UK Establishes Campus Canopies for Students

A canopy in front of a residence hall. Mark Cornelison | UKphoto
A canopy in front of a residence hall. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 17, 2020) — The University of Kentucky has reimagined and adapted existing physical spaces on campus for students to build community and engage in positive health practices that actively promote and model wellness behaviors. Along with the setup of wellness stations, UK has also established several new campus canopies — covered, furnished outdoor spaces that support community while promoting physical distancing and being outdoors. The canopies will create opportunities and spaces to socialize, dine, study and participate in approved outdoor events.

“With indoor space limited due to CDC guidelines, students will have reduced opportunities to connect with their peers while practicing healthy behaviors,” said Mary Vosevich, vice president for facilities management at UK. “These canopies will allow student interaction, an important part of UK’s residential experience, while staying safe.”

Each of these outdoor community gathering spaces will be equipped with cleaning stations for sanitizing tables and chairs before use and personal hand sanitization. Signage with reminders about how to "protect, respect and do your part" will be placed in each canopy.

“The idea of the canopies really stemmed from the thought of our students,” Vosevich said. “What if an off-campus student comes to campus and has time between classes? Now they have a place they can go. We want to make it as easy as possible for our community to be on campus and to support the university’s efforts to make it easy to be safe.”

There are 15 canopies in total, with approved capacities ranging from 16-48 people. The certificate of occupancy for each canopy will be clearly displayed along with other important "Healthy Campus" messages. Some of the canopies will be furnished with seating and tables, but only for the correct occupancy. 

More information about campus canopies and their locations can be found here: https://www.uky.edu/coronavirus/campus/canopies

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.