Welcome back to all our students! The College’s Fall quarter began on Monday, August 31, 2020.
While classes this fall will look very different than any time in our history, including hybrid and fully online instruction, socially distanced indoor and outdoor classrooms, temperature checks, and masks, we are grateful to be able to come together in a way that upholds educational opportunity while maximizing the health and safety of the entire Antioch community.
Due to COVID-19, a wide variety of operational changes have been devised for the quarter, and all faculty, staff, and students coming to campus consented to a community health and safety agreement.
It was agreed that the safest way to welcome students back to campus was to spread move-in over four days—August 26 and 27 for new students, and August 29 and 30 for returning students—with morning and afternoon time blocks.
Before receiving their room keys, all students were required to take a rapid-result COVID-19 test. While some employees continue to work remotely, faculty and staff working on campus were also required to obtain an initial test before returning for the quarter, and ongoing monitoring guidelines established in consultation with public health and medical professionals have been devised to reduce the possibility of transmission.
Orientation began on Wednesday, August 26, with check-in/move-in at the Coretta Scott King Center. Students received information about financial aid, billing and insurance, and their student IDs. They could also attend a concurrent campus resource fair. COVID-19 testing took place at McGregor, followed by a talk about residence life policies. The busy day finished with a movie night. The same schedule was followed on Thursday.
Friday was filled with informational sessions, ending with a socially distanced jam session to kick back, listen to music, and relax. Over the course of the weekend, students were able to go on a campus tour, take a class photo, stretch out during Yoga on the Lawn, learn about the history of Blacks in Yellow Springs through a tour with the 365 Project, tour the Farm, hike in the Glen, and share socially distanced meals together.
The first week of classes saw the campus come together virtually for the first Community Meeting of the quarter and the call for Community Governance nominations. The Antioch College Works Job Fair showcased a wide range of student employment opportunities across campus. All students are guaranteed on-campus work during study terms through the new Antioch College Works program, which builds on our 100-year tradition of Cooperative Education and experiential learning.
Also during the first week of classes, frequent Co-op employer Dr. Don Schoch ’72, and his partner Dr. Catherine Kylie, dropped by campus to treat bio-medical students Benjamin Timmester ’22, Noah Greer ’22, Austin Korner ’22, and Maya Ziegler ’22 to dinner, along with Co-op professor Beth Bridgeman.
Doctors Schorch and Kylie had the chance to catch up with former Co-op employees Maya and Ben (who recently completed his EMT certification under Miami Township Fire-Rescue Fire Chief Colin Altman ’93), and were interested to hear about Austin’s recent Co-op in telemedicine in San Francisco with Dr. John Mendelson ’77. They also advised Noah on career possibilities in new medical administrative fields.
