Today, University of Wyoming faculty and staff discussed the fall plan for opening the university through a four stage process.
“We know this sucks, but we are trying to be as safety and science driven as possible,” said the Interim Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs, Anne Alexander.
In the meeting hosted over Zoom, Alexander said that the first phase will start on August 24 and end on September 6.
During phase one, most buildings on-campus will be closed to reduce contact between students, faculty, and staff while also having all classes be online.
From September 7 through September 28, the second phase will begin with first-year seminar courses transitioning to in-person learning. At this time, these classes will have twenty students per class at most in large classrooms to avoid contact.
Alexander said that first-year seminar classes are important for incoming freshmen to build a sense of community at UW and are a priority for the university.
The third phase will begin on September 29 and continue until November 23. During this time, all classes that were originally scheduled to be in-person will transition to in-person learning.
Half-Acre will also be opened at this time with COVID-19 related restrictions that exclude all of those who have not taken a COVID-19 test.
After Thanksgiving break, Alexander said that all classes will transition to online instruction for the entirety of phase four.
She also said that there are a few triggers that would cause the university to convert entirely online. Among these triggers, one is if five or more symptomatic tests are found in one day and another is if there is one fatality caused by COVID-19.
