Gweru (New Ziana) -The Midlands State University (MSU) says plans are at an advanced stage to re-open for final year students with the first batch expected on campus on Monday next week.

The government gave all state universities the green light to start reopening from June 1 while following Ministry of Health and Child Care as well as World Health Organisation guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19, but only final year students will be on campus with the rest using e-learning platforms.

The tertiary colleges had been closed in March as part of a raft of measures to implement the national lockdown.

In a statement, the MSU said students would sit for examinations from July 6 to August 28 depending on the faculty.

“The University would like to advise final year students that plans for opening our campuses in preparation for the end of semester examinations are at an advanced stage,” read part of the statement.

“Remote teaching for these classes will continue until 19 June 2020. Thereafter, students will return to campus under a phased approach.”

The university said only registered students would be allowed to write examinations.

“MSU Student ID cards will be required for entry into university premises to reduce the risk of entry by unauthorised persons.”

It said it would also provide all students with on-campus accommodation as a precautionary measure to reduce exposure to Covid-19.

“Those students that had paid accommodation fees prior to the Covid-19 lockdown will be exempted from paying additional accommodation fees.

“All other Gweru campus undergraduate students who were accommodated off campus before the lockdown will be required to pay a residence fee of ZWL$800 for the period they will be on campus.

“Meals will be sold at the old prices that were being charged in March 2020 just before the break,” reads the statement.

While other universities such as the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) have resumed on-campus studies, the MSU is still conducting online lessons only as it deliberates on modalities for the return of some students on campus next week.

New Ziana