Campuses like the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are trying their best to offer the college experience also protecting itself from COVID-19 related outbreaks. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, UW-Madison has shifted to virtual learning for the next two weeks after 46 different outbreaks were tied to the campus. The university has also locked down two of its dorms after several positive cases popped up in each. UW-Green Bay has had eight positive cases of its own since it began its own testing on campus September 1st according to its COVID-19 dashboard Friday morning. Those numbers only reflect approximately 1,280 students and staff members. The university has instituted a number of safety precautions in response to the coronavirus including an indoor mask mandate, on-campus testing, and limiting its in-person classes and programming. Chancellor Michael Alexander says they have made thousands of decisions over the last six months to get to this point with the help of university, health, and government officials. He is pleased with the reactions staff and students have shown since classes started last week.

Despite the pandemic, Alexander says the university saw its fifth straight year of increased enrollment while the system as a whole saw a one percent decrease. A New York Times survey of 1,500 public and private colleges showed over 51,000 positive cases of COVID-19 at just over 1,000 campuses.

Picture courtesy of UW-Green Bay