Colleges expect more students from tomorrow, evolve Covid-19 protocols Students In Hostels To Be Quarantined

Colleges expect more students from tomorrow, evolve Covid-19 protocols

Students In Hostels To Be Quarantined

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 3.01.2021

Expecting more students on campus when the new semester begins on Monday, city colleges have evolved protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in view of the recent cluster at IIT Madras.

Some plan to quarantine hostel students before allowing them to attend physical classes while others like Madras Christian College plan to test all students coming to the campus.

The higher education department allowed final year UG and PG students to attend the physical classes from the first week of December. But, due to semester exams, many colleges postponed reopening to January first week.

Loyola College principal Thomas Amirtham said around 60% of final year students opted to attend physical classes from Monday. “We will quarantine hostel students for one week before allowing them to attend classes. We also plan to conduct online classes simultaneously for others.”

There will be less than 50% of the total strength in any given time in the classroom and the remaining will attend classes virtually, he said. “Physical classes will be held for only three hours a day. In the remaining two hours, they have to do academic activity in asynchronous mode.”

DG Vaishnav College in Arumbakkam will allow students into hostel students only after they test negative for Covid-19. “If the student strength is more than 50% we will split the class into two batches and conduct classes on alternative days. If it is less than 50%, both offline and online classes will be held. We will conduct a review meeting on Monday,” said principal S Santhosh Baboo.

Madras Christian College plans to check daily the temperature of students and isolate those with symptoms. “We expect full strength only after Pongal,” said Paul Wilson, principal.

Guru Nanak College in Velachery plans to begin with practical classes, shift wise and batch wise. “Once colleges fully reopen, we will conduct theory and practicals offline,” said principal M G Ragunathan.

At MOP Vaishnav College for Women in Nungambakkam, students have already begun practicals in labs. “Our students are not keen to attend physical classes for theory. We are allowing students who want to come and we are keeping our classes ready,” said Lalitha Balakrishnan, principal.

Loyola College