Washington state issued new guidelines for institutes of higher education Thursday as they prepare to re-open for the fall term. Universities have largely been teaching students online since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Schools will be required to provide and mandate personal protective equipment, limit class sizes, reduce shared supplies, and comply with requirements from local health officials. Higher ed institutions are advised to conduct routine temperature checks of students and staff and use contact tracing to notify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
“No matter what happens with the spread of this virus, students, faculty and staff should know a return to campus in the fall won’t be like business as usual,” Inslee said in an announcement.
The University of Washington was one of the first major schools to cancel in-person classes in March when the scope of the coronavirus pandemic was coming into focus. Other colleges in the state followed suit. But UW President Ana Mari Cauce said in May that she expected to welcome students back to campus in the fall with new measures in place. The approach will combine in-person and online classes.
On-campus food services at Washington colleges will have capacity limits and restrictions on cash payments under the new guidance. Dorms and other shared spaces will have staggered schedules to prevent too many students from congregating in the same place at once. Frequently touched places will be regularly sanitized and students and personnel will be asked to self-certify that they have not experienced COVID-19 symptoms.
The rules were developed by the Higher Education Leaders Re-Opening Work Group, a task force representing 50 higher education institutions across Washington. The partnership solicited advice from the Boston Consulting Group, Challenge Seattle, and the Washington Roundtable on its re-opening plan.
The guidance takes effect August 1, ahead of the fall term.
