Walker reports Lee’s COVID-19 case numbers on sixth day of classes
All photos by Rhianna Barrow
In a Tuesday morning video to the “Lee Family,” the newly-assumed President of Lee University, Dr. Mark L. Walker, announced that four students living in Medlin Hall have contracted COVID-19.
At the suggestion of the Tennessee Department of Health, Walker has moved to have each floor of the dorm cleaned and sanitized today. Starting on the fourth floor, residents must evacuate until all cleaning and sanitizing materials have dried.
“We have followed all the protocols for the handling of positive cases according to the Tennessee Health Department and Center for Disease Control guidelines,” said Walker.
During his virtual address, Dr. Walker also disclosed there are 14 active positive cases in quarantine, as of Tuesday night. The most recent cases came from students living in Medlin Hall.
“Today, starting with the fourth floor of Medlin, we will ask the students of that floor to leave for cleaning to take place,” said Walker. “Once the cleaning chemicals have dried sufficiently, the students on that floor may return to their floor. The same procedure will occur on the next floor, until all the floors are cleaned.”
Students returned to campus last week with mixed feelings about hybrid classes and the potential spread of COVID-19 as Lee implemented strict reopening guidelines and procedures.
The first three days of hybrid classes ended with an average of 3,450 people being temperature scanned each day by 273 “checkpoint team” members across 13 stations.
In Monday’s Q&A session hosted by Office of Admissions Vice President Phil Cook, Walker thanked students and staff for following the newly-introduced regulations.
“We’re off, I believe, to a fantastic start,” Walker said. “Thank you. You are doing awesome. You are exercising responsible citizenship. You are taking personal responsibility to wear a mask. You are being patient and flexible [while] standing in the checkpoint lines, and it’s making a difference.”
In an Aug. 10 Q&A, Walker sat down to answer several questions about the upcoming semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker stated the current prevalence of COVID-19 would pose difficulties to the upcoming school year.
“We’re going to have cases,” Walker said. “There’s just no way around that. That’s going to happen.”
Walker emphasized that extensive measures, including virtual alternatives for otherwise in-person events, are being implemented to reduce the risk posed by COVID-19.
“Everything we normally do when new students come in, in terms of the gateway classes, in terms of the parent orientation, in terms of the dedication service — all of that will be happening; it’s just going to be done in a virtual manner,” Walker said.
In a recent email to the “Lee Family,” Dr. Jayson VanHook, Vice President for Information and Marketing, shared Lee’s official Return to Campus Guide.
The guide states, “The fall semester will require adjustments for all of us. Our commitment is to place our highest priority on the health and safety of our students and staff. We believe we can do that while still providing the special ‘Lee experience’ which makes our university such an attractive choice for thousands of students each year.”
These changes have also affected the procedures of Lee’s Residential Life and Housing. Walker encouraged on-campus students to contact Res Life staff to receive updates on how dorms will go forward with their plans for social distancing.
“It’s going to be very, very important that you stay in touch with your RDs and your RAs as you get on campus,” Walker said. “All of that activity that might be happening around campus normally is going to be — because of our COVID-19 protocols — going to be taking place pretty much in the res halls as it is.”
Assistant Director of Residential Life Chris Gates said visitation is no longer allowed, and the furniture from common areas has been removed to promote students’ well-being.
“One of the things we’ve found out is that every student has a different opinion and perspective on COVID, and so the best way for us to support and care for students is to make sure we’re taking their safety as our number one priority,” Gates said.
Walker said face masks will continue to be required on campus, especially in “situations where social distancing cannot be guaranteed.” Additionally, Lee will continue temperature checks, with temperature check stations listed in the Return to Campus Guide.
The COVID-19 situation on campus will be monitored daily by Lee’s Coronavirus Task Force, Walker said, and a broader plan for distance learning may be enacted should Lee’s contingencies for containing the virus become compromised.
“If it comes to a situation where our quarantine spaces are somehow getting too full …If we don’t feel that we can keep faculty and staff and students safe, we will certainly look to an alternative plan to possibly shut down in some way,” Walker said.
The new protocols’ implementation has opened up opportunities for students to receive service hours by administering temperature checks at building entrances.
“As we are looking to develop a workforce to help us with all of the different protocols we’ve been talking about — especially the checkpoint stations, temp check stations, sanitizing — all of that, we’ve got to mobilize a workforce for that,” Walker said. “We’ll be able to hire some of that, but we are also looking at students who might want to volunteer and who would want to look to get service hours.”
Contact the Leonard Center for further details on these service-learning opportunities.
Classrooms this fall are utilizing the hybrid structure used for the last term of this year’s summer courses — involving social distancing in person and virtual distance learning through Zoom.
“We hope that’s more of the exception and not the rule,” Walker said. “We do firmly believe that in that classroom — even if it’s socially distanced, even if it’s got plexiglass, even if some are wearing masks — it’s still the best way to really learn and develop.”
Walker noted that students are required to attend chapel services this upcoming semester, using a hybrid method of live and virtual attendance similar to the new classroom structure.
Walker ended Monday’s live stream with a word of encouragement to students.
“Be persistent,” Walker said. “Don’t give up easily. Keep pressing in and moving forward. Keep making yourself available in these opportunities to connect.”
