COVID-19 has ravaged college campus life from the virus’s onset in the United States last spring, to nearly a year later.

While Winona State University’s campus has been shaken by the virus, the school’s Health and Wellness Services have brought the community one step closer to a post-COVID environment by volunteering to become a vaccine distribution center.

By becoming a vaccine distribution venter, nurses could be trained to administer the COVID vaccine.

Cyndy Jones is an associate professor of nursing at Winona State and is currently assisting with the response efforts to COVID.

“All LPNs, RNs and NPs at health and wellness services are now certified and trained to administer the vaccine,” Jones said.

Jones also said “we are also ready and willing to assist Winona County Public Health (WCPH) in their efforts to vaccinate priority groups within the Winona community.”

When asked about the challenges surrounding the vaccine distribution, Jones said “there has been a shortage of vaccines in our region, meaning we are receiving less vaccines than we anticipated.”

“Once more vaccines become available, we have plans in place to assist WCPH with administration of the Vaccines,” Jones said.

The nurses at Health and Wellness Services are certified to administer the vaccine but there is no official timeline for when the vaccine will be on campus.

“It is unknown at this time when the vaccine will be on campus, but health and wellness services has the capacity to store and administer the vaccines on campus once the vaccines become available,” Jones said.

Winona State’s Dean of Students, Karen Johnson, said the university is most concerned about its students’ health and safety.

“We [Winona State] are very hopeful for a campus return to “normal”, but WSU is most concerned about students’ health and safety.” Johnson said.

Johnson also said she likes to be optimistic but agreed with the school’s decision to remain cautious regarding COVID.

“I like to be optimistic and would love to see more in-person classes and students moving out and about on campus and participating in all that campus life has to offer,” Johnson said.

“However, we are making decisions cautiously regarding next semester because we have to monitor the progress of vaccinations and the spread of COVID.”

Johnson also said the university’s students and staff have been “quite successful” in its “lay low period” since the start of the spring semester in January.

“Because of this we will go down to the campus COVID status of yellow on February 1,” Johnson said. “Consider this a kind of reward for good behavior!”

The most likely scenario for next fall’s classes is a mixture of face-to-face, hybrid and online courses, Johnson said.

Johnson also said she believes the university will “gradually move towards offering more face-to-face classes, if that’s what students prefer.”

The university is encouraging students to get vaccinated when they can, but it is not required, Johnson said.

Self-quarantining and isolation may not be behind Winona State yet, but health and wellness services is providing hope for a return to normal on campus in the future.