Western New Mexico University reopened this week, welcoming 277 residents to campus over the weekend and beginning the fall semester fully online Monday. In anticipation of students’ return, the university developed stringent policies and procedures to ensure the community’s health during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Over the spring and summer months, WNMU put much thought into our reopen plan, which includes robust campus wide procedures aimed at ensuring a safe return to campus for our students, staff and faculty,” said Dr. Isaac Brundage, Vice President for Student Affairs at WNMU. “Maintaining the health and wellbeing of our entire community is being made possible through our close partnership with Hidalgo Medical Services and the continued diligence of our campus and community leaders.”
WNMU campus residents were instructed to follow all current public and university-issued health orders as well as present a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result upon arrival to campus. For those who did not produce a negative result dated no more than six days prior to their check-in, WNMU and Hidalgo Medical Services provided robust testing on-site throughout the three-day moving in period. During this time, 150 students were tested on campus.
In order to enable students arriving from out of state or country to self-isolate for the designated amount of time, no face to face instruction is taking place during the first weeks of the fall semester, and various WNMU courses may move to hybrid formats starting September 8.
While all WNMU residence hall rooms are single occupancy, the university provided separate living quarters for students who are self-isolating and who may encounter the need to quarantine as the semester progresses.