The campus at Hartwick College is still fairly quiet. College students will be moving in on August 22nd, but not before showing proof of testing negative for COVID 19. Students will be re-tested once they arrive on campus. Student and faculty members will be tested every other week throughout the first semester. Paula Lee Hobson is the Vice President for College Advancement here at Hartwick. She says these and other protocols are all part of being able to give students what -they- want.

"They want that face to face instruction that we had to do remotely in the late spring of last year, so this is what they’re asking for. We have about 165 students who have chosen to study remotely, but the rest of our students want to come back."

Move in is by appointment only. Students are given a 3 hour block and are allowed only one helper. In addition to the COVID 19 testing, students will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing, but the procedures for keeping students safe don’t end there.

"We’ve adjusted our class schedule so there’s a 30 minute break between each class. Typically there would have been a 10 minute break, so each room will be sanitized and cleaned before the next class arrives."

The administration at Hartwick is taking a stern stance on the policies surrounding student conduct on and off of campus.

"We have set very strict guidelines for our students. There will be a zero tolerance policy. If there’s one infraction they will be sent home on administrative leave. At the end of the day, bottom line we know this is all about personal choices, and we are messaging that every student and every staff member has to make excellent choices."

Orientation here is known as 'Wick Week', and is being spread out over a 5 day period for incoming and transfer students. Classes will begin on August 31st.