We are living in a world that’s overrun with fear of COVID-19. However, education is still important, so how does a school like Shawnee State University deal with such a pandemic? What precautions are they taking?

Like many other places, Shawnee wishes to maintain safety for students, teachers, and staff alike. One of the precautions they are taking for COVID-19 is maintaining a policy that everyone must wear a face mask. Masks are to be worn at all times when inside buildings. Any students who don’t have masks don’t have to worry, since masks are sold at the University Bookstore.

Shawnee is also making it very clear that if anyone starts showing signs of COVID-19, they are not to come to campus, as the Shawnee “Bears Return to Campus” guide says:

“Students exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough or difficulty breathing) and those who believe they have been exposed to a person who has tested positive are not permitted to attend on-campus gatherings or classes. Students should contact their instructors for alternative delivery of course content and contact the SSU Health Clinic for monitoring and guidance.

Students who arrive on campus after visiting locations with positive COVID-19 cases or who have been exposed to someone who tests positive will enter into mandatory quarantine for 14 days.”

Classrooms and some public places like the library have been given cleaning supplies, students are encouraged to clean up their seats and workstations there when they are done. It’s not mandatory, but it is helpful in dealing with any potential spread.

The campus buildings themselves have also been modified slightly. Special signs have been placed to give specific instructions to students, making sure they follow specific social distancing instructions. Every student must stay at least 6 feet apart as much as possible.

Shawnee State University is trying its hardest to make sure that all students, teachers, and staff are safe in the midst of this COVID-19 Pandemic that the world is going through. So far, these precautions have been working, and Shawnee intends to make sure those precautions keep on working.