Southeast plans to give coronavirus kits to students this fall

Students may begin to move into Southeast Missouri State University’s 18 residence facilities as early as Saturday.

Many of Southeast’s students commute but at least 2,350 are scheduled to live on campus when classes resume Aug. 24 for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the university.

The university moved to an all-virtual schedule after its spring break in March but is planning to hold in-person classes in less than two weeks.

As luggage, furniture and personal items are moved into rooms, Southeast’s administration will have a present waiting for undergraduates: a so-called “Protect the Nest” kit.

Each kit contains two face coverings, a 1-fluid-ounce vial of hand sanitizer and a card detailing best practices for staying safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The university will distribute 10,000 kits to students, faculty and staff at a cost of $2.99 per kit for an overall expenditure of $29,994, to be paid for entirely out of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.

Debbie Below, Southeast’s vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success, is a member of the university’s 23-member emergency response team, which created the kits, including the instructions to students.

A sample of SEMO face masks to be distributed to Southeast Missouri State University students for the fall semester.Submitted

“We fully expect very substantial compliance (in Fall 2020) to the guidelines,” said Below, who added that the experience of students attending Southeast’s summer classes gives confidence.

“We resumed face-to-face classes this summer and were pleased to find students, employees and visitors following (safety procedures) to a very high degree,” she said.

A total of 3,189 students were enrolled at Southeast over the summer and 21%, 671, took courses face-to-face, according to the university.

“There are three critical pieces of (student) guidance,” Below said.

• Strict adherence to face masking guidelines.
• Maintaining physical social distance of 6 feet or more.
• Following the protocol for a daily symptom check.

The last piece of advice requires some elaboration.

“If someone fails the daily (check),” Below said, “there are instructions printed on the card laying out what to do if the student appears to be symptomatic.”

Arrangements have been made for non-residential students to have access to the kits, and all buildings where classes are held will feature face mask and hand sanitizer dispensers, Below noted.

As an added precaution, parents are being invited to a drop-in question-and-answer session as they drop off students at their designated residence halls Aug 15 to 21.

Below said the underlying reason for the “Protect the Nest” initiative, originally unveiled July 20, is simple.

“We’re all in this (pandemic) together,” she said.