After a week of remote learning, students will be allowed to return to classes on campus, which will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students will still have the option to continue classes remotely.

As a precautionary measure, college administration decided to make the first week of classes of the 2021 Spring Semester remote learning only. The reasoning was to make sure there was not a spike in COVID case transmission after the holiday break.

The decision to proceed with in-person learning came after another good result in the second round of testing. Dorm residents were tested on Monday and of 80 students, there were no positive results. This follows the first round of testing which took place on January 4; of the 68 students tested, only one was positive.

Testing will continue, but on a weekly, randomized basis, beginning on Tuesday. It will be conducted among the general student population including student-athletes and dorm residents. Students who are taking all their classes via remote learning will be exempt from the testing.

Individuals will be notified if they have been selected at least 72 hours prior to the test. If a student elects to not participate in the random screening, they will be treated as presumed positive and be required to quarantine per the Kansas Department of Health and Environment guidelines.

In addition to the testing, other safety measures at the college include installing partitions on dining tables in the cafeteria as well as placing air purifiers around campus – in classes and highly populated areas such as the library.