UT Arlington students begin their fall semester on Wednesday.
For many students, this is the first time in a long time that they are taking face-to-face teaching.
“I’m ready to start,” said Uma Ogans, who finally jumps out of the virtual world. “I’m really excited to be back on campus and interacting with new faces and students. But I too am. I feel a bit scared because we’ve been free for a year. “
Ogans is starting his senior year at UTA to graduate in business administration and marketing. He’s also president of the Black Student Association and is ready for the interaction students have longed for.
“Over the summer, I spoke to the incoming freshmen and transfer students who didn’t have the opportunity to personally experience what it was like to be personal at UTA,” he said to make your college experience much more enjoyable. If you see someone on campus more than once, you have to say hello to them. Make a new friend and say hello. “
an ogan
Uma Ogans is both excited and concerned about returning to face-to-face classes at UT Arlington.
As students get back into the swing of personal campus life, the school is taking some unique steps to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“We heard it loud and clear from many of our students. They want to be back in class, they want that face-to-face interaction, and they want to be back on campus and be able to be with their friends, colleagues and classmates, ”said Joe Carpenter, Chief Communications Officer for UTA. “That’s what we’re going to focus on, but in the safest way we can.”
Masks are not needed due to Governor Greg Abbott’s continued ban on mask mandates, which local governments and school districts continue to oppose.
But like many universities, the UTA takes action on the things it can control. The university will implement a security plan this semester that includes two unique protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On the one hand, the UTA requires everyone to submit COVID tests by September 8th. The tests are made available to students, faculty and staff free of charge.
“This gives us a good overview of the health of our students, faculty and staff,” said Carpenter. “We are guided by the recommendations of the health authorities and the guidelines of the CDC. That’s why we emphasize the things we should be doing. “
For the next two weeks, UTA will also temporarily reduce class sizes to 50% or less. Professors will coordinate with students on who will switch between virtual and face-to-face to keep class size down and allow for easier social distancing.
After two weeks, the university will again check whether this protocol should be continued or not.
“One of the things I think we have learned and seen is – we are taking all the precautions we can, but we must be diligent. We all have to take this virus seriously, ”said Carpenter. “While we need to be flexible, we find that there really is a spirit of collaboration to tackle this together.”
UTA also hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinics and offers vaccination incentives to get more students vaccinated.
Ogans said he was convinced of the security protocols.
“I was nervous about coming back on campus because of the amount of new people that will be there. But since UTA has reduced the classroom size to 50%, they are doing a really good job of helping us comply with COVID safety guidelines, ”he said.
There is a ray of hope in the midst of uncertainty. UTA has just received the prestigious Texas Tier 1 award, a major milestone in excellence in science and research, which now gives it access to the state’s National Research University Fund (NRUF).
The university is now one of only four schools in the country to be recognized as a leading research university. It is also the first university to receive the Texas Tier One designation in more than three years.
UTA has achieved this status by meeting or exceeding the rigorous benchmarks of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for at least two consecutive years. Click here to learn more.
“This is a game changer for UTA that has been in development for almost 12 years. The Texas Tier One designation is a public invitation to take a fresh look at the academic and scientific excellence of UTA and the impact of this particular university on the region, the state of Texas and beyond, ”said Teik C. Lim, Interim President of UTA . “This award is earned through a demonstrated commitment to academic and scientific excellence and means that UTA in Texas is ranked as a small group of the highest quality research universities in the state.”
IT’S OFFICIAL: UTA has been named Texas Tier One❗
UTA is now one of the few select Texas universities recognized for their academic and scientific excellence.
Keep it up, Mavs! #MavUp pic.twitter.com/QDC35ITy0f
– UT Arlington (@utarlington) August 19, 2021
The Mavericks hope to maintain that kind of momentum to get their students through another school year amid the pandemic.
“We know that there is light here at the end of the tunnel if we stick together and work together. We’ll get through this, ”said Carpenter.
In the meantime, it is important for students everywhere to stay up to date with their campus logs as the situation with COVID-19 remains fluid.
“Just take it one day at a time,” said Ogans. “Who knows what the future will bring.”
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