Huskies prepare now for the start of the school year like no other. With COVID-19 precautions leading to primarily virtual instruction and no Husky football this fall, Seattle campus operations will look different. This means lower levels of activity around campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods, but neighbors can still expect to see a moderate increase in activity starting later this month.
Overall, staff and faculty are working to ensure high quality instruction and the health and safety of the campus community. UW Medicine remains at the forefront of COVID-19 testing, treatment and research. Students, staff and faculty from all over UW have developed innovative ways of teaching, serving and connecting despite COVID-19, starting last spring and now moving into fall.
Neighbors and travelers through the greater University District in Seattle will notice an increased level of activity starting September 8 when some students return to the Greek houses north of campus, and then again the third week of September as students start to move into the residence halls. Final numbers won’t be available until October, but UW expects just more than 4,000 students will live on the Seattle campus this fall. Unfortunately, there won’t be common hangout areas and while food services will be open, the options will be restricted to grab-and-go.
More than 90 percent of class sections on the Seattle campus will be held online. Only very small courses (usually higher level undergraduate and graduate courses) and classes that cannot be taught remotely (labs and performance arts, for example) will be held in person. In these classes masks and physical distancing will be required. UW Facilities is gearing up for frequent and intense cleaning of rooms.
As a reminder, face coverings are required for anyone on campus indoors (unless working solo in a private office) and outdoors when it’s not possible to maintain distancing from others.
On a final note, small businesses around UW’s three campuses, also, are experiencing a year like no other. Keep them in mind when thinking about take-out food, outdoor dining (several in Seattle are participating in a partial closure of University Way between 41st and 43rd in order to make distanced café seating possible), small retail needs, and school supplies (University Bookstore’s online ordering has proved super quick).
COVID-19 resources
The University of Washington maintains a COVID-19 facts and resources page that contains both internal and external links on a variety of related topics, such as what to do if you feel sick. View https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/ to start, and drill down to even more specific resources on this page with autumn quarter FAQs: https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/autumnquarter/