MONMOUTH, Illinois — Monmouth College prepares to welcome students back this fall, but it will be a change of pace everywhere people look.
"When we are in the classroom together we are all expected to wear masks," says Robert Hinck, a communications professor.
The fall semester will look unusual and feel different too. Students will start one week earlier on August 18th, and will be gone before Thanksgiving.
"That way students don't have the opportunity to go home and then bring back whatever it is they bring back from Thanksgiving break," Hinck explains.
"That'll give our students from Thanksgiving break to mid-January with their families," says Dean of Faculty, Mark Willhardt.
Roommate assignments, he says, are their own struggle.
Many students have voiced they don't want a roommate for the fall semester. Due to COVID-19 and CDC guidelines, Monmouth will offer students their own room at no extra cost - converting doubles to singles.
"I think the difficulty becomes social spaces," says Willhardt. "Part of what we've done is we've minimized kitchen use, we've taken out microwaves, we are cleaning out refrigerators, we are doing extra cleaning to make sure those spaces are taken care of."
There won't be enough single rooms for all 1,000 students, but Willhardt says that shouldn't be a problem.
"There is going to be those students who want that residential experience, so they want those roommates," Willhardt elaborates.
Monmouth College says they will designate one residence hall to quarantine students who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the year.
The staff says they are planning for the spring semester, but hope there will be a vaccine by then.