KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Colleges and universities across Missouri and Kansas are bracing for significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic as they prepare to reopen campuses for the fall semester.
The University of Kansas and University of Missouri will require masks on campus, though Mizzou's policy only requires masks inside campus buildings. Kansas State University also will require masks be worn when social distancing of at least six feet isn't possible.
The coronavirus fractured spring and summer semesters for colleges across the country, forcing campuses to close and classes to move online. Education officials warn the effects may still be felt this upcoming academic year, with schools facing diminished enrollment and significant revenue losses.
“There have been concerns, especially from students whose parents ,or they themselves, their livelihoods, have been affected through layoffs or furloughs in terms of income,” Eric Blair, the vice president of enrollment and marketing at William Jewell College, said
Coronavirus impacts enrollment numbers
William Jewell College is actually seeing more applications and a higher number of committed students compared to last year.
For the fall 2020 class, applications are up 37% as on June 17 and commitments are up 17%.
Jewell was one of the first higher-education institutions in the Kansas City metro to commit to reopening campus for the fall.
“All of our classes are less than 30 students, save for maybe a couple science labs, and even those can be broken into smaller sections,” Blair said. “We have the ability to spread students out in our physical location and know name by name.”
Most colleges and universities continue recruiting students until classes resume, so KU and University of Missouri-Kansas City said it is too early to determine how the pandemic will impact enrollment.
Wichita State University President Jay Golden posted a letter to students online, conceding that he expects to see a reduction in enrollment.
Coronavirus prompts changes on campus
Much like Jewell, local community colleges are seeing some benefit from the uncertainty accompanying the pandemic. In this case, the economic struggles.
“When the economy goes into a circumstance like this, community college enrollment goes up. It’s complicated this time because of the COVID crisis,” Metropolitan Community College Chancellor Kimberly Beatty said.
Like other schools and systems, Metropolitan Community College — which has Missouri-based campuses in Independence, Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, the Northland and St. Joseph — is working on a plan to return students to campus safely for the fall.
Beatty said some of the changes students can expect to see include tables and desks spread farther apart as well as a mixture of in-person and online courses.
“What this crisis is doing is making us all creative," she said. "We are thinking more out of the box about what we need to do and how we can deliver those things to make sure we stay true to our mission, which is teaching and learning and supporting our students."
UMKC announced it will have in-person classes that are limited to 25% capacity. It is also closing or limiting access break rooms, lunchrooms, common ares and gathering areas.
Here are some of the changes at other area schools:
University of Kansas
- Requiring face masks on campuses
- Shortening the academic calendar
- Staggering move-in schedules
- Developing in-person and online curriculum for classes
University of Missouri
- Requiring face masks inside campus buildings
- Developing in-person and online curriculum for classes
Kansas State University
- Requiring face masks, when social distancing is not possible
- Shortening the academic calendar
- Staggering move-in schedules
- Developing in-person and online curriculum for classes
University of Missouri Kansas City
- Limiting in-person classes limited to 25%
- Prohibiting visitors to student residence halls
- Closing or limiting break rooms, lunchrooms, common areas and gathering areas
Wichita State
- Eliminating two-day fall break
- Developing in-person and online curriculum for classes
