The University of Alaska Southeast has posted its pandemic plan for the upcoming semester. It includes guidelines for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Lori Klein is a vice chancellor at UAS, responsible for enrollment and student affairs. She said an estimated 60% of the 250 UAS classes in Juneau will be held in person.
“Our faculty have been working very closely with our facilities and health and safety staff to take a look at each individual classroom and prepare that classroom and that faculty member for teaching face-to-face, to ensure the safety of everybody who steps in that classroom,” she said.
Following federal guidelines, staff will clean classrooms thoroughly, and hand sanitizer and disposable masks will be available. That applies to all three UAS campuses, in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.
“We’re asking all students and folks coming out to campus to wear face coverings, like most places in town,” said Klein. “Our faculty will wear face coverings. All of our staff who come out to campus will also have face coverings in our classrooms.”
As for students living on campus, the university is reducing the number of students who can live in each unit from 4 to 2. And if there’s a positive COVID-19 case on campus, there are units set aside for quarantine.
“We can assist them with getting food and laundry services in their quarantine unit. And so that we can provide sort of that wraparound service, we’ll have a team of folks who just check in on mental health needs and wellness needs and academic needs,” said Klein.
Classes at UAS begin on August 24.
