MOSCOW, Idaho — After giving students the option of online learning after the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, administration and faculty members are preparing to welcome students back for a mostly in-person spring semester.
Students will return in January to increased security around and near campus, U of I spokesperson Jodi Walker said. In fact, law enforcement officers will patrol campus 24/7.
The university is also increasing its own campus security force and is in the process of hiring more officers. Additionally, Walker said they are partnering with several other law enforcement agencies, like Idaho State Police, to increase neighborhood patrols.
“That was at the request of our students,” Walker said. “[The students] said, ‘we’re feeling pretty good about on campus, it's really those areas off campus that we're unsure about.’”
U of I made the decision to return to a mostly in-person format after extensive discussion with administrators and students. Walker said the “overwhelming majority” of students want to be back in Moscow.
Third-year student Sophia Diffin finished the fall semester at home because she did not feel safe. Diffin said her professors were extremely flexible with online assignments and due dates.
But after hearing about all the increased security, Diffin said she feels comfortable returning to campus. Diffin also lives in a sorority house, which gives her comfort.
“Everyone's more aware of their surroundings, as well as an increased presence of security cars and policemen on campus,” she said.
Walker said there are still options for students who may not feel comfortable in person, including classes already offered in an online or virtual format.
Students will have the option of signing up for safety trainings, like self-defense classes, she said. There is also Safe Walk — where campus security officers walk or drive people to their destination.
Reminding students to always travel with a buddy at night is also a priority, Walker said. She said the university is prepared to meet every student where they are at, whether they are ready to return to campus or not.
Diffin said the very fabric of life as a U of I college student has changed since the four student murders in mid-November.
“One of the reasons I went to U of I is because it's a safe campus in northern Idaho. It's close to home and safe," she said. "And so, I think that ever since this happened, things have changed a little bit, which is just a sad thing.”
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: