Misty Watson/Dalton State CollegeDalton State College students observe social distancing during a class on campus. All classrooms have sanitizer and wipes, students remain in their same seats throughout the semester, and the computers of faculty have webcams so classes can be streamed and recorded for virtual students, said Misty Watson, communications manager. 

Dalton State College opened for the start of the 2020-21 academic year on Aug. 10, and the new year brought with it a host of new public health measures in response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which had forced the college into complete virtual learning this spring to close out the 2019-20 academic term.

“My impression, and the impression I’ve gotten talking to others, is that it’s gone even better than we hoped,” Margaret Venable, Dalton State’s president, said.

“I spent some time on the quad … and they were all wearing masks,” Venable said. “Peer pressure” is functioning in a positive manner on campus, as “with everyone wearing a mask, you don’t want to be the only one not wearing a mask.”

And as third-year student Jennifer Granados said: “If I don’t (follow the public health protocols), I can’t be here, and I want to be here.”

Students “have done very well with social distancing and wearing masks,” Granados said. “Everyone is very cooperative.”

Wearing masks “is becoming the norm,” said Misty Watson, communications manager for Dalton State. “You have to do it when you walk into a business or a store, so it’s (not a shock to the system) to have to do it on campus.”

Junior Yaphet Salgado hasn’t minded the new protocols, although masks do “scratch, rub and (irritate)” his beard, he said with a chuckle. “It’s a little tricky, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Masks are required indoors with few exceptions, such as in private offices and study rooms where a person is alone, in rooms/suites inside Mashburn Hall where students living on campus as roommates are considered a family unit, and for documented health reasons, according to the college. A reusable cloth mask has been provided to each Dalton State student and employee.

Like many colleges and universities, Dalton State adjusted its calendar to end the semester at Thanksgiving break, Watson said. Students won’t have to return for the second semester until 2021.

All classes are using GeorgiaVIEW, the statewide online learning environment for public colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia, to supplement in-class instruction, and Dalton State is focused on social distancing in classes (more than 6 feet of space), as well as employing flipped classes and hybrid classes, according to the college. In the former, classroom time on campus is focused on applied learning, problem-solving and labs, with lectures available online where appropriate, while in the latter, class activities are split between online learning and on-campus attendance.

If students need to shift to virtual learning for a time due to a positive COVID-19 test for themselves or those around them, they can do that smoothly, “and we have a very close partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health, who will handle our contract tracing and notifications” in that event, Venable said. In addition, staff members and students visit campus only on certain days, with the goal of limiting the scope of any outbreak.

Capacity has been reduced in rooms and classes all over campus, including in the dining area, where it’s been cut by 50%, Watson said. The college has also opened a new outdoor plaza for more outdoor seating.

“There’s no more salad bar; it’s more grab-and-go,” she said. “You order it, they make it; you take it and go.”

Dalton State is adopting enhanced cleaning protocols and providing hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes throughout campus, according to the college. Individuals are encouraged to wipe down areas of high usage multiple times a day and expected to continue following Georgia Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for personal hygiene.

All classrooms have sanitizer and wipes, students remain in their same seats throughout the semester, and the computers of faculty have webcams so classes can be streamed and recorded for virtual students, Watson said. “Whenever I’ve seen students come into a classroom this week, the first thing they do is wipe down their area.”

The Derrell C. Roberts Library is open in a limited capacity for student and employee services, and library staff will continue to provide resources to the campus community and the public virtually, Watson said. “That’s one limitation we have at this time, but there are plenty of other great spots on campus for students to meet.”

Academic support, including tutoring, will continue to be provided both virtually and in-person as physical distancing allows, Watson said. “That’s a biggie.”

The Pope Student Center continues to serve students with physical distancing guidelines in place, according to the college. The Ken White Student Health Center, which includes the counseling center, is primarily providing telehealth services, but in-person services are available by appointment.

Requiring appointments has become standard on campus in a variety of areas due to the pandemic, Watson said. In addition, staff members often have plexiglass barriers separating them from individuals they are assisting.

Dalton State is also converting as many elements of student life to the virtual realm as possible, and “I have to give our staff credit, because they’ve been very creative,” Venable said. “That started this spring,” when all activities and resources for career week were moved online, “and it’s just continued.”