FAYETTEVILLE -- Parents and incoming freshmen arriving at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville campus this week for residence hall move-ins encountered plenty of differences compared with past years.
A requirement to wear face coverings, new rules for visitors and different dining hall protocols are among the changes in place as the university reopens amid the ongoing pandemic. UA residence halls shut down April 3 to most students, with some exceptions granted based on student need.
Official move-in began Tuesday. By Friday morning, 2,819 students had moved in, said UA spokesman Christopher Spencer, with more move-ins expected today and into next week, according to UA's website. Classes start Aug. 24.
UA officials have said in recent weeks that this year's incoming class will likely be similar in size or perhaps slightly larger than last fall's, with a preliminary count to be done on the 11th day of classes.
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Among the new students is Kira Mertely, 17, who said she packed "a lot of masks" and plenty of hand sanitizer, including bottles for her backpack, dorm and car.
"I think the university is taking some really good precautions," Mertely said. "I just hope that they enforce them as well as they're kind of harping on it."
The university next week plans to give kits with face coverings to students in UA housing. The kits will contain two cloth masks, five disposable masks, and hand sanitizer in a "branded" bag, according to information provided by a UA spokesman. Thermometers also will be provided either in the kits or at giveaway locations on campus.
UA spokesman Mark Rushing said the university estimates the cost for 26,000 student covid-19 health kits to be $448,137. He said the university is seeking reimbursement from federal funds allocated for higher education through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.
Students living off campus will be able to pick up the kits on campus during the first week of classes.
In front of Hotz Hall, Mertely wore a face covering, as did arriving students and parents during move-in times this week.
In UA housing, room visitors -- when allowed -- are to wear face coverings at all times, according to the university's website.
Students are expected to begin the year without any visitors, according to UA's website, with the policy loosened Sept. 1 to allow other students and immediate family members to visit, so long as it's one visitor per person.
Spencer, UA's housing spokesman, said the university's student conduct office will be notified if, for example, a student has excess visitors.
"Following our normal processes, if we become aware of a violation, we will document it and pass it on to the Office of Student Standards and Conduct," Spencer said in an email.
Mertely, from Allen, Texas, said she thinks the pandemic will make socializing more difficult.
"I do think that it's going to be a little bit harder to get to know people, because you can't really have a big group," Mertely said. "But I think that it's still possible, and I'm really hoping for that."
Jennifer Dortch spoke after helping her son, Michael, move into Hotz Hall. The family traveled about five hours from Paragould to help him into his new home, she said.
"I feel like the University of Arkansas has done a good job in trying to put out measures that protect the safety of the students," Dortch said. "I feel really good about sending him to school. I think they're doing everything they need to be doing."
Dining changes include plexiglass at cash registers, reduced seating to meet social distancing requirements, and grab-and-go meal options, according to information published online by food service provider Chartwells at the University of Arkansas.
"We've been working all summer on a plan to balance customer safety with a quality food program. In addition to following the Arkansas Department of Health protocols, we have put several measures in place to improve physical distancing," Lynne Bell, UA assistant vice chancellor for business services, said in an email.
The university's busiest food service area, Brough Commons, has been reconfigured so that students can "stand in one line only to receive a full meal in to-go containers," Bell said. There is also a new exit to reduce crowding, Bell said.
Elsewhere, a Eureka Pizza "fast meal plan option" for students to get pizza and a drink to go will be added at West Dickson and Garland Avenue, Bell said. Tents with extra outdoor seating are being added near the Arkansas Union to encourage students to eat outside, Bell said.
"We believe this and other initiatives will reduce wait times and allow for the required physical distancing. The program will be monitored and evaluated frequently, and enhancements made as needed," Bell said.
Increased cleaning is also a big part of new protocols at dining halls and UA dorms, according to Chartwells and the university. At residence halls, there has been more than $1 million spent to boost the amount of cleaning during afternoons and weekends, according to UA's website. Special attention will be paid to "high-touch" areas such as door handles, according to UA, with "fogging" equipment to be used for bathroom cleaning.
Wynter Hamilton arrived at the Maple East residence hall Thursday. She came from Blytheville with her mother, aunt and cousin.
She said she was excited to arrive, but also "a little sad that I'm leaving them."
Hamilton said the pandemic "kind of like kills the fun, because we can't have all of our events we want to have."
The university has scheduled some in-person events for students, including mixers to be held next week at the Arkansas Union that require students to sign up online before attending, according to the university's website. Other events, like a trivia night, are scheduled to be online-only.
Asked about her concerns, Hamilton said a worry is if an outbreak requires the campus to close.
"Hopefully, nobody catches it and we have to leave," Hamilton said.
But planning for covid-19 cases on campus is part of the university's response to the pandemic, with UA housing providing rooms for quarantine and isolation to students who test positive for covid-19 or have been exposed to someone testing positive.
Campus covid-19 case totals have not been disclosed by the university but a spokesman said Wednesday the plan is to publish testing and positive case totals beginning next week.
Quarantine data is not to be part of that reporting, however.
Asked about the number of students in quarantine and isolation on campus, Rushing said in an email Friday that "we're not planning to report this information in an effort to avoid disclosing student and/or medical information."
While fall classes will include online-only courses, there are also classes meeting in person.
Chancellor Joe Steinmetz on Wednesday talked about what scenario might possibly lead to going fully online with classes, as happened abruptly in the spring.
Steinmetz, speaking via videoconference to the campus community, referred to the importance of following steps recommended by health authorities to reduce the spread of covid-19.
"The advice that's coming out now -- we've repeated it over and over, and I can't say it enough -- is to wear masks, to physically distance to sanitize your hands, avoid crowds, if you can," Steinmetz said, calling the measures "absolutely necessary for us to remain open."
"No. 1, if I detect that we are not doing that on a wide scale and the virus starts to take hold and there's no way to control that behavior, we have to give thoughts about whether we would pivot to remote once again," Steinmetz said, adding that there is no "magic number" that would trigger such a change. He said he would also rely on guidance from the state Department of Health.
