{"id":91187,"date":"2020-12-15T13:50:58","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T18:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=91187"},"modified":"2021-03-25T11:24:57","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T15:24:57","slug":"when-the-pandemic-struck-umw-persevered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2020\/12\/15\/when-the-pandemic-struck-umw-persevered\/","title":{"rendered":"When the Pandemic Struck, UMW Persevered"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eager to begin her college career at Mary Washington, Sarah Bazemore moved into Willard Hall in September, stocking her room with masks and sanitizer.<\/p>\n

\"UMW
UMW sophomore Andrew Newman poses on a Campus Walk bench. The University community pulled together this fall to follow MMDC (monitor, mask, distance and clean) guidelines and minimize the number of COVID-19 cases on campus. Increased pandemic-related measures will be employed this spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Little did she know that she would end her first semester living in Marshall Hall under quarantine. Bazemore and two of her friends were among several dozen students who were either exposed to or came down with COVID-19 in fall 2020.<\/p>\n

Even so, she rated the entire semester an A+. \u201cI am so grateful I had the opportunity to be on campus this fall, and I\u2019m beyond impressed with the way UMW handled COVID-19,\u201d she said. \u201cEven when we entered quarantine, there was a plan. At no time was I unable to get the support I needed or an answer to my questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only 40 students utilized the more than 100 designated quarantine\/isolation rooms on campus. That, added Bazemore, \u201csays a lot about the student body and our administration. We followed MMDC (monitor, mask, distance and clean) and did all we could to keep COVID-19 away from UMW.\u201d<\/p>\n

Plenty of planning and extreme vigilance paid off. While the pandemic rages across the globe, the University ended up with fewer than 50 COVID cases since the end of August.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m filled with pride by the way the Mary Washington community has thus far risen to this challenge,\u201d said President Troy Paino. \u201cWe have proven something to ourselves: We can adapt, innovate and persevere.\u201d<\/p>\n

And we need to prove it again, he added, noting that, though he sees a great deal of hope and promise for 2021, it is imperative that the campus community never let down its guard. Most things will remain the same \u2013 mandatory masking, a 10-person limit on gatherings, social distancing, primarily grab-n-go meals and spring course modalities much like the fall, with approximately 60 percent of courses offered online, 25 percent hybrid and 15 percent face-to-face.<\/p>\n

\"Signs <\/a>
Signs around the Mary Washington campus remind the UMW community to wear masks in public places. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Most <\/a>
Most rules will remain the same during the spring semester, including MMDC: Monitor, Mask, Distance and Clean, in this sign displayed by UMW student David Miller. Students’ adherence to this oft-repeated mantra helped keep UMW’s COVID numbers down during the fall semester. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

While students won\u2019t begin spring semester classes until Jan. 25, the academic calendar<\/a> has been revised to include a new January 2021 term. Offered remotely from Jan. 4 to 22, this term is designed to keep students engaged and allows them to stockpile credits. Already, more than 400 students are enrolled in the 29 classes offered, ranging from Accounting 101 to The Three Big Q\u2019s: Love, Death and Justice.<\/p>\n

Although Spring Break has been eliminated to reduce the spread of the virus, two semester \u201cbreak days\u201d will be offered on Wednesday, March 10,\u00a0and\u00a0Tuesday, March 16.<\/p>\n

Student activities proliferated last semester, moving from campus to computer. Between Aug. 24 and Dec. 11, 372 events were held, with an average of more than three events per day, said Sandrine Sutphin, director of Student Activities and Engagement. She added that this level of student engagement will continue \u2013 and even accelerate \u2013 next semester.<\/p>\n

Students can expect to see an uptick in testing this spring as a result of increased availability and a revision in public health recommendations. New guidelines indicate the efficacy of testing asymptomatic individuals at universities. Thus, UMW plans to provide:<\/p>\n