As students return to campus, Southwestern Seminary implements new protocols to ensure safety

In preparation for the fall 2020 semester, administrators of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have announced protocols implemented for the safe return of students to the campus.

“It’s going to be a fall on-campus experience unlike anything we’ve had before,” said President Adam W. Greenway in a July 17 virtual discussion. “We are trying to make sure that Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College is as safe and as sanitary and as responsible of an institution for higher education and for theological learning as we can be. Even in the midst of COVID-19, it is fundamentally clear to me that we are seeing clear signs of God’s hand and favor here at Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College.”

Depending on the individual student’s needs and comfort level, students can choose to either return to on-campus classes or continue their education this academic year through Southwestern Seminary’s multiple online options.

For the student who feels comfortable returning to campus, extensive measures have been put in place for the safety of students and faculty. In an Aug. 11 video to students providing the most recent COVID-19 updates, Provost Randy L. Stinson and Dean of Women Terri Stovall shared some of what students can expect this semester.

Regarding the safety and health standards implemented on campus, Stinson and Stovall said many changes have been made to the classroom setup to implement adequate social distancing. Chairs and desks in every classroom will be placed at least six feet apart, and in spaces where chairs cannot be moved, clear markers will indicate where students can and cannot sit.

Many spaces not previously used for classes will also be set up with chairs and desks in order to allow for proper distancing.

“We have made exhaustive preparations and are still in the process of making exhaustive preparations for returning students to be on the campus,” Stinson said. “We have reconfigured nearly every space on the campus to be utilized as a classroom so that we can socially distance.”

In all classrooms and common spaces, face coverings will be required, hand sanitizing stations will be located all across campus, and markers will be placed in necessary spaces to help students physically distance.

“We believe that we have put the right things in place,” Stinson said, “and even as things change, we will adapt with other institutions, the CDC, or if the local government will decide other things will need to be in place. We’re going to be doing everything we can to make sure our students are safe.”

Campus and student life will also look different, Stinson noted. For example, as announced in an Aug. 10 campus-wide email from Greenway, the seminary will not hold in-person chapel services this fall. The administration is working, however, to provide virtual alternatives in place of the Tuesday and Thursday gatherings.

The cafeteria will continue to serve regular meals, but with face covering and distancing requirements in place. The Recreation and Aerobics Center is also open by appointment and with strict safety measures in place.

The library is also open and serving its students, but it, too, requires an appointment in order to limit the number of people in the building at any given time.

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, is showing symptoms, or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, that individual is required to follow campus guidelines as detailed by the COVID-19 Task Force.

“As a member of the Task Force, we have developed some protocols in place following the CDC guidelines,” Stovall said. “So if you have tested positive for COVID, if you have become exposed to somebody who has been symptomatic with COVID, the first thing you need to do is, of course, seek medical attention, and also to fill out a form to alert the campus.”

Such students must fill out a symptoms form and follow all protocols as laid out in the resource, “COVID-19 Procedures and Protocols, Fall 2020.”

In many cases, students will be required to quarantine. In all cases, Stovall added, they will continue following CDC and local guidelines for their response to any positive cases, presumptive cases, or symptomatic individuals.

Finally, as some students have experienced financial hardships, Stovall said students have several options to aid in their education.

“First and foremost, don’t hold the hardship to yourself, but share it, because we have a lot of ministry partners that love Southwestern Seminary and love Southwestern students, and are investing even today,” Stovall said. “We’ve had many ministry partners invest into an emergency fund specifically to help students.”

In addition to the emergency fund, many other financial aid options are available thanks to the generosity of Southwestern Seminary ministry partners.

“God is not surprised by any of this,” Stovall said. “God’s calling has not changed. And He’s going to make a way for you to do that.”

More information about Southwestern Seminary’s plans and preparations is available on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response page.