UK students return to class amidst numerous safety steps

Students will return to the classroom Monday at the University of Kentucky.

Students will be learning both in-person and online.

Several measures are in place to keep students and staff safe.

The university is testing all students and staff who will be on campus.

Of calss uk.jpg the fall semester started today at u-k with a different look and feel because of the pandemic.

Abc 36's alex king takes you to class in our top story at five.

"we've talked about how schools are going to try to protect their students but now it's really time to mask up and head inside the classroom to see the changes."

"we are open and we are ready for our students."

And those students are seeing some major changes this school year...changes the school began working on when the pandemic hit in march....all leading up to the first day of socially distanced fall classes.

"we had to reconfigure all of our classroom spaces.

On campus we have 365 general classrooms, of those 365 required us to go in a remove probably almost ten thousand seats."

Journalism professor jen smith is teaching a hybrid class in a ballroom... the students meet in- person on monday's and wednesday's and online on friday's.

There are other safety measures... including..

Requiring masks...enforcing social distancing..

Almost ten thousand seats."

Journalism professor jen smith is teaching a hybrid class in a ballroom... the students meet in- person on monday's and wednesday's and online on friday's.

There are other safety measures... including..

Requiring masks...enforcing social distancing..

Providing wellness kits..and daily screenings.

Sophomore mary kate hoffman says four out of her six classes are online... "i think what's going to be the biggest difference is not being able to see all of our classmates in person and not being able to really get that one on one all the time.

I think we''ll make it possible on zoom and stuff but it's definitely not going to be the same but we're definitely going to adapt."

Hoffman says despite the restrictions...there 's still a sense of freedom coming back to campus.

"i still think that everyone is excited on campus to be back for the first day to see everyone.

I think just being in person and walking around is honestly amazing after being stuck at home."

The university is testing all students and staff who will be on campus for the corornavirus.

U-k says more than 15-thousand people have been tested this month with only 147 positive results..

Making the positivity rate just one- percent.

Reporting in lexington, alex king, abc 36 news.

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