Twenty-three students remain at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford following the move to online instruction last week, and campus officials are helping to keep those students healthy and engaged.
To avoid the spread of the coronavirus, all University of Pittsburgh campuses moved to online instruction last week. As a result, nearly all students have moved off campus, professors are now teaching virtually and almost all staff members are working remotely.
“As this pandemic has evolved over the last several weeks, we have had to adjust our procedures and practices, like many other businesses and organizations,” said Dr. Catherine Koverola, president of Pitt-Bradford.
“While this has presented us with new challenges, we continue to provide the best possible services to our students, both online and on campus. I am so proud of how our entire campus community has been working together during this time.”
Some students were unable to move off campus, including students in the Bradford Regional Medical Center School of Radiography and those who could not return home due to distance, finances or safety.
Those students remaining on campus have been moved into the university’s town houses, where they have their own apartment and bathroom, allowing them to self-quarantine, if necessary.
To protect their safety as well as that of others, those students are not permitted to have any guests, must check-in with staff daily and practice preventive health measures. Dining services delivers meals to the students’ doorsteps twice daily.
For those remaining students as well as all the others, student affairs staff members are working with the Student Activities Council and clubs to organize virtual activities, ranging from esports to leadership programming, networking to online karaoke.
Additionally, this week staff members began calling every student, not just those who remain on campus, to check in with them and help them find answers to questions.
“It’s important for all of us to stay connected at this time, even if it’s remotely,” Koverola said. “It’s also essential that we keep all of our students active and engaged.”
While campus buildings are closed to the public, all offices are functioning. A minimal number of staff members, from campus police, facilities management, dining services and housing, still work on campus to serve the remaining students.
So far, no cases of COVID-19 have been reported on campus.
