HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the beginning of the school year, Marshall University Provost Jaime Taylor is confident in the institution’s plans to protect all who come onto campus.
Marshall President Jerome Gilbert announced on Wednesday that Marshall will offer additional classes virtually during the fall semester because of the pandemic.
Taylor detailed more of the plan on Thursday’s MetroNews ‘Talkline’ and said there are still plans to begin the semester on Aug. 24 with its residence halls opening under a previously announced plan.
He also said that instruction will take place face-to-face, virtual and online.
“We know from hearing from our students and our faculty that they want to interact live. They want to be with each other, interact with each other and we are going to be the best we can to create that type of environment for them,” Taylor said.
For students moving into the residence halls, they will be required to be tested for COVID-19. Taylor said it’s a part of Marshall’s thorough testing plan.
“Everybody that comes into the residence halls will be 100 percent tested, international and out of state students will be on-hundred percent tested,” he said.
“Just as the governor said, we will be testing everybody as they get to campus. After that, we are going to be doing random sampling throughout the semester.”
Taylor said Marshall is working with the City of Huntington for students moving back to town but living off-campus. He said Marshall is working to control what they can, the “experiences on the campus.”
The experiences inside any building on campus will be with a mask. Taylor said Marshall has a mandatory mask rule for all people.
Freshmen and some graduate-level students will take part in most of the in-person classes at Marshall.
Dr. Jaime Taylor, @marshallu Provost, speaks with @HoppyKercheval about how Marshall is changing their fall schedule. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/seAOo4ecGD
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) July 30, 2020