Dropping COVID Cases Amid More Vaccinations Offers Promising Glimpse into the Future
Wilmington College is planning for the upcoming fall semester to offer more of a typical — pre-pandemic — campus experience beginning when students arrive in advance of the first day of classes Aug. 23.
PICTURED: Hopefully, this photo from fall 2019 will be typical of images of students traversing the campus in fall 2021.
Homecoming is back on the calendar along with a mid-semester break, fall sports and a full slate of in-person classes. Indeed, the ever-increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and successful treatments, in conjunction with effective precautions for mitigating the spread of the virus, give College officials the expectation of being able to offer a robust campus experience.
Fully vaccinated individuals may move about campus without a facial covering and without socially distancing. Unvaccinated individuals must continue to protect themselves and others by wearing facial coverings and social distancing as indicated.
President Trevor Bates indicated that a number of factors are trending in the right direction for the College to resume more normal operations, including the recent in-persons Commencement ceremonies held May 8.
"We truly expect this coming fall to look markedly different than fall 2020, which is what everyone wishes," Bates said. He noted that, after more than a year of holding virtual events, meetings and other gatherings, and watching either no WC sports as in the fall or seeing them livestreamed only, it will be "refreshing" to be able to interact face-to-face and attend live campus events again.
Adam Lohrey, senior director of admission, said he and his staff have enjoyed being able to hold in-person recruitment events, such this spring's Accepted Student Recognition Day and Accepted Student-Athlete Recognition Day.
"After a year of engaging in much of our recruitment work virtually, we've been able to return to in-person programming with personalized one-on-one visits, as well as gatherings with larger groups of students and families," he said. "We encourage prospective students and their families to visit our campus and learn firsthand how Wilmington College can be a foundation for a life of service and success."
The president commended the campus for its success in dealing with the pandemic during the 2020-21 academic year. Only 24 students and eight employees tested positive to coronavirus during the four-month spring semester, which started with activities in early January.
"We've proven to ourselves and others outside the institution that, when we are proactive and vigilant in caring about one another's safety and well-being, we can be successful," he said. "Going forward, we will continue to emphasize these attributes while providing outstanding educational and campus life experiences."
Bates said faculty members have been notified they should plan to teach their fall 2021 courses almost exclusively in-person, which is something at which the College excelled in 2020-21. Indeed, 75 percent of courses were instructed fully in-person on WC's main campus with the balance featuring a combination of hybrid and online teaching modalities.
In 2020, per rulings by the NCAA and Ohio Athletic Conference, competition in fall sports was postponed during the traditional months followed by abbreviated seasons held this spring.
The College played all but two of WC's 185 competitions scheduled from January through May. Many of Ohio's NCAA D-III schools were unable to offer any sports during the entire 2020-21 year. The College anticipates the NCAA and OAC will provide updated protocols for athletics and crowds this summer as guidance beginning with the fall sports seasons.
Bates said the College will continue basing its policies on state regulations and those guidelines established by the Center for Disease Control and the Ohio and Clinton County health departments.
