SMSU planning for ‘a very normal semester
President Jayasuriya ‘delighted’ enrollment up 0.4% so far
Trending
MARSHALL -- The past year was a challenging one for public universities and colleges across Minnesota. With enrollment falling at many schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, any enrollment increases would be good news for Southwest Minnesota State University, President Kumara Jayasuriya said.
As of Monday, the news was good. Reports showed enrollment was up 0.4% at SMSU, Jayasuriya said.
"We are the only university in the (Minnesota State) system that is up," he said. "We don't know, at the end, what will happen," he said -- there's less than a month before classes begin, and enrollment numbers could still change. But, he said, "We were delighted to hear it."
Jayasuriya spoke with the Independent earlier this week about what the start of class this fall would look like at SMSU. While the pandemic brought a lot of changes during the 2020-21 academic year, this fall "We are planning for a very normal semester," Jayasuriya said.
It didn't look like there was a single obvious cause for the increase in enrollment numbers at SMSU this fall. "I think what's happened is it's our team," Jayasuriya said. SMSU staff have been working together to focus on undergraduate and graduate admissions, student retention and student success, he said.
Jayasuriya said the university is also seeing an increase in international student enrollment, after a sharp decrease last year during COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Having a more normal semester isn't just about steady enrollment, Jayasuriya said. SMSU is also planning to go back to some more normal learning modes this fall.
Jayasuriya said there will be a return to more in-person classes this fall. However, he said SMSU still has some online class options. About 25-30% of the university's courses are already offered online, he said.
Campus residence halls will also be returning to a more normal model this year, although the university will continue to set aside some rooms for students who may need to self-quarantine or isolate, Jayasuriya said.
The question of whether face masks will be required this fall is something that colleges and universities around Minnesota are dealing with. The Minnesota State system has given individual colleges and universities the authority to decide whether to require masks, Jayasuriya said. The system's current guidance is that people are recommended to wear masks in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.
As of Aug. 5, CDC data said there was substantial community transmission of COVID-19.
Jayasuriya said this week SMSU was discussing whether masks would be required on campus this fall.
"We are adhering to CDC and MDH guidelines," Jayasuriya said. However, the university would need to plan out factors like what conditions would trigger a mask mandate, and how long it would need to stay in place.
COVID-19 vaccinations will not be required for SMSU students and staff, but vaccinations are strongly recommended, Jayasuriya said. He said SMSU is coming up with possible incentives to encourage students and staff to get a COVID vaccine.
"It's in the planning stages right now," he said. He said the university also plans to hold a vaccination clinic for students.
Jayasuriya said it will remain important for the university to watch COVID transmission rates in the community. As Gold Rush Days approaches, he said SMSU hopes to hold more traditional events -- hopefully mostly outdoors -- to welcome new students to campus.