Guam is now shifting gears into recovery mode following Typhoon Mawar. As such, the University of Guam is making sure students still have access to their education.

After a brief delay, the Home of the Tritons is now moving full steam ahead with it’s Finakpo’ Summer Session, holding the first week of Session A online. The university is utilizing “green zones” at three locations for students experiencing internet connectivity issues and for those still without power and water.

It’s spaces like those at the Hyatt Regency in Tumon that the University of Guam has designated as green zones, with reliable internet, space, and air-conditioning so students can focus on their summer classes. UOG revisited the idea that proved to be a successful learning mode during the pandemic, as the Mangilao campus still lacked running water.

UOG senior vice president and provost, Dr. Anita Borja-Enriquez said, “Green Zones is something we created during the pandemic period and it was a space where students could come to have connectivity so they could participate in their online courses. We did this throughout the pandemic period where the green zones where actually located on campus.”

Now pivoting and identifying zones off-campus, identifying Coast 360 in Maite and the G3 Makerspace and Innovation Hub at Chamorro Village as the two other locations. “Students really did not want us to cancel— they relied on these particular courses during the first session that served as prerequisites to other major courses prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester.," said Dr. Borja-Enriquez.

It’s an accommodation bringing relief to UOG student Wendi Fejeran, who is in the dual-degree program, majoring in biology and chemistry. “For the summer, I’m mostly doing my math, so I need connection for my classes and for my work to do it on time. It’s a pretty rigorous course especially because now we’re kind of behind schedule after starting school late. So, the green zone has helped me with the stable connection all the time," she said.

With water flowing back to UOG, session a students and faculty are back on campus Monday, as Session B launches that same day.

Meanwhile, Dr. Borja-Enriquez told KUAM, restroom zones or “RR Zones,” will be designated at the Health and Human Services Building and the School of Business and Public Administration Building on campus.