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Classes at Oklahoma Wesleyan University will be in session soon and the OKWU Cares team continues to carefully review health and safety protocols, especially COVID-related issues.

The OKWU Spring 2022 Plan focuses on a healthy community and safe learning environments. The full outline of the plan is broken down with this story at Bartlesville Radio dot com.

Spring classes start on January 17.

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OKWU Spring 2022 Plan:

Spring 2022 Plan

Oklahoma Wesleyan's goal in establishing the Spring 2022 COVID-19 Plan is to establish practical protocols based on information and data from federal, state, and local authorities and on information and experience from prior semesters. COVID is unpredictable, and flexibility is critical. OKWU will update the campus community as changes occur and new information is received. 

Campus Health and Safety:

OKWU expects all members of the campus community to maintain common sense hygiene as follows:

• Self-monitor for symptoms daily.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Praying the Lord's Prayer while washing your hands is a great idea.
• Use hand sanitizer as much as possible. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Please cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands, for those who don't have a tissue available.

Masks

• The use of masks is optional. However, students should pack masks to use in case of quarantine or for special situations, as noted below.
• We strongly recommend wearing a mask indoors when social distancing is not possible. If you choose not to wear a mask, please keep your physical distance and respect those who choose to wear a mask.
• Some of our faculty and staff are in a high-risk category and might reasonably request additional protection while on campus. Therefore, these faculty and staff members have the right to establish and enforce a mask policy in their classrooms and offices.
• We will not differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Tracing, Testing, Quarantine and Isolation

• OKWU will communicate with individuals who have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, in compliance with federal and state privacy requirements, as well as OKWU policies.
• OKWU will only disclose identifying information about individuals or groups who have tested positive for COVID-19 to appropriate health agencies.        
• Bartlesville has several sites available for students needing testing.

Quarantine:

• Quarantine restricts the movement of people who were potentially exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
• Students in close contact with an infected person will quarantine for ten days. Students in quarantine will go to class with masks inside and outside the classroom and buildings, always keep hand sanitizer with them, and wash hands frequently. Students in quarantine will pick up to-go meals and eat in their rooms.  

Isolation: 

• Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not ill. 
• Students who test positive or are symptomatic must isolate. Students isolated in campus housing will receive follow-up health checks, academic support, the transition to remote learning (if necessary), food delivery, and family contact as appropriate.
• For students in isolation, if no symptoms have occurred (asymptomatic) by day five, or if symptoms are resolving, including being fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine, the individual may move to quarantine protocols on day six.

Expanded Definition:

• Close contact refers to someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes without a mask starting 48 hours before illness onset until the patient is isolated.

Vaccinations

• OKWU does not require students to vaccinate but encourages students and families to make an informed choice to protect their health. Some outside organizations may require student vaccination to participate in specific opportunities.

Academics

• OKWU's traditional on-campus instruction begins on Monday, January 17.
• Some of our faculty and staff are in a high-risk category and might reasonably request additional protection while on campus. These faculty and staff members therefore have the right to establish and enforce a mask policy in their classrooms and offices.

Chapel

• Students are required to attend Chapel on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10 A.M. 
• In-person chapel requirements may flex as OKWU monitors the on-campus infection rate throughout the semester.

Residential Life

• Housing will open without restrictions. Please direct questions regarding housing to Megan Young at myoung@okwu.edu.

Dining

• Dining services will operate without restrictions. Pioneer and OKWU will provide accommodations for students in isolation and quarantine.