Northwestern revised its definition of the Campus Activity Levels framework after resuming in-person classes, changing the protocol about the current level of COVID-19 on campus. First introduced in Fall Quarter 2020, Campus Activity Levels are color-coded statuses indicating the safety of increasing in-person campus activities based on external and internal factors. The four levels are.
While about 10% of Northwestern undergraduate students have tested positive for COVID-19 since December, the University still feels prepared to resume in-person classes and activities Jan. 18, Vice President for Operations Luke Figora said at the Return to Campus Discussion Series webinar Tuesday. According to Feinberg Prof. Richard D’Aquila, the omicron variant is the second-most.
As of last week, Medill freshman Jimmy He had never set foot on campus. Aside from one small New Jersey meetup, he’d never met any of his classmates in-person.
But after months of waiting, He finally moved into his dorm on Jan. 4. He met his roommate, who he’d been video-chatting every week since August, in-person for the first time.
“It felt pretty surreal,” He said.
Students moved into on-campus housing Jan. 4 – 8, with precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The move-in was emotional for many students like He, who were disappointed by the University’s decision in the fall to bar most first- and second-year students from living on campus.