The coronavirus outbreak forced Grand Valley State University to make major changes in March, including moving all instruction to distance learning during the spring and summer semesters. However, GVSU has announced that it expects to be doing face-to-face instruction during the Fall 2020 semester. Here in Allendale, we are all doing our best to work through COVID-19 and maintain normal student life as much as we can.
GVSU Responds to Student Concerns about the Effects of COVID-19
Last month GVSU President Mantella announced that the university was responding to student concerns in a number of ways. First, they will be allowing students to apply to Grand Valley
without requiring them to take SAT or ACT standardized tests since it will be more difficult for people to take them. They are also exploring other options for graduate school students. Second, Grand Valley now has $9 million in federal funds earmarked for students who experience financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. Students will soon be able to apply for funds on the financial aid
website. Additionally, there is a Student Support Fund that is available for students who may need immediate financial assistance.
Grand Valley is planning to reopen this fall semester with face-to-face instruction, but there will be measures put in place to protect students, staff, and faculty. These measures will include installing plexiglass dividers and stickers on the floors to indicate safe social distance, cleaning facilities multiple times a day and classrooms whenever possible, and maintaining social distancing in the classroom. Other aspects of student life, like large social gatherings, are still being discussed and decided.
Mantella encouraged faculty and students to remain positive during this crisis. "Universities that offer a low-cost, high-quality education and are agile will prevail. Grand Valley is one of those universities," she said. In fact, students are still enrolled in numbers that are actually higher than the numbers for spring and summer semesters in 2019 - despite all the chaos and disruption from the coronavirus.
Meadows Crossing Students Are Moving In
Here at Meadows Crossing we have been preparing for our new residents to move in. We’ve heard from many students that they are anxious to return to college and student life despite the uncertainties of this time. On Friday we moved over 20 residents into their
townhomes. We have redesigned the check-in process using our
Rec Room to ensure students’ safety. The new process includes:
- Having Meadows Crossing staff wear masks and gloves
- Asking our residents to wear masks
- Implementing a series of one-way check-in waiting stations and lines that respect the 6-foot social distancing requirements
- Limiting the number of people in the room by allowing only one family member to accompany each resident
We’ve asked overflow traffic to wait either outside or in their cars if the weather is rainy or cold in order that we can maintain social distancing one-way traffic through the Rec Room at all times. We have implemented similar measures in welcoming our residents when they come to request information or assistance in the office.
It’s a challenging time in the world and at Grand Valley, but student life does continue and we have hope that it will get better as we learn to deal with our circumstances and the pandemic recedes. We want to make sure that our residents have a good and safe experience here, so we ask that they follow our guidelines and be smart in their daily life too. Thank you for your patience and for choosing our apartment community as your home at GVSU.
