Pilots Prevent
January 26, 2021
Spring Semester has kicked-off this week, and campus is vibrant with students again. Last week, students and their families arrived for their designated move-in appointments and were welcomed by University of Portland staff, who have been hard at work preparing to make the move-in process as smooth and safe as possible. Also awaiting students were baseline COVID-19 tests by UP health care partner Carbon Health, which required a negative result before move-in was allowed.
First-Year student Amanda Warwick ‘24, an education major in Mehling Hall, has been looking forward to coming to campus since last summer. “My plan was to move in last August, and I had almost everything I needed for the dorms ready to go,” she says. Like many students, she adapted to online courses when plans changed for Fall Semester, but missed the connections of in-person interactions. “One of the reasons I chose UP is that you get to go into field experience your first year,” she says. “I’m easily adaptable, but I personally prefer more hands-on work.”
Of course, resuming classes and activities comes with safety precautions of testing, physical distancing, and quarantining on campus for the first week of the semester. But the move-in process was exciting. “I moved in Tuesday morning, and it went smooth,” says Warwick. “It was beautiful and sunny, and amazing that it was not raining—that definitely brought everyone’s spirits up. I met my RA right when I walked in; it was really nice to see those friendly faces who were immediately welcoming. My parents were with me—we followed the protocols, we social distanced with other families. It was easy-going and smooth and I was not stressed at all.”
With her week-long quarantine nearly up, Warwick has been gearing up for the semester ahead. “I’ve settled in, I’ve kept myself very busy,” she says. Daily virtual events hosted by residence life staff allow hall members to meet one another and connect. She’s also been able to pick up food at the dining hall, take walks around campus, and meet familiar faces from her Fall Semester Zoom classes. “We created a group chat and weekly virtual hang outs, and actually being able to see them here was absolutely amazing and so exciting. We’ve met for dinner outside in the big white tents.” Warwick reports that everyone has been cautious and respectful of the health and safety guidelines and protocols.
On Monday, Feb. 1, a limited number of classes will begin to meet in person, mainly for those students living on campus and participating in the testing pools. These courses include approximately 35 3-credit courses in the University core, several advanced chemistry labs, clinicals for junior and senior nursing students, ROTC classes, and undergraduate research opportunities. All classrooms and labs meet the health and safety guidelines of the CDC, Oregon Health Authority, and Multnomah County.
Warwick continues to look forward to making more connections. “I have two in-person classes that start next week,” she says. “I hope to meet other people, and look for opportunities to get involved on campus. Before I arrived, I hoped that campus would surprise me in a positive way, and so far, it has.”
UP is committed to making sure that students have the best college experience they can right now, and taking extra precautions to ensure their safety. Elizabeth Ciemens, a parent of a student from Billings, Montana, agrees that the testing and health procedures that UP implemented in partnership with Carbon Health are reassuring. “University of Portland seems like it’s doing a good job with all the precautions it’s putting into place,” says Ciemens. “I happen to work in public health, so I have an idea of what needs to happen and I think UP is doing a good job.”
So far, UP has welcomed and tested around 825 students. Of those tested, only three results returned positive, and those cases are isolated and being monitored and receiving care in accordance with UP’s case management protocols. You can find the most recent confirmed data on the Pilots Prevent Dashboard.
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