In an email to students on Wednesday, Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen provided updates for classes in the fall 2020 semester.

She announced that classes will start on August 17 and the fall 2020 semester will conclude on Wednesday, Nov. 25, which is the day before Thanksgiving.

Classes will also be held on Labor Day, which is Sept. 7. 

To reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 at Iowa State, Wintersteen also announced that the number of students per classroom will be reduced, students and professors are expected to wear face coverings and modifications will be made to avoid congestion in buildings, bus stops, walkways and other areas. 

Physical distancing and wearing face coverings are expected to be worn in and around campus, Wintersteen stated.

Wintersteen also announced that Thielen Student Health Center is going to put in place enhanced contact tracing to potentially help identify and resolve potential exposure. 

With the possibility of COVID-19 being on Iowa State’s campus, residence halls, university apartments and dining halls will have some modifications.

The Iowa State Department of Residence (DOR) also announced their modifications for the fall semester.

The move in process is going to be spread over a longer length of time than it would in normal years, but DOR has not announced when these dates will be. 

Bedroom occupancy will be limited to one or two people with triple and quad rooms being labeled as double occupancy; testing will be provided for every residence hall and apartment resident at move in; staff members at each dining hall, residence hall and university apartment will be required to do a daily symptom check before working; and cleaning and safety protocols will be increased.

To go along with physical distancing, isolation and quarantine spaces will be provided by DOR.

At dining locations, to-go and online ordering options will be increased and grocery items will also be added at campus markets.

Wintersteen also stated in the email that these decisions for the fall and that updates will be shared on this website.