken a hit for the fall 2020 semester. As of Aug. 10, first-time enrollment stood at a little over 5,000 students, according to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.

When creating this school year’s budget, UK administrators estimated a significant decrease in new enrollment – a freshman class of 4,500, a 22 percent reduction from a pre-pandemic projection that estimated 5,750 incoming students.

Provost David Blackwell shared the decreased estimation at UK’s Board of Trustees meeting in May. The university had recently announced that it would reopen in the fall and had pushed back the enrollment confirmation deadline to June 1 to give high school seniors more time to decide on their fall plans.

With the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the economy, the university wasn’t sure whether students would still want to attend UK in the upcoming fall and spring semester. Other options, such as deferring a year or attending a community college, might have been preferable.

Christine Harper, associate provost for enrollment management, said

4 | kentucky kernel

7000 5600 4200 2800 1400 0

2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2019- 20202011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

*Data from UK’s Enrollment & Demographics webpage, https://www.uky.edu/irads/enrollment-demographics.

Number is not finalized until add/drop is over.

that it was difficult for her office to model enrollment numbers with no precedent for this situation.

“You go to a four-year institution because of the residential experience and the community and the engagement,” Harper said.

“That’s what (incoming freshmen) want, that’s what they’re looking forward to.”

5,000 incoming students is still a drop from previous years. At this point in the recruiting cycle last year, UK had 5,400 confirmed attendees, and 5,077 for the same period

in the fall of 2018.

Harper said that there are several reasons why prospective students chose not to enroll.

Many universities, facing fears of low enrollment, offered more spots than normal to students on their waitlist, some of whom may have planned to attend UK as their second choice.

Also, more high school graduates accepted into UK entered the military than normal, Harper said, which is common during any economic disruption.

A few students, but not

many, chose to defer, said Harper. Deferral was likely less attractive this year because the typical gap year experience is complicated by nearly impossible international travel and a struggling job market.

Blanton said that enrollment numbers will not be finalized until after the first census date, the day the add/drop period ends.

Harper said that the change in enrollment numbers shouldn’t change student fees or anything related to student services; if anything, UK might use the money to hire more

people. With the state also experiencing deficits, which could lead to additional cuts to institutions like UK, the revenue could help balance out any negative impacts due to state cuts.

“Right now, we’re a pretty financially stable institution,” Harper said.

“There have been major costs associated with this, and I think the university has really done a good job to make sure that we’re covering and supporting what’s the most important, which are the people—the students and the faculty

and the staff that are on campus.”

Blanton said they won’t determine how the extra revenue from the additional students will be used until after the final numbers are in.

“Suffice to say, there are millions of dollars in costs associated with our ongoing planning for restart and mitigation strategies to keep people healthy and safe,” he said. “We also don’t know what the economic picture will look like six months from now, in terms of both the state and national economies and how that might impact other revenue sources.”

And while enrollment has stayed steady, the demographics of the incoming class have shifted slightly.

Some education experts predicted that the pandemic would raise the percentage of in-state students as students chose to stay closer to home. But at UK, the opposite has happened — as of June, the percentage of out-of-state students has risen to 39 percent this year, up from 36 percent of the student population in 2019 – 2020, said Harper.

And while COVID-19 has forced domestic students to make difficult decisions, international students face a whole other set of challenges.

This year, internation-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

Monday, August 17, 2020

news

Is UK liable if students contract COVID-19?

By Lauren Campbell news@kykernel.com

As of August 11, UK’s testing service had reported 98 positive results, a positivity rate of .8 percent. Students were tested on their return to campus, since many students were arriving from states across the country where community transmission is higher than that in Lexington.

Testing upon reopening was meant to mitigate the germs brought to campus.

But once the germs are on campus, what rights do students have if they contract COVID-19?

Students often assume that UK has a legal responsibility to keep them safe, but that may not actually be the case.

During flu season, UK is not liable for students and professors who get sick. The same is true for an outbreak of COVID-18 unless the state or federal government legislates campus interactions that UK ignores or neglects.

And because campus is not a closed bubble, students and employees can and will interact with the city of Lexington; so, there is not a guarantee that someone who contracts COVID-19 acquired the virus on campus or in class.

Legal action from students over the pandemic has so far focused on tuition refunds, not student safety.

UK has only received one lawsuit regarding COVID-19, filed in June in Fayette Circuit Court on behalf of student Peter Re-

gard.

The suit argues UK should have partially refunded tuition and fees after classes were moved online spring semester because of the pandemic.

UK refunded part of housing and dining costs to students, but the university said that tuition and fees from the semester went to ongoing services Still in its early stages, the suit does not mention any aspect of student safety. Similar lawsuits about tuition fees were filed by students against at least 25 universities.

Students are divided on whether or not UK should be held responsible for students contracting the virus.

“I don’t really think UK should be held liable if there’s an outbreak just because they’re having to make decisions on the fly without an abundance of information, the same way everyone else is right now,” said UK Law student Andrew Calvert.

Calvert said that “mistakes are going to be made” and that he holds UK less responsible than he does the federal government for the state of the pandemic.

Still, he does not feel safe returning to campus.

“I’ve been doing my best since March to stay isolated and stay safe while I’ve been at work, so being around lots of people indoors again just feels wrong,” said Calvert.

Logan Cole, a senior management and marketing major, doesn’t feel safe on campus either.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF A UK student walks their dog past the student center on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

“I believe that we will see a large spike once classes begin,” said Cole.

“What am I supposed to do if I sit next to a person who is sick in class? Am I supposed to quarantine for 2 weeks? It takes 24+ hours for a test to come back. Do I miss class while I wait?”

Cole does feel that UK should be held more accountable for students’ health.

“I think that students should have been given the option to remain online and not be forced to return to campus for classes. I have a feeling that we will be put back online at some point this fall. Why not give that option now for all courses?” said Cole.

Khari Gardner, a UK senior, does have all online courses – and he’s happy

for it.

“I feel the risk is too heavy and UK hasn’t done enough to mitigate it,” said Gardner.

UK senior Noah Oldham is concerned about UK’s ability to enforce safety precautions.

“I’m not really certain UK can control what students do in their dorms and I’m certain that they can’t really control what students are doing off campus,” said Noah Oldham.

UK has published campus guidelines and explicitly stated that the Student Conduct code, based on honor, applies to off-campus violations of safety precautions. Students who violate the guidelines are subject to disciplinary action. However, disciplinary action is a reactionary mea-

sure, not a preventative one.

“Their ‘honor code’ expecting students off campus to socially distance and not throw parties is already not working. I see parties already on my block,” said Oldham.

The weekend of August 7 and 8, 11 citations were issued to parties in off-campus neighborhoods popular with students.

UK has stressed the important of student compliance, focusing on courtesy and respect as reasons to follow the guidelines.

But students still worry over the lack of accountability the UK administration is taking when it comes to students’ health.

“Even if the virus mortality rate is .2%, that’s 60 students dead, more than

the Virginia Tech shooting.

At what point does UK value their students’ lives over money?” said Gardner.

UK maintains that they are doing all they can for the well-being of students.

“Our advisers and faculty members are working with students to accommodate those individuals who may be at higher risk for COVID-19,” said UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.

“But because students can eat at restaurants, go to the gym, use shared and public restrooms, travel, go to parties, go on dates, and meet people in groups, the university faces the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 on campus by those not following the guidelines, which worries students returning to campus.

fall 2020 | 5

Monday, August 17, 2020

Answering your questions on COVID-19 policy

By Haley Blackburn news@kykernel.com

What’s the deal with testing?

All students were required to be tested within seven days of their arrival on campus.

Test results are estimated to take 24 to 72 hours. The website UK has dedicated to reporting testing results runs on a three-day lag.

According to UK’s reopening playbook, randomized testing will occur throughout the semester for samples of the student population to monitor the infection rate.

The playbook also mentioned testing campus wastewater to track general infection levels.

However, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the university has not made decisions on follow-up testing like it is mentioned in the playbook.

After the initial round of testing, students who show symptoms will be able to get tested through University Health Services. But unlike the return-to-campus test, further testing will not be free to students.

Blanton said UHS would work with student insurance plans to cover the cost, and for uninsured students, UHS will bill the student at a discounted rate.

After receiving backlash for not offering testing to employees, UK announced that employees were also eligible for on-campus testing, though it was not required to come to work. Testing for employees is free regardless of health insurance, though it is unclear if testing will still be offered to employees once the five locations open for student testing close.

When do I need to quarantine or self-isolate?

Students who test positive will be

asked to self-isolate for 14 days, must be fever-free for three days and show an improvement in respiratory symptoms before returning to class.

Students who have been exposed to COVID-19, but not tested positive, will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.

Instructors who test positive for COVID-19 must self-quarantine.

Where can I quarantine or self-isolate?

Students who live on campus and test positive will be asked to quarantine in one of the designated quarantine spaces: Ingels Hall, University Inn, 441 Rose Lane or a contracted hotel. Students can also choose to return home to quarantine.

Students who self-isolate due to COVID-19 exposure will be asked to remain in their own room.

Sarah Nikirk, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services and head of the housing restart workstream, said 169 total beds

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF University of Kentucky strategic communications sophomore Maigan Williams gets tested for COVID-19 on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

6 | kentucky kernel

would be available to quarantine students who test positive.

UK Dining is providing meals for all students who quarantine because of a positive test as well as those who are self-isolating due to potential exposure.

What about classes?

UK adopted a three-mode model of instruction with online, in-person and hybrid courses. Students can find which category each of their classes are under the course number on their myUK schedule.

Students had previously expressed concern over the distance learning fee they were charged, since students did not choose to have online classes.

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the distance learning fee was in place before this year and “allows us to provide these crucial digital platforms and other related services,” such as remote-teaching technology for 90 percent of centrally used classrooms.

However, Blanton said students can reach out their financial aid counselor to begin the appeals process with the Financial Ombud’s office.

Classrooms have been rearranged according to social distancing guidelines.

Kathi Kern, head of the academic course delivery restart team, said reduced capacity in the classrooms ranges anywhere from two-thirds to one-quarter capacity, depending on classroom layout and furnishings.

Kern also said centrally located classrooms will have sanitizing supplies inside.

Students are not to move or rearrange classroom seating and should be sure to should also leave adequate space when entering and leaving classrooms, not crowding doorways or lingering in the hallways before or after class.

Undergraduate students are not allowed to conduct research for credit because the university is only in Phase Two of its research resumption plan.

Martha Peterson, Senior Associate Vice President for Research, said this phase allows for only for 20 to 50 percent of activity in campus research workspaces and only after faculty have submitted a detailed

Monday, August 17, 2020

news safety plan for approval. Peterson said undergraduates can return to research once the university enters Phase Three if they are included in the faculty members safety plan.

What about missing class because of quarantine?

Students who miss class because of quarantine are supposed to reach out to their professors and work out an individual plan. For some courses, students may be able to participate virtually.

“This fall, we will see that almost all classrooms have been outfitted with hardware capable of engaging a remote audience, with a robust use of Canvas and other University-wide platforms regardless of how a course is being delivered,” Kern said.

Kern said there would be a specific letter for quarantining/isolating students to give to their professors which will be a part of the follow-up email from contact tracers.

Poston said that the UK Health Corps has an academic coordinator who can work with students on issues with instruction and learning while isolated.

“The services these connectors offer range from making sure a student knows how to access telehealth services through University Health to helping address technology or other daily life needs,” Poston said.

Students can contact the UK Health Corps at 859-218-7233 or email healthcorps@uky.edu.

If an instructor is in quarantine, Kern said course delivery will occur through remote learning technologies. However, if instructors are unable to deliver their course in an entirely remote format during quarantine, that will be addressed case by case on a department or college level.

How do I do my daily screening?

All students will be asked to complete a symptom screening starting on Aug. 17. that must be filled out every day. Students will receive the screening over email every morning beginning this week, said Blanton.

“Soon, we will have an app that is still being developed that students will be able to download to complete this screening.

That app is simply an additional tool that students will have to do the screening each day. Until the app is finalized, students will

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF UK Housing supplied every student living in a dorm with alcohol wipes, two UK masks, hand sanitizer and a thermometer.

use the online screening tool via email exclusively,” Blanton said.

Students with no symptoms will be allowed to complete their day as normal; students with symptoms will be contacted by a member of the UK Health Corps and asked to return to their living space.

“If, following communication from the UK Health Corps, the student does not complete the daily screening, the case will be forwarded to the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Conduct for further behavioral action according to the Student Code of Conduct,” Capilouto said in the email.

Non-medical campus buildings will not be using checkpoints, passes or digital receipts of symptoms to allow entrance into the facility.

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said this decision was made because such checkpoints are not currently listed as one of the universal precautions by the CDC. “The daily attestation of symptoms is both a mechanism to remind our community to be highly cognizant of their symptoms, but to also give them an opportunity to receive follow up care/support from University of Kentucky Health Corps,” Blanton said.

Lance Poston, Project Manager for UK Health Corps, said a standard part of this

outreach would be for a Wellness Connector to reach out to students who are quarantined of self-isolated to better overall well-being.

“The services these connectors offer range from making sure a student knows how to access telehealth services through University Health to helping address technology or other daily life needs,” Poston said.

How is housing different?

Room capacity was adjusted in residence halls so that all residents would have a bedroom to themselves.

Common areas in dorms will remain open but at a reduced capacity with maximum occupancy signage posted.

Residence halls will also adopt new visitor policies. Sarah Nikirk, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services and head of the housing restart workstream, said residents are still allowed to have two guests, but they must have a valid UK I.D. - no non-UK students or minors will be allowed to visit.

Visitor policies will also begin with a phased approach, Nikirk said. From Aug. 8 to Sept. 7, students are not to have visitors, aside from family assisting with move-in.

From Sept. 8 to Nov. 28, non-symptomatic students will be allowed to have two

guests who are UK students and show no COVID-19 symptoms. Family members can pick up or drop off residents. Nikirk said this policy is subject to change if an outbreak were to occur.

Students who wish to change rooms must also wait until Sept. 7 to make that change. Nikirk said if the change is granted, students will have to wait to move-into the new room until it has been cleaned according to CDC guidelines. This same procedure will be applied to the room the student has vacated.

Greek housing will also look different this semester. Nikirk said residents will be asked to self-isolate if positive for COVID-19, just as with residence halls.

“This may mean that the student returns home, if possible. If that is not possible, the organizations will assist them in making alternative plans,” Nikirk said.

Nikirk also said there will be no visitors allowed in the house, including out-ofhouse members.

In the case that classes move online, a residence hall will remain open for students who cannot return home.

Where do I have to wear my mask?

According to UK’s face coverings and distancing policy, masks will be required at all times on campus unless students are

fall 2020 | 7

Monday, August 17, 2020

ENROLLMENT

International Student Enrollment, 2010 - 2020*

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

al student applications have increased – but international enrollment is expected to fall, said Sue Roberts, associate provost for international programs.

Blanton said that as of August 10, there will be at least 1,100 international students on campus this fall, but that number is subject to change in the coming weeks.

International student enrollment reached a peak during the 2015-2016 school year, with 1,900 students, and has slowly dropped since then, staying in a range of 1,500 to 1,600 students the past three years, Roberts said.

There are several reasons for this year’s potential drop in enrollment, not all strictly COVID-related.

International students rely on U.S. embassies in their home countries to obtain their student visas.

But U.S. embassies around the world were closed for weeks or months during the pandemic. Even those that have since reopened as their country got the vi-

2000 1600 1200 800 400 0

2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014- 2015- 2016- 2017- 2018- 2019- 20202011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 *Data from UK’s Enrollment & Demographics webpage, https://www.uky.edu/irads/enrollment-demographics.

Number is not finalized until add/drop is over.

rus under control are experiencing significant backlogs, said Roberts.

It’s a race against time, because without visas, international students won’t be able to attend UK in-person this semester.

Roberts said that most

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U.S. universities are experiencing decreases in international student numbers because of fiercer competition from schools in Canada and Europe.

Also, the relative strength of the U.S. dollar makes higher education more ex-

pensive here.

International students also have to contend with increasing anti-Chinese rhetoric in the United States, the U.S.’s handling of the pandemic and turbulent immigration politics, said Roberts.

In the middle of the summer, the Trump administration gave ICE permission to deport international students whose 1 university classes are all online. Though this decision was later reversed, it caused a lot of anxiety over fall reopening plans for international students at many universities.

In some cases at UK, international students unable to travel to the U.S. can take all their classes online this semester. However, Roberts said that similar

to domestic students, international students attend UK for the social life of campus, with benefits like cultural immersion, campus- wide events and the college atmosphere.

Blanton said UK is working hard to ensure a good experience with adequate support for these students. As part of UK’s goal to create a welcoming community for firsttime students, the university is starting a program called Global Wildcats in which international students can virtually take 15 credits-worth of UK Core classes and a UK 101 section designated for them.

“International students are a very important part of what makes UK a special place,” he said. “As is the case at research

universities across the US and the world, we believe that convening the best minds to work on pressing issues - such as pandemic diseases, climate change, addiction, inequality yields the best results.

And, having a diversity of experiences, skills, ideas, and perspectives enriches not just classes but life at UK for everyone.”

COVID-19 will not only affect this year’s incoming students, but also current high school seniors, who are beginning college applications.

UK has been forced to adapt campus visits, high school visits and the admissions process in accordance with the virus. Blanton said they are continuing campus visits with additional guidelines and still determining plans for recruitment events.

“High schools likely are not going to let recruiters come in…there’s going to be limitations,” Harper said. “We can’t just have Zoom events all of the time. That’s what we are really trying to expand— novel forms of engagement.”

UK announced Thursday that ACT and SAT tests would be optional for next year’s prospective students.

“We didn’t want a lack of access to a test to prohibit a student from being a Wildcat,” Scott McDonald, dean of undergraduate admission, said in UK’s statement. “As we’ve continued to monitor the pandemic, it only felt right to extend this policy for the 2020-21 academic year as so many standardized exams have continued to be postponed or canceled.”

Monday, August 17, 2020

sports

NCAA postpones fall championships for fall division one sports

By Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com

Last Thursday evening, NCAA President Mark Emmert announced there would be no NCAA Championships for Division One fall sports. The decision comes on the heels of many conferences, including larger ones like the Big Ten and Pac-12, canceling their fall sport seasons.

“We cannot now, at this point, have fall NCAA championships. There’s not enough schools participating,” Emmert said in a preview of an NCAA Social Series episode posted on Twitter.

“The Board of Governors also said ‘look, if you don’t have half of the schools playing a sport, you can’t have a legitimate championship’… tragically, that’s going to be the case this fall.”’

Emmert said that 20 of the 32 D1 conferences have postponed their fall sports.

The largest conferences to not have postponed are the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. UK sports affected by the cancellation are men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo.

UK has over 500 student athletes.

Teams on campus, like the cheer team, are still practicing.

Women’s volleyball and men’s soccer both had stellar seasons in 2019, with volleyball winning the SEC championship and losing in the NCAA regionals stage, ending the season 25 – 7. Soccer lost to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA tournament, finishing the season with 13 wins for the seventh time in program history.

The postponement affects 22 fall championship events, but it does not impact the largest one: FBS football. The College Football Playoff is not an NCAA-sponsored event, so it cannot be canceled or postponed by the NCAA. College football has millions of dollars at stake for their fall 2020 season; according to Forbes, EPSN, Fox and CBS combined have $1.4 billion promised in television contracts.

Despite the efforts for a season as regular as can be, the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed football in the fall and are aiming to play in the spring. As of now, the ACC, Big 12 and SEC are still scheduled to play in the fall per usual.

The SEC football season is scheduled to start on Sept. 26, with a 10-game schedule for participating teams. Exact schedules are being announced at 7 p.m. today, Aug.17.

The SEC released a statement later that same Thursday discussing its plans for their teams that were affected by the NCAA announcement.

“Our… student-athletes are working hard to prepare for their seasons, and they have been diligent in taking personal health precautions and following protocols around COVID-19,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “We will support them in every way possible as we evaluate the impact of these cancellations on their fall sport seasons.”

According to a tweet from UK Athletics director Mitch Barnhart, UK has not yet decided on ticketing for any fall sports that do occur.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Kentucky sophomore forward Mason Visconti tries to kick the ball towards the goal during the UK vs. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville exhibition game on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019. Men’s soccer is one of the sports at UK affected by the fall cancellations.

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news alone in their room, eating, drinking or exercising. That includes when students are outside and in the classroom.

If students do not wear face-coverings, they may be asked to leave the classroom.

Instructors can choose to remove their mask, if necessary, for teaching, as long as they remain behind a clear barrier.

Blanton said wellness stations around campus, including the front desk of every residence hall, will offer facial coverings, disinfectant, and other necessary resources.

What’s the threshold for moving to all remote learning?

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said there is not one number or factor that the university is using as a threshold, instead looking at a variety of factors.

“Things like: PPE supply, adequate beds for quarantining or isolation, critical care capacity at our hospital. A combination of factors – and data – will drive our decisions, not one number. Our goal is to provide the best educational experience possible in the safest possible environment,” Blanton said.

How is dining working?

Scott Henry, Dining Partnership Executive Director and head of the dining restart workstream, said that due to physical distancing guidelines, seating has been reduced to 100 in Champions Kitchen and 120 in Fresh Food Company. These locations will no longer have self-serve and will have carry-out options available.

Henry said all meals from dining halls meals will be packaged in Styrofoam to-go containers, but students can purchase reusable to-go containers if they wish. Students would pay a one-time fee of $5 and bring back the container after each use to return theirs for cleaning and get a new one for that meal.

Retail dining on campus will also operate with reduced seating and carry-out options, however, due to reduced capacity in the dining halls, students can now use meal swipes Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at these locations: • The three Wildcat Pantries • Auntie Anne’s • Subway in the Gatton Student Center • Panda Express in the Gatton Student Center • Intermezzo, Subway at M.I. King Library • Papa John’s at the 90

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NATALIE PARKS I STAFF Freshman pick up wristbands at the entrance to Campus Ruckus, held in Kroger Field on Friday, August 14.

Are academic resources still available?

According the UK Libraries website, campus libraries will operate on reduced hours and with more intensive cleaning.

Overall seating capacity will also be limited.

Group study and meeting rooms will not be available for use this semester. Communal supplies such as dry erase marker and erasers, public computers, and other commonly shared materials will no longer be available for checkout.

Hand sanitizer, sanitation wipes and gloves will also be available for students to use. Students are also encouraged to utilize no or low contact service and resources including online databases and online chats with librarians.

Students will have access to both in-person and virtual student success resources. These campus offices are offering dual modes of operation: • The Study • MathSkellar • Transformative Learning • The Writing Center • Disability Resource Center

• CARES • Stuckert Career Center • UK Counseling Center • Student Financial Wellness Center • University Health Services Campus bubble?

A campus bubble is not the official plan because students are not restricted from the city of Lexington.

However, Nikirk said the university asks that students remain on campus throughout the semester, including asking students not to visit home unless for necessary travel.

“Because the situation is fluid, if a student does need to travel for any reason, we would ask that they follow recommended CDC health and safety guidelines upon their return,” Nikirk said.

Are campus events still happening?

Ashley Reed, Director of University Events and head of the events restart workstream, said the approval process for hosting events on campus would remain the same, but new guidelines for COVID-19 safety are in place for during the event.

Reed said these include: • maintaining a minimum of 6 feet be-

tween individuals • wearing face coverings • tracking attendance • recording attendee information • hosting a structured and guided event/ program • avoiding self-service food and beverages (buffets) Once the details of the event are submitted to the Office of University Events, an Event Manager will work to modify the event to make sure it meets UK’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Reed said failure to comply with these policies may result in the loss of reservation privileges. If an event is hosted by a student or registered student organization and does not follow guidelines, Reed said these violations can be reported to the Office of Student Conduct.

Reed also said the Office of University Events and the Student Organization and Activities office are teaming up to offer a virtual Event Panel where students can ask any questions they may have about hosting events on campus with these new requirements in place.

Monday, August 17, 2020

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