FARMINGTON – After months of hard work, the University of Maine at Farmington began welcoming students back late last month. More than 400 new and transfer students arrived for orientation and hundreds of returning students have joined them since.
With each new arrival, UMF’s staff and faculty were that much closer to completing a historic transition.
“It’s starting to feel like a campus should but it is very different,” Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Christine Wilson said.
Since March Wilson has been heading up the committee tasked with developing plans for bringing students back to campus this fall. Faculty and staff played key roles in decision making by taking guidance provided by the system and applying it to Farmington’s unique campus and community.
“It was pretty elaborate,” Wilson said.
In addition to their own internal work, the committee hosted forums and conducted surveys to gauge students’ needs and concerns and held open meetings with faculty across campus.
“We were always operating in multiple layers: on our own campus and with the system.”
By late June they were beginning to announce return plans.
“We knew people were concerned about it,” Wilson said.
Opening plans included a staggered return to campus, and extended new student orientation, and a suite of new safety strategies to minimize health risks for those living, learning, and working at UMF.
Before they could begin integrating into the campus community, students were tested for COVID-19 as part of the University of Maine System’s Asymptomatic Testing Program. Described in UMF’s Safe Return to Campus Plan as a partnership between the system, Convenient MD, and the Jackson Laboratories, the program will help assure the school’s ability to “begin the Fall 2020 academic semester with as healthy of a campus community as possible.”
Faculty and staff who will be teaching or working on campus and had traveled outside of the state of Maine were also tested. All individuals were required to “shelter-in-place” while awaiting their results. Once cleared, they could begin moving about – preparing for the academic term or socializing.
To date, the school has not reported any positive cases on campus and students seem to be adjusting well to new health and safety precautions. Face coverings are required both indoors and outside, and social distancing is expected at all times.
When classes began on Monday students entered classrooms and common spaces that have been rearranged to allow for better flow and proper spacing. It has been a monumental task to make ensure that students are able to safely complete their studies, Wilson said.
“It’s taken most of the summer to get ready. We have always kept safety and the student experience in mind throughout the entire process,” she said.
Blue tape now delineates personal space between desks and hallways have been divided and cordoned off for one way traffic. Hand sanitizer stations and cleaning wipes can be found throughout each building. The dining experience has been re-designed. Student activities now often take place outside, with things such as movie nights on Mantor Green.
“We really have reimagined our university over the past few months. It’s taken a lot of work, a lot of heart,” Wilson said.
While many of the strategies that are in place to keep everyone safe were designed specifically by and for UMF, the school benefits from planning done on the system level. For example, some of the decisions made regarding classroom logistics were made in conjunction with advisors from a Scientific Advisory Committee convened by the Chancellor.
As other campuses continue to grapple with the challenges posed by COVID-19, Wilson sees their experiences as an opportunity to learn.
“From the beginning we have looked for places where we could become better,” she said. “We are watching our colleagues [on other campuses] and learning from them.”
With classes now underway, UMF will continue to test students throughout the semester. The campus is now beginning to move into Phase 2 of their Safe Return plan. For now, Wilson is hopeful.
“These students are a resilient bunch,” she said. “They want to be social but they also know what it’s going to take to stay safe and be able to stay here. I’m really optimistic about that.”
For additional details and updates about UMF’s Safe Return to Campus Plan, visit their informational hub at https://www.umf.maine.edu/return/.
