Tressel shares YSU plans for this fall: ‘This is an opportunity’
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel shared plans and changes for the upcoming year as a result of coronavirus shutdowns in the spring semester.
YSU will use the acronym GROW (Gratitude-Reassurance-Opportunity-Work Together) to be an outline for creating plans for the 2020-21 academic year.
“We’re beginning this academic year really feeling like we’re totally prepared,” Tressel said during his annual State of the University address.
Preparing for the year
Tressel said the guidance from the state of Ohio helped them with confidence for everyone to return to campus. YSU also partnered with Youngstown City Health Department and Mahoning County Health Department to keep track of data and to do contact tracing when COVID-19 cases occur.
The university has been able to use CARES Act funding to help students that are in tough financial situations due to the pandemic. Some students were able to be refunded room and board, parking and other fees to lessen the financial burden.
Other CARES Act funding is being used to provide supplies like masks, hand sanitizer and handwashing units for campus and classrooms.
The Penguin Fund was created and raised $80,000 to help students with immediate needs and other financial situations. The YSU Foundation created the emergency scholarship fund for students that were given out on an as-needed basis.
Tressel said YSU will have to be ready to face challenges as they come up since it is unknown when the pandemic will be over.
“We've got to really believe that through this tough situation that we're a part of every single one of us has to have that unwavering faith that we're going to get through this and that we're going to be better for it,” Tressel said.
The Penguin Pledge
Students will sign the Penguin Pledge before returning to campus that states they will take care of themselves in order to keep everyone on campus healthy and safe.
“That we pledge to protect others, and we're going to keep in mind that it's not just our health and safety that's important it's every other person on this campus that we pledge to protect,” Tressel said.
Students will clean their desks before they leave every class. Class sizes have been reduced to 50 percent capacity or less to maintain social distancing. Everyone will have to wear a mask while on campus. There will also be 10 handwashing stations placed throughout campus.
When students first arrive on campus, they will pick up a “For Pete’s Sake” packet, which will have two masks, hand sanitizer and a reminder of the pledge.
Students will also have the opportunity to be employed for Pete’s Clean Team. The team will make sure that high-use areas are being regularly cleaned.
Another group called Penguin Patrol will patrol campus making sure people are maintaining social distancing between classes as well as reminding people to wear masks and wash their hands. Students can receive gifts and giveaways as positive reinforcement for following the protocols.
Opportunities for the future
YSU has spent the past two years in a strategic planning mode to be in charge of the university’s future.
“Little did we know when we began this process that the future was going to include a pandemic,” Tressel said.
Tressel said the university is focusing on helping students’ futures, impacting the region and improving diversity, equity and inclusion.
The plan has focused on making academic distinctions that will help student futures by providing the best areas for academic study. Tressel said YSU wants students to have the ability to take part in research, development and cutting-edge opportunities.
“We've been working extremely hard to make sure that all of our planning focuses on what's really important,” Tressel said. “This is an opportunity. Despite the hardship of the pandemic that we can make sure that we do take charge of our future.”
Tressel said it’s also an important time for the university to be a leader in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion in the fight for social justice.
He said the university wants to create a culture of community on campus where every single person is important, respected and heard.
Assistant Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Carol Bennett and Provost Brien Smith are working on ways to promote a real culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in classrooms, which can then permeate into the rest of campus, he said.
“That's the beauty of coming to a university,” Tressel said. “I always like to say that a university is unity in diversity, and it's a time in our lives where we can really grow.”
Bennett and Smith have been working throughout the summer to create new initiatives, such as creating a group to improve diversity.
“Opportunity is tremendous, and we’re going to take advantage of it in many, many areas,” Tressel said.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 4:26 AM with the headline "Tressel shares YSU plans for this fall: ‘This is an opportunity’."