COVID-19

COVID-19

Dear Students and Family Members,
 
Welcome to the Spring 2021 Semester! It has been so good to have students back on campus again. 
 
We know there are always many questions in the first week or two as we live and learn in this complicated world so we will be holding our first Student and Family Town Hall Meeting this Thursday, January 21st at 6:00 p.m. In addition to celebrating the many accomplishments from the fall semester, we will have information on health and safety protocols, academic policies and procedures, athletics, and other areas of interest. Provost Evangelista, Associate VP for Student Life Malone, and Athletic Director Brockelbank will be joining me for this conversation. 
 
Due to the number of participants, we are asking that you submit questions in advance through the following link. If we have time, we will answer questions that evening as well. 
 
The Town Hall Meeting will be held via Microsoft Live and you do not need a Microsoft account to join this virtual event. The meeting link has been sent to your Muskie email account.
 
Please note that this Town Hall will be recorded and will be made available to those unable to join the live event.
 
We look forward to connecting with you soon. 
 
President Hasseler 

 

 

Muskingum University remains committed to the health and well-being of our entire campus community. We have carefully created policies using the latest guidance from the CDC, Ohio Department of Health, and the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department (ZMCHD) to ensure the safety of students and employees. Should guidance from these sources change, our policies will be revised as appropriate.

Health and Safety

All employees and students are expected to wear face coverings in all campus buildings, except in their individual workspaces or residence hall rooms. Face coverings are expected outdoors as well if appropriate social distancing is not possible.    

In addition, employees and students are expected to perform daily health checks, engage in social distancing and follow guidance on facility use and group events and gatherings. Procedures have been implemented to address needs of faculty, staff and students with underlying health conditions.

Adhering to these guidelines is the way to stay Muskie Safe, and thus protect each other while enjoying the opportunity to be together on our beautiful campus.

Additional measures include adjustments to workspaces, extra cleaning protocols, and easy access to hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies.

The University is working directly with the ZMCHD on testing, contact tracing and healthcare services. We have secured appropriate health-related isolation and quarantine spaces for students who are unable to return home in collaboration with the ZMCHD. 

Academics

We revised our academic calendar so that fall classes started a week early on August 18 and end prior to Thanksgiving to avoid being on campus during the peak influenza season. The Spring 2021 academic calendar is available for download here.

Our classroom and lab management maintains appropriate social distancing in all learning spaces. With the addition of new teaching spaces, we are providing appropriate classroom space for full-time face-to-face instruction for most of our classes. The basic elements of all classes are available in our Blackboard online learning management system to serve students for whom COVID-related issues prevent classroom attendance and also to use technology effectively to enhance our learning experiences.   

Residential Living

Our residential spaces have been adjusted to allow for the availability of single rooms for any students who wish to pursue that option. Careful arrangements of single and double rooms have allowed us to de-densify our student living spaces.

Dining and retail facilities have been altered to meet social distancing and health guidelines.

Athletics

The Ohio Athletic Conference's health and safety protocols for OAC events include no spectators at any OAC event through March 1 (at which time it will be reevaluated). However, you can watch all the live action of Muskingum men's and women's basketball games through the Muskie Sports Network located on fightingmuskies.com. Additionally, you can access the high-definition video streams of Muskingum athletic events through Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire by downloading the free OAC TV app, which is also available on iOS and Android devices.
 
All Friday night games will tip at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday night games will tip at 6:00 p.m., with the Muskie pregame show starting 10 minutes before game time.

Travel and Events

University travel is restricted to essential travel only. No international trips will be permitted, and field trips are also prohibited.

Although we are encouraging the use of virtual gatherings in lieu of in-person events and meetings, we are allowing some on-campus gatherings so long as they abide by current health guidance. This includes a limit of 10 participants, the reservation of an appropriately sized room to allow for proper social distancing between participants, and the use of face coverings.

 

Questions

These policies were developed in accordance with guidance from the state, federal and local health authorities and may be adjusted as guidance changes. If you have any questions for specific University departments around these policies, please contact:

 

 

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