Texas Wesleyan will follow what the CDC recommends for safety and security encourages the students to have situational awareness while on campus for fall 2021.

The COVID-19 response team is a committee that discusses “current procedures and makes recommendations to the President,” Beckrich said. We will continue to follow the CDC’s guidance on health and safety standards, meaning students, faculty and staff will continue to wear their masks on campus, practice social distancing, follow cleaning protocols and guidelines will continue to be evaluated. 

“We do encourage everyone to be vaccinated and believe that is the best way to protect our campus and community from COVID-19,” Beckrich said.

Chris Beckrich, director of campus security, believes we can have safe in-person classes. 

The challenge for the incoming school year will be “being busier than we’re probably used to, but I expect hopefully it will return to normal with the difference of everyone wearing masks and having to social distance,” Beckrich said.

Many students will be returning from virtual or online learning and will now be changing to in-person learning, one of which is junior sports communication major, Nicholas Hains.

“I’m really excited. It has been a couple of semesters since I’ve actually been on campus,” Hains said. 

“Adapting to being back to normal and the new expectations” may be the main challenge in the next year, he said.

“The positive is the technology we have available to us during this time but making connections with people is difficult within a pandemic. I’m just really excited to be back at school,” said Hains.

Texas Wesleyan security dispatch Victor Terrazas is looking forward to the fall 2021 semester.

“I think it’s great. It gives everyone a sense of back to normal and we have been waiting for this day,” Terrazas said.

“The negative is the pandemic, but the positive is everybody coming back and getting into a routine. A concern is that everyone at Texas Wesleyan will follow the CDC COVID guidelines and staying safe and healthy,” he said.

Security noted that with the busier semester, parking will not be as easy but there are plenty of parking spots available.

“Parking is not an issue, but with all the students parking will be a challenge with students wanting to park as close as they can,” said Beckrich.

Terrazas notes the responsibilities for security will remain the same but because there are more students on campus, there will be more traffic.

“Keep up with the updates, be safe, be aware and if you need anything we’re not just here for security, a lot of times we help with other issues and do a little bit of everything, but security is our main goal,” Terrazas said.