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Stevens campus life prevails in the midst of pandemic

After half a semester of virtual learning last spring, Stevens opened campus this fall to a select number of students. At least one in-person class has been offered to freshmen and transfers, while all returning students are taking every class online. The Stevens campus is open, but there are many limits and regulations in place to ensure the safety of the Stevens community.

According to Marybeth Murphy, Vice-President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, “out of the 983 currently enrolled first year students, 763 are attending on-campus classes and 220 are fully remote.” However, they note that students are continuing to change their plans for the fall semester, causing these numbers to “shift daily”. 

During the months prior to the opening of campus for the Fall 2020 semester, Stevens made plans to accommodate the current 763 students that were planning to attend on-campus classes so that their safety would be completely guaranteed. Murphy and Klein detailed some of these changes, mentioning that Stevens “implemented weekly, mandatory COVID-19 testing” for all people that will be on campus, including students, faculty, and administration. Members of the Stevens community also had to complete an educational module about COVID-19, as well as thoroughly familiarize themselves with all campus protocols. Murphy and Klein stress the importance of the Stevens Health Honor Code, as it “outlines the principles by which those coming to campus need to abide to promote health and wellbeing throughout our campus community.” Such principles include: wearing a face mask at all times, social distancing, frequently washing and sanitizing hands, reducing possibility of contacting people with COVID-19, and checking, daily, for symptoms. As well as this, Klein and Murphy state that “many aspects of the campus infrastructure have also been updated and improved, such as the HVAC and air handling systems, installation of acrylic dividers at high contact locations, signage throughout campus supporting social distancing and promoting hygiene, restroom fixtures, and cleaning protocols.”

Although there are many limits to campus life, Murphy and Klein note that “Stevens staff are dedicated to providing a meaningful experience for both in-person and online students”. There are a large variety of virtual workshops, programs, and events that students can actively participate in through Ducklink, and by frequently checking @stevensstudents on Instagram. Through Handshake, Career Center events are updated and posted. For students living on campus, each Resident Assistant (RA) provides updates with different events and programs that are taking place on campus. The RAs also offer opportunities for students to connect within each floor of the residence hall. On campus there are also outdoor tents with socially distant seating arrangements for students to interact with one another. More information on the extent of Stevens’ return-to-campus policies can be found on their Return to Campus website.

Evan Carus, freshman Music and Technology major, remarks on his experience of campus life so far. “One thing that certainly has been affected by the coronavirus is the ability to socialize,” he says, mentioning that “opportunities to socialize” occur “mainly in passing in common spaces like hallways or the dining hall.” Carus additionally notes that he’s adjusted quite well to Stevens online learning system, stating that virtual and hybrid classes have gone “smoothly” overall. “Rarely has class ever been awkward or difficult, and overall the technology has performed really well,” he confesses. Carus has been trying to adjust to living on campus in the midst of the pandemic’s limitations. “During my first two weeks I’ve tried to go for walks around campus, as well as in and around Hoboken as frequently as I can just to get out of the dorm.” Since most extracurriculars have been limited to virtual meetings, Carus states, “I haven’t joined any extra curricular activities yet, but I will once club sports are allowed.”

Gabriella Rodriguez, freshman Computer Science major, is currently taking all of her courses online for the semester. “This year I was hoping to be on campus but I had to make the decision to take all of my classes online due to the pandemic,” she says, noting that “it’s a totally different experience but all of the teachers make it feel like a regular class environment.” Rodriguez agrees with Carus that it is much harder to talk to people and make friends without an in-person connection. However, she shares that “being put into breakout rooms of Zoom helped me to communicate with others and meet new people.”

Both Carus and Rodriguez have high hopes for eventually attending courses on-campus, both expressing interest in joining club sports as soon as they’re active once again. While they express that the ability to socialize has been hindered, they are still finding ways to get outside and make the most out of their first-year experience at Stevens.

Featured image courtesy of @followstevens on Instagram.

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