ASHLAND — What will the fall semester be like at Ashland University?
“It has been my most frequently asked question at AU over the past few months,” said President Carlos Campo. “It’s a question we’ve been answering with hope as we anticipate a return to a more traditional educational model. However, our planned full return still requires a large, ongoing asterisk.
“Providing a higher education experience that is both safe and rewarding requires reasoned judgment, sound counsel and collaboration, and the willingness to adjust plans to what is being learned and experienced through the pandemic.”
The reality is that AU’s plans, he said, will be under constant review, evaluation, and most likely redevelopment before and during the semester.
First, it is important to note, Campo said, that AU will continue to monitor recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for higher education, the Ohio Department of Public Health and local public health orders as we prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff and faculty. We also expect our employees and students to be familiar with current guidelines and conduct themselves accordingly.
At this time, AU’s plan for the fall semester includes primarily in-person instruction in the traditional undergraduate programs and multiple instructional modalities for graduate programs and adult degree programs.
We know a return to in-person instruction and activities has been a strong desire of our undergraduate students in particular, and we look forward to welcoming them back safely.
What will this look like? AU strongly encourages all to wear masks and stay socially distant when you are indoors. We also continue to emphasize engaging academics and we are planning to return to face-to-face instruction with few exceptions this fall. The university offered creative approaches to student enrichment activities last spring, and we anticipate more extracurricular opportunities for students outside the classroom this fall.
AU students will have access to comprehensive wellness resources, including free campus mental health services, as we continue to navigate COVID-19. The AU Health Center will continue to offer telehealth appointments in addition to in-person appointments this year. In terms of mitigation, last spring the university’s COVID-19 testing program helped accomplish a positivity rate of less than 1 percent across nearly the entire semester.
This fall, AU will continue that testing model for unvaccinated individuals with quarantine space available to provide a safe campus environment. The university also strongly recommends and provides vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff, Campo said.
Residential student housing for undergraduate students, he added, is planned based on the successful model AU implemented in the spring semester.
Throughout the pandemic, AU has worked closely with Ashland County leaders and health officials, according to Campo. We have offered robust testing and vaccinations to our students and employees as well as to the wider community.
We have implemented best practices and creative solutions to ensure the continued excellence of the educational opportunities provided to our students. We have been continually impressed by the diligence and care shown by our faculty, staff and students.
As we look ahead to the fall semester, I know we may continue to face new challenges. Still, we are filled with excitement and hope. Some things may change, yet the important things will not. We look forward to a fall semester, he said, in which our students learn, grow and develop together, becoming the people they are called to be.
