College Reopening Plans Include In-Person Classes

Westmont plans to reopen for the fall semester and bring students back to campus for classes, which begin August 31. The college will comply with every state, county and national health mandate regarding social distancing and other practices to keep everyone safe. Several task forces and 50 subcommittees are working to create protocols requiring appropriate physical distance between people on campus, such as reducing class size, holding classes outdoors, and reducing the seating capacity of the Dining Commons.

“Our campus and student body is the right size to be able to flex and modify daily operations and our learning environments as needed to develop successful and appropriate plans that comply with all safety precautions and protocols,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “With about 120 acres and a lot of open space and square footage per student, we can promote social distancing and adjust in-person learning and living on campus to fully comply with COVID-19 protocols. We’re fully committed to following all county, state and federal guidelines as we prepare all scenarios for a safe and healthy campus community.”

“We’ll exercise a lot of creativity and ingenuity in using classroom space by rotating classes and setting new limits on the number of students allowed in spaces,” says Provost Mark Sargent. “We’ll take advantage of our outdoor spaces to minimize any risk of cross contamination.”

Westmont employs a full-time doctor and will bring in sufficient health-care staff to test and treat students and will quarantine symptomatic students and trace their contacts. Students and visitors coming to campus will get their temperature taken and be required to wear face coverings.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is expected to make an announcement regarding athletics for the fall semester on July 1, and the Golden State Athletic Conference will follow with its expectations to ensure the health of participants.

There have been no positive COVID-19 cases reported by the Westmont student community.