By Morgan Taylor, Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma – After spending the majority of 2020 online, the College of Muscogee Nation (CMN), returned to in-person classes as of Jan. 6.
Before allowing students to return, faculty of the CMN developed a COVID-19 Policy to ensure the safety of staff and students.
The CMN Dean of Student Affairs Krystal Wind played a helping hand in developing the policy with the help of the Acting CMN President Dr. James King, Director of Business Affairs Jan Hart, Dean of Academic Affairs Mekko Tyner, Registrar Mackie Moore, and the IT Department along with input from other faculty and department.
“The purpose of our COVID-19 policy is to put the safety of our students, faculty and staff first,” Wind elaborates. “We wanted to make sure everything was still safe prior to opening up.”
The policy led to the development of a COVID-19 taskforce with input from all departments on campus.
“One of the biggest things is that everyone wears a mask at all times and anyone who enters the building get their temperature taken,” Wind said. “We do have temperature taking machines that a person can just walk right up to and get their temperature taken.”
Wind says that anyone who displays a high temperature (100.4) will not be allowed admittance in the building and will be recommended to see a doctor immediately.
Screening questions are to be answered by each person who enters the building. Hand sanitizer stations have been placed at each entrance of all buildings and classrooms.
Classroom sizes have been cut in half to allow space for social distancing.
“Normally we would have class sizes of up to 31, and that has been cut down to 12-15,” said Wind.
For areas of large gatherings, signage has been placed to remind students of social distancing guidelines.
CMN is offering housing to students at half capacity. According to Wind each student has his or her own room and own bathroom.
“Normally we are able to house up to 84 students but we have allowed up to 42.” Though, Wind says there are currently 32 students in housing for this semester. Each housing student was required to have a negative COVID test upon moving in.
According to Wind, if a student is exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19 they are to quarantine and can return to campus after doing so. A doctor’s note is not required upon return but is highly encouraged.
Wind says CMN is not excepting outside visitors and everyone is working extra hard to ensure the safety of those who are on campus.
For more information regarding the CMN COVID-19 Policy, visit www.cmn.edu/coronavirus/
