MOSCOW, Idaho — Fall classes started at the University of Idaho on Monday with students back on campus for in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, school leaders had said that coronavirus test results for just under one percent of all UI students and staff members tested so far have come back positive.
Over the summer, UI announced that it was intending to hold classes on campus this fall and that all students returning to campus would be tested for the virus. A UI spokesperson previously told KREM that the university's decision to welcome students back during the pandemic was partly tied to the school being a residential campus that brings in students from across Idaho.
"We've worked really hard to create a space where students can return," said UI Dean of Students Dr. Blaine Eckles on Monday. "Our students were really wanting to return to get to in-class instruction. This is a great day of celebration for us."
UI's plan notably differs from that of Washington State University, located just half-a-dozen miles away in Pullman. WSU has decided to offer primarily online classes this fall.
School leaders in Moscow had previously touted plans for a UI-run testing lab which would help process student COVID-19 tests as being a major factor in allowing in-person learning.
"We've invested heavily in upgrading a lot of our classrooms so we can do online and remote instruction. Many of our classes have a high-flex model where they can be in class or online and remote," said Eckles, who acknowledged that some in the UI community may be hesitant to return to campus.
Some UI students and faculty members have openly criticized the school's plan to reopen amid the pandemic that, as of Monday evening, had resulted in 182 confirmed coronavirus cases in Latah County since earlier this year.
UI data on Monday showed that the school had received test results back on 5,231 students and staff members so far with 0.98 percent of the tests coming back positive. The figure, the school explained, did not include positive cases associated with student-athletes that had been reported prior to when UI begun university-wide testing.
Six students who have tested positive for coronavirus are temporarily living in an on-campus isolation unit, according to UI spokeswoman Jodi Walker. The unit, which is in the former Targhee Hall dormitory building, allows infectious students to have room to themselves. Walker had previously said that the university was providing meals for the students as well.
Not far from the university administration building on Monday, music students could be overheard playing instruments for professors on campus lawns. The outdoor auditions, Eckles pointed out, were an example of learning that has changed in the wake of the pandemic.
Nearby tennis courts were also closed off and were being reserved as outdoor classroom space for the music department.
"I love being here. It's my favorite part of Idaho," said Joshua Bianco, a UI senior studying architecture, while sitting outside for one of his classes to start in a nearby building.
Bianco said that most of his classes this fall were online except for an architecture studio class which required in-person learning. In that instance, the senior said that he is being required to reserve classroom space in advance to accommodate social distancing.
"Basically, I have a desk and then there's a couple people way over there and way over there," he said, referencing the studio class. "It's been difficult. But then there's also been a lot of things that have been helpful out of it, because then I know how to space my time better."
Last week, authorities had received reports of large parties occurring off-campus according to Tyson Berrett, who serves as the campus captain for the Moscow Police Department. The gatherings prompted both MPD officers and school leaders to visit the areas where the parties happened, Berrett said, to educate students about responsibility during the pandemic.
"We need [students] to be a part of this," added Eckles. "We know students have been aching to come back and connect with their friends, that's resulted in some social gatherings off campus that have been disruptive to our community."
Eckles added that he and some colleagues, including UI president Scott Green, penned a letter to the student body last week asking that students follow safety guidelines and protocols surrounding gatherings.
Berrett, meanwhile said that "at least" 90 percent of people on campus have been wearing facemasks. While officers haven't issued any citations for people not wearing masks at the school, officers have issued some warnings and have educated others about mandatory face coverings on campus.