By Paul Glenn; The Whetstone

Sophomore Vincent Haass said he was OK with Wesley’s COVID sanitation measures.

“I feel like for the most part, most everyone is doing a good job with keeping things sanitary,” he said. “Like for example, students wipe off their desks before and after class.”

Most students eased into these changes quickly after arriving on campus this August, said many students and faculty.

Several professors said they’ve noticed many students and faculty following the new rules.

“I see students coming into class and cleaning their areas without my prompting, which is good,” English professor Susan Bobby said. “I haven’t had any trouble with my own students wearing masks. Everybody complies. I’ve also seen 100 percent compliance with mask wearing with all faculty and staff I’ve encountered.”

Dr. Brantley Craig also said his students follow the rules.

“Students in my courses, at least, have been very good about wiping down their areas,” he said. “Cleaning staff goes around and wipes down door handles and so on. At least the restroom nearest my office has a log maintained of when it is cleaned.”

Craig also said he liked that cleaning supplies are available to everyone.

“There are wipes available in rooms, and hand sanitizer around the college to be used,” he said. “If we are requiring cleanliness, we need to enable people to perform it.”

Craig said he’s noticed empty dispensers.

“And I can tell when wipes have been moved from one classroom to another rather than simply replaced or restocked,” he said. “Keeping supplies in all the rooms is a lot to stay on top of.”

Instead of cleaning classrooms after hours, the maintenance staff cleans them after each class and all the cleaning supplies are stocked frequently.

“We got new powered spray guns,” Frankie Martin of the maintenance staff said. “We have to use them in the classrooms often, after each class.”

Housekeepers refill hand sanitizer dispensers and sanitary wipes as needed.

Some faculty expressed relief there were so few COVID cases on campus.

“Wesley has eight documented cases of COVID-19 with a population of students and staff of around 1,000,” Dr. Robert Marsteller, assistant professor of education, said. “That is less than 1%. And some of those cases occurred off campus.”

Students seem more mixed about the new rules.

“I think that Wesley is actually doing well,” Abbie Sherman. “From my experiences as an education major, there has been social distancing, provided sanitary wipes, and the teachers are enforcing everything very well.”