FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has released what a spokesman called a “tentative” covid-19 plan for students moving into campus housing this August — including limits on dorm event attendance and changes to dining services — even as details about the fall semester remain undecided.
A video published Tuesday informs students and families of a “re-tooling of residential programming to limit group sizes while encouraging and building strong communities.” As far as dining halls, “no self-service will be available and more to-go options will be,” a voice states in the presentation.
The campus suspended in-person classes in March and closed its dorms to most students on April 3.
Chancellor Joe Steinmetz in a message to campus Friday referred to “around June 1” and “the first week of June” as the likely release for “the broad outline of our fall plan.” He referred on Friday to “a possible return to campus.”
Housing move-in dates published online by UA are a part of “tentative plans and schedules,” UA spokesman Mark Rushing said in an email. General move-in is tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 13.
After questions Tuesday evening from the Democrat-Gazette, Rushing said the university’s housing department “has added some language to make it clear that the posted move-in schedules, dates and times are tentative until a final decision has been made regarding the fall semester.”
Rushing added: “The chancellor has made it clear that his hope and intent is to have students back on campus this fall with appropriate health and safety measures in place.”
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said the state is in a “second peak” of covid-19 cases. Covid-19 case totals have also jumped in Washington County. As of Tuesday evening, Washington County had 303 cumulative cases since the start of the outbreak.
The video published Tuesday — titled University of Arkansas Housing Orientation 2020 — has information on the move-in process for August, dispensing typical do’s and don'ts about what items to bring as well as information about adjustments because of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic.
“University housing will be limiting the number of families that will be moving in on campus each day. We’re also asking families to practice social distancing as indicated through the CDC,” Stephanie Adams, associate director for academic engagement within UA’s residence education unit, states in the video, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The university’s plan also states that the number of move-in days is to be increased so as to have a “decreased volume of students and parents at each arrival time slot.” Other parts of the plan are to “enhance disinfection of the many high-touch areas within our facilities like door handles, knobs, buttons, switches, handrails, tables, etc.,” the UA move-in website states.
The video also describes seemingly new housing procedures affecting student activities in the residence halls.
“Events. They’re a big part of the experience you have at the University of Arkansas, and to ensure you’re experience is a positive one, we’re going to limit the number of attendees going to each event. Our focus will be on the experience you have in your community and with your floormates,” states the video.
The largest UA dormitory, Pomfret Hall, has 803 beds, according to information published by UA online. Approximately 4,950 students were living in UA-operated housing early in the spring semester before the covid-19 pandemic, a spokesman has said.