Oxford, Ohio – Miami University President Gregory Crawford said in an announcement Friday, “This week we have all been witnessing a troubling spread of COVID-19 on university campuses across the nation, and we will continue to monitor developments as many more schools begin to reopen next week so we can learn from their challenges and decisions.”
Along with the statement Crawford reported that on the Oxford campus, since the start of classes, they have had 10 positive COVID-19 tests among students and 2 among employees.
Miami has now created a dashboard to track positive results from tests conducted at the Employee Health Center and Student Health Service managed by TriHealth.
The announcement also introduced a symptom tracking app, Campus Clear (available for download from the app store on a mobile device), which must be completed daily if coming to campus. An illness/absence reporting system is also in place to help track potential outbreaks in the Oxford community.
Buildings on all campuses have reopened. Miami has begun to phase-in on-campus operations, and in the coming weeks students will be returning in stages.
Fall classes began on Monday, August 17, mostly remote, with graduate students and some programs in person.
Classrooms are organized to maintain six-foot physical distancing, and cleaning materials are available to clean desks and common spaces before and after each use.
Students who will be living off campus are encouraged to stay home, if they can, until face-to-face courses start on Monday, September 21. All students are expected to follow health and safety protocols, “like those in our residence halls, in their off-campus living arrangements.”
All returning students must sign the Healthy Together Community Pledge, committing to take responsibility for their health and others’ through recommended precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus and in the community. The pledge focuses on preventative measures such as social distancing, face coverings, cleaning practices, handwashing and sanitation, daily symptom assessment, limiting indoor or outdoor gatherings to fewer than 10 people, and not attending or hosting any gathering where physical distancing is not possible. It also asks students to pledge to participate in testing, contact tracing, and quarantine or isolation if they or their close contacts become ill with COVID-19.
The phased-in strategy will culminate with the students residing on campus moving into the residence halls during the week of September 14. Face-to-face and hybrid offerings will begin on campus on Monday, September 21.
