Northwest Nazarene University has updated its 2020-2021 Community First plan in anticipation of the beginning of spring semester. This plan outlines the COVID-19 health and safety protocols the university will follow as students return to campus for in-person classes and residential living. Students are scheduled to move back onto campus on Sunday, Jan. 10 and will resume classes on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
“As we look forward to a new year with hope and anticipation, we know we will continue to navigate an ever-changing global pandemic,” said Brad Kurtz-Shaw, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chair of the COVID-19 Planning Team. “We are pleased with the ways our community came together to put Community First fall semester, which allowed us to complete the semester together on campus. We continue to carefully monitor the situation and reflect, refine and adapt our plans to keep our community safe and healthy as we optimistically begin Spring 2021.”
The Community First plan focuses on prioritizing the needs of others in our community and asks all faculty, staff and students to make a pledge that they will do their part to maintain the health and safety of our community. The plan integrates recommendations by leading health experts, the CDC and state and has been divided into three overarching areas including (1) maintaining a healthy campus, (2) continuing excellence in academics and (3) ensuring a vibrant community.
The initial plan was created during the summer of 2020 as the university prepared for students to return to campus for fall semester. It has been revised and updated in response to new information about COVID-19, as well as testing and modifying various procedures during fall semester. The biggest revisions include:
- All members of the campus community will be asked to participate in asymptomatic saliva screening twice a week; during the fall semester most community members tested once per week
- Quarantine directives may be reduced from 14-days to 7-days if community members have been participating regularly in the daily health screenings and saliva screenings
The complete Community First plan can be found at nnu.edu/covid19.