ALLENDALE, Mich. — Grand Valley State University will soon be full of students again, and the school feels prepared for a safe return.
"We're doing everything we can to provide what we're calling a health informed face-to-face environment for those that want to do that," says Greg Sanial, Vice President of Finance and Administration at GVSU.
Before students arrive, they'll be asked to describe any potential symptoms they have felt in the week before moving in. If they have any, they'll be tested immediately for COVID-19. If not, the testing will happen randomly throughout the semester.
"Every two to three weeks, we will be looking to test a statistically significant size of the population," explains Sanial.
While the students are selected at random, Sanial says they won't force anyone to take one against their will.
"But, you know, I would appeal to their sense that this is about the public health," says Sanial. "Its not necessarily do I have the virus or not, its not that. Its about the public health."
If a student tests positive, they'll be quarantined in areas away from the more populated places on campus.
"We have isolation and or quarantine spaces set aside so they can do their 14 days," explains Sanial. "When they're in there, we'd check on them every day, make sure they obviously get food and everything."
And if a faculty member tests positive?
"The expectation would be that they would shift their class online for those two weeks," says Sanial.
The move in period for students is extended this year to allow for less crowding. Students can move in between August 23 and 27.
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