Itâs a great feeling to have students return to the University of Idaho. Vandals are mostly back on campus and in the community in advance of Mondayâs start of classes. Weâre also in the midst of welcoming our newest class into the family with events that continue into next week here in Moscow and at our centers around the state. Weâre all wearing face coverings â many silver and gold â and the return to the residence halls and Greek chapter facilities has been staggered to accommodate smaller groups. The landscape looks a little different, but itâs nice to have the hustle and bustle of students back here in Moscow. That vibrant buzz has been missing since March and I hope we never lose it again. There just really is no substitute for the direct student/instructor interaction and the unique discussions that come from being together in person. All of our students have either been or soon will be swabbed for COVID-19 through an in-house lab, a partnership with Gritman Medical Center in Moscow. Our testing program so far has yielded a positivity rate of less than 1% of our student, faculty and staff population. Students must have a negative test result or be cleared by Public Health to engage in courses in person. Thanks to the tireless efforts of university employees, those who live on campus and need to isolate have bed space and are being cared for here. Those who are cleared will have more classroom options, will be seated farther apart than normal, and have the ability to split time between in-class and online environments until the pandemic subsides. Despite the challenges, weâre continuing the traditions that have made the University of Idaho such a special place for 130 years. Weâll hold a brief ceremony Sunday on the Theophilus Tower Lawn to welcome our incoming class of freshmen, take a class photo and begin the ceremonial Vandal Walk to the Admin Lawn so they can start their University of Idaho experience with a barbecue. It will be great to have everyone back! Still, we must all remain vigilant to be successful and to execute on our mission to provide the best learning environment possible â and our students are taking the lead. The pledge we make today to keep our entire family healthy and safe, and the steps we take to reinforce safety throughout our campus community, will both pay dividends for students and our greater community as we resume the Brave and Bold traditions we hold dear. Keep Calm and Vandal On has been our charge over the past five months. Iâm confident we can keep it up as we return to this new normal. Itâs on all of us to keep this university safe and open. |