Lane College prepares for spring semester, modifies upcoming calendar

The campus here at Lane College is empty, students are already back home after finishing their fall semester.

As the spring semester approaches the administration here is planning on how those students will return.

About 40% of Lane College’s student population is from outside of Tennessee and the other 60% are spread across the state.

With COVID-19 numbers rising quickly it is critical that they have a plan for how students will return in the spring.

"We will begin remotely. All courses will begin online on January 4th, 2021", says President of the college, Dr. Logan Hampton.

The college’s plan includes a modified spring schedule to make sure when students do return to campus it is safe and they are healthy.

Although classes begin remotely in early January students do not move into residence halls until January 16th.

Hampton says this should give students time to check for COVID-19 symptoms and to be tested before returning to campus.

“We want to give students that opportunity to be with their parents and be with their families on New Year's and Christmas and give them that 14 day period", adds Hampton.

The plan being used for the spring semester is similar to the one used in the fall with a few additions, like adding more rooms for students who are a contact to a positive case.

Hampton says, “and so, what we’ll do this spring is that we will have one residence hall, we’ll use Eden residence hall as a place for students that have a positive contact".

Hampton mentions that he is confident in the plan the college has going into the spring semester, especially with the addition of rapid COVID-19 testing on campus.