NEW ORLEANS– Tulane University is gearing up to start the new school year with students already returning to campus.
Because classes will not be virtual, the school understands the need for more safety protocols for their students and staff.
“This school year won’t be like any other school year in the history of Tulane University,” President of Tulane University Mike Fitts said.
The coronavirus has brought on new challenges for Tulane, but they are meeting those challenges head on and mask on.
“We are testing our entire Tulane community before they come back and then once they return we will be testing continously, and if they test positive, we will isolate them,” he said.
So far the number of positive cases has been very low, he stated.
In addition to wide-spread testing, they’ve added 18 new portable classrooms all over campus.
“The classrooms are all twice as big as they need to be, this allows us to hold our classes in a socially distanced way,” Fitts said.
In regards to the new portable classrooms, Sophomore Grace Bregenzer said, “My parents are both in architecture, and I know that’s a long process to get the buildings up, so I’m very impressed.”
They’ve even added a new dining pavillion in addition to their food hall to keep students socially distanced. Masks must be worn in all public places on campus.
“I feel confident on what they are doing and I don’t feel in danger at all,” Freshman Max Yazdian said.
Though still, Tulane’s President Mike Fitts understands that parents, students, faculty, and the neighborhood could be concerned.
“I’m a parent, you worry about your child no matter what. The safety of our students is our number one directive. You can’t eliminate the risk, but you can minimize the risk in a sense,” he said.
“My mom is immune compromised so I’ve been very careful. It means a lot to me that Tulane is taking this seriously,” Freshman Ben Sklar said.
Tulane University starts classes next Wednesday, August 19th. Enrollment is up, they currently have 14,000 students enrolled.