SAN ANTONIO – This year, students moving on University of Texas at San Antonio’s campus are experiencing a different process.
Safety measures are being taken to ensure social distancing protocols are being met in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.Instead of a move-in date, UTSA officials chose to go with a move in time period.
It started Aug. 10 and it extends until Aug. 23.
Student move-ins are by appointment only and no more than two people are allowed to help. There’s also an option to have belongings shipped to a students dorm room.
Incoming freshman Giselle Salas who moved in on Monday was pleasantly surprised by the safety measures put in place.
”Honestly I thought it was going to be packed... I don’t think like we encountered like any people throughout the entire process and they gave us bins and they’ve been cleaning them out. So it’s actually been really good,” Salas said.
But the semester is just getting started, and there is concern about parties and students getting lax with social distancing guidelines as they settle into campus life.
Meanwhile UTSA officials are taking steps to limit student to student contact by holding many campus events like meet and greets, virtually instead of in person.
”We want to have immersive experiences as often as possible, but in different ways than we’ve been able to do in the past. So when we’re thinking about these virtual events, we want to engage with our students as much as possible and identify ways for them to make connections with other students,” said LaTonya Robinson, Dean of Students.
Classes begin Monday.