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Univ. of Idaho set to lose $33M if campus doesn't reopen for in-person classes

U of I held a town hall with employees outlining what coronavirus protocols are in place and what the university stands to lose if it pivots to online learning.

MOSCOW, Idaho — The University of Idaho could stand to lose $33 million dollars if they completely pivot to online learning next fall.

U of I's president Scott Green presented the projections at an employee coronavirus town hall, Tuesday. 

The university lost $7 million when it closed down for the spring semester, and anticipates it would lose double that if they closed down for the full year. Coupled with 5% decrease in enrollment, the university is in jeopardy of losing $33 million if they start out with online learning. 

The university previously lost 150 positions in an attempt to make up a $22 million shortfall, according to Green.

The president cited the potential budget fallout as one of several reasons the campus intends to return to in-person learning. 

"Frankly, we're in a sitaution with no right answer," Green said. "Every path has risk and a human cost, one path allows us to exit this pandemic solvent and secure, so what I'm asking you to do is not be afraid to try."

Green clarified that the university is prepared to pivot to online learning "if our conditions dictate." 

The university said it's consulting Idaho Public Health, and Griman Medical Center, as well as keeping an eye on isolation space the university has available, positive case numbers in Latah county, case numbers within the U of I community, and infection modeling done by U of I faculty in it's decisions about whether to stay open, or move to distance learning.

Student testing

In the town hall, staff elaborated on plans the university has in place to accommodate social distancing to keep students and faculty safe when they return to in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

As U of I previously announced, all students returning for in-person classes will be tested for COVID-19, which will be processed on on campus labs throughout the month of August. U of I also stated they will continue to test students and staff throughout the school year.  

Faculty and staff are also heavily encouraged to get tested, however, it's not required. 

Students who opt out of testing will not be allowed to live on campus. 

As for football season, U of I's football team said it will follow the recommendations of the NCAA, but regardless of whether the season moves forward, the team won't play other teams that haven't tested their players.

Classroom capacity

The university also capped the amount of students allowed in any one classroom at 50% of the classroom's capacity. Every other chair will be marked as unavailable, or chairs will be removed from the room to accommodate social distancing guidelines. 

Instructors are also setting up classrooms so professors can be six feet away from students while teaching. 

Classrooms with two doors will be labeled with an entrance and an exit to help traffic flow between classes. 

Classes are also being moved into larger spaces on campus to better accommodate social distancing. The university said they are looking into using other facilities on campus, like on-campus ballrooms, to accomodate larger class sizes, and moving smaller classes into smaller rooms. 

Personal protective equipment

U of I is mandating mask use on campus with faculty and staff. Staff and faculty and students returning to in-person classes will be provided with masks before classes start. 

Faculty will be provided with masks through their departments, while students will have masks and hand sanitizer dispersed to the students through their dorm halls, or when they come to take their coronavirus test on campus. 

The university said students who refuse to wear masks will first be educated on the face covering rules by staff, but could be asked to leave facilities where masks are mandated, or referred to the dean of students if they refuse to comply. 

Faculty not complying with the mask mandate could be subject to disciplinary action through the university. 

    

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