Mount Mercy planning ‘fully in-person operations’ next fall, other private Iowa colleges look toward in-person commencements

Assuming COVID-19 vaccine will be 'widely available” this summer, Mount Mercy University this week unveiled plans for 'fully in-person operations” by Aug. 1 - reverting to a more normal college experience after hybrid learning this year kept students, at least some of the time, out of class and confined to Zoom screens.

In-person plans for the Cedar Rapids-based private university apply to 'all work, academic and student operations.”

That means residence halls 'will operate at full capacity,” and administrators will assess vaccine adoption rates to determine whether to adjust guest and group gathering policies, according to a Mount Mercy message

Although students and employees still may be expected to wear masks throughout the academic year, officials anticipate relaxing social distancing rules 'after the vaccine is widely available.”

'Mount Mercy is strongly encouraging its employees and students to receive the vaccine when it is available to them,” according to the campus communication.

News of Mount Mercy's plans comes as colleges and universities across the state and nation are wrapping a challenging, atypical academic year that drove away many students hoping for more traditional college experiences and has administrators pining to bring them back.

Ui, uni, too

The University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa, like Mount Mercy, have announced plans for more in-person classes and operations next fall.

Iowa State University hasn't yet disclosed its fall plans, and neither have Coe College in Cedar Rapids or Cornell College in Mount Vernon.

Most colleges and universities across the state this academic year employed a hybrid form of learning, allowing smaller courses and discussions to take place in-person - with mask and distancing requirements - while larger lectures and classes moved online.

For some first- and second-year students, that meant all virtual classes - while senior and graduate-level student schedules included more in-person experiences.

But campus-life across the board looked starkly different from normal, with no guest speakers attracting thousands to on-campus appearances; no tailgating or crowded student sections at athletic events; no student organization tabling; no dining hall rendezvous; no residence hall activities; and no packed libraries crammed with studying classmates over finals week.

'After significant discussion and careful consideration of our state and local COVID-19 situation, Mount Mercy looks forward to in-person operations for the upcoming academic year,” Interim Mount Mercy President Tim Laurent said in a statement. 'If there is a need to adjust our plan, we will do so as soon as possible.

'Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our entire community.”

In-Person Graduation

Although next fall is months away, graduation is next month and - like Iowa's public universities - Mount Mercy, Coe, and Cornell all are planning some form of in-person ceremony.

Face-to-face commencement plans represent among the first major reversals of pandemic-propelled changes - after campuses last spring moved graduation ceremonies into the virtual realm. While all still are planning to offer online alternatives for those not comfortable attending in person ceremonies - administrators are taking steps to make face-to-face commencement as safe as possible - imposing guest limits, mask mandates, distancing guidelines, and promising elbow bumps instead of handshakes.

At Mount Mercy:

Students will be split by program into smaller ceremonies at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. May 16 in the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, formerly the U.S. Cellular Center;

They'll be physically distanced and will elbow bump administrators, instead of shaking hands, when they cross the stage;

Students will be allowed to invite family members to sit in physically-distanced spaces;

Faculty can attend their program's designated time;

Everyone must wear a mask;

And all will be asked to leave promptly to allow time to prepare for the next ceremony.

At Coe College:

In-person, socially distanced commencement activities - including ringing of the victory bell - will occur May 1 and 2;

A prerecorded virtual service is planned for those earning baccalaureate degrees at 11 a.m. May 1, supplemented the next day by a 9 a.m. bell ringing and 10 a.m. commencement on Clark Field;

A nurses pinning ceremony, honors convocation, and outdoor presidential reception are planned for the afternoon of May 1;

Graduates will be allowed a limited number of guests;

At Cornell College:

In-person ceremonies for both 2020 and 2021 graduates will be held 'rain or shine” May 15 and 16 on Van Metre Field at Ash Park.

A virtual baccalaureate service will be streamed on Facebook at 3 p.m. May 14;

In-person commencement for 2020 graduates will be at 1:30 p.m. May 15;

In-person commencement for this year's graduates will be at 1:30 p.m. May 16;

All participants must be masked and follow distancing guidelines;

Graduates will be limited to two guests each.

Campus COVID testing will be available the week before graduation for seniors, faculty, and staff who want it before attend the ceremonies.

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