@123France The letter is posted on the NESCAC page: https://www.nescac.com/news/2019-20/COVID19-Athletics
Williams is beginning spring break a week early (this Saturday). Kids need to vacate campus by Tuesday and can not return for remainder of semester. Online learning will begin in April.
Santa Monica College, a large community college in southern California, has this page in its status:
http://smc.edu/NewsRoom/coronavirus/Pages/default.aspx
Currently mostly open except for a program specifically for older students and study abroad, but could change.
Diablo Valley College, a large community college in northern California, has this page on its status:
https://www.dvc.edu/about/safety/health-advisories/
Again, still open except for ending study abroad, but could change.
@Lindagaf , at this point, Colby is allowing kids to stay on campus for spring break. It seems many are choosing this to avoid the possibility of leaving then having to quarantine upon return or not return at all.
Of course, things change daily. But I think that their relative isolation may be effective quarantine for now. Then again, one might have thought that about Midd…
The Nescac shutting down all Spring sports and schools sending their kids home for E Learning is totally overblown panic in my opinion. The kids are disheartened and I feel bad for any seniors missing one last time to compete and be with their friends as they move on to graduation. Seems like a huge rush to push this through.
Add Case Western to the list they are going online until April 6th. Waiting to see what Georgia State is going to do.
Haverford college is moving to online learning until April 6th and asking any students who can go/stay home (they’re on spring break right now) to do so. My daughter is going to be very sad.
When they said they were going online classes only, Ohio State said they are evaluating labs, performing arts, etc. Kids are out on spring break so they have some time to figure something out. Tough situation though as you have kids who are looking to graduate this semester (and kids looking to graduate a year from now) and go to grad school which require labs. Postponing the labs for a semester can reek havoc on plans.
I am furious that Williams is going to online learning, not even for a short cleanse-the-facilities period, but for the whole remainder of the semester! It ruins a semester of the college experience.
For most college kids, it would have been like getting a case of the flu, not life-threatening. This action is so disproportionate to the risk.
We have not heard about refund plans yet. It better be a big refund.
I would expect a pro-rated room and board refund. I do not suppose they will be giving back any tuition, but an online learning experience is not at all the same thing. If S had wanted to hear non-participatory lectures and live at home, he could have attended the nearest public university.
I hope they even figure out how to do online learning. Technology is not an area of strength for them. Most professors still give out really blurry bound printed copies of class resource packets instead of putting the resources online, and the college’s wi-fi is spotty on a good day. Hopefully they will give the professors “tutorials” on how to use things like Google Classroom, class blogs, and the best available online course platforms. I hope they will teach all professors how to have online class discussions. Maximum class discussion with intimate face-to-face learning is the hallmark of a Williams education.
I wonder if that means that Bryn Mawr and Swat are going to do the same. Neither has announced any such plans yet, but I would expect the three schools to coordinate on this matter.
@TigerInWinter , the email my daughter got said the plans were made in concert with the other tri-co schools. Haverford hasn’t announced yet either- they haven’t even let parents know, just students. I only know because she asked me to check her email all morning while she was on the water, because they were expecting an update.
Seems like if COVID-19 accelerates the trend toward distance / online learning, colleges like Williams will lose some of their appeal, since a small in-person course with a lot of discussion is one of the selling points of such colleges.
Indeed, it seems that most of a sample of community colleges that I checked have not switched to distance / online learning, although a few have.
I would’ve liked the Nescacs to have taken a more wait and see attitude vs just shutting down. I have a son at Northeastern and their communication and handling of the situation so far has been very good.
Their response today after other schools rushed to closure…
To all members of the Northeastern Community:
Like everyone on our campuses and around the world, I have been closely following the latest news about the spread of the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. It is truly an anxious time for all of humanity.
Last week, we announced our decision to transition to online and remote learning at our Seattle and San Francisco Bay Area campuses. These decisions were made in accordance with the best public health guidance and based on the troubling circumstances in those regions.
Today I am announcing that, beginning tomorrow morning, we will move to online and remote instruction on our Boston campus, the university’s largest and most complex operation. We arrived at this decision carefully and thoughtfully, not precipitously. We are seeking to preserve the essence of a Northeastern education—including current co-op placements—while also taking prudent steps to reduce the risk of infection within our community.
In addition to the guidance of public health authorities, some of the world’s leading experts on infectious disease spread are members of the Northeastern faculty. Even as the world has relentlessly sought their wisdom, these faculty members have been indispensable in shaping the university’s response to this unprecedented outbreak.
Over the past week, I have heard from many members of our community—students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and others. Not surprisingly, you have expressed every possible viewpoint on the idea of moving to online education. In the end, this decision was—and had to be—based on science, facts, and real circumstances. I am confident that this is the right decision for our university.
Let me be clear: as of today, we have no evidence that COVID-19 has infected a member of the Northeastern community. Nevertheless, we must focus on prevention, not just containment. We owe it to each other—and everyone in the Northeastern family and beyond—to take all practical steps to minimize the risk of infection and community transmission. We thank you for all of your support and understanding during this challenging time.
As we move to online instruction, we are not asking students in Northeastern residence halls to move out. While students may elect to do so, we are committed to maintaining continuity of campus life for those who elect to stay.
As outlined in prior messages to the community, we are maintaining the university’s current staffing levels, except for faculty and staff who are in groups deemed to be high-risk. All of the university’s messages—including FAQs and other resources—can be found at our dedicated COVID-19 website.
Additional updates will be forthcoming from the university’s COVID-19 task force. This group of professionals—from all facets of the university—has worked tirelessly for the past several weeks preparing for and executing measures to protect public health and preserve our mission. As part of this undertaking, our deans and faculty have been actively preparing for the move to online instruction and are prepared to make this change tomorrow. I thank the members of the task force for all they have done so far, and for all that they will do going forward.
In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to join together to support one another. Ultimately, the solution to all of society’s challenges—be they intolerance, climate change or infectious disease—is the learning and discovery of new knowledge. We are well positioned to take on this challenge.
Sincerely,
Joseph E. Aoun
President
Stanford will refund prorated room and board fees. Their position seems open to students potentially returning to campus sometime in the spring as students do not need to move their belonging out of their dorm rooms. If things don’t improve by then we may need to return to campus to move out.
Michigan State shutdown:
My kid attends Michigan, but classes continue. Sort of. Professor canceled class this morning, because he/she wasn’t feeling well.
Boston University just announced that it is going to remote instruction:
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/bu-all-classes-online-coronavirus/
So far no Canadian universities have announced going remote.
As of now, Hamilton College not shutting or going online. Spring break starts this weekend. Students advised to bring home essential items in case the situation changes and the college decides to go to online learning.
UW Madison just made their announcement to move to online classes. https://covid19.wisc.edu
I bet the rest of the big 10 will follow soon (if they haven’t already).
@milgymfam @TigerInWinter and other interested Swat and Tri-co people, here’s the most recent statement from Swarthmore (as in, just now): “In the interest of the well-being of our entire community, we seek to reduce the number of people on campus while minimizing the impact on the execution of our academic mission. With that in mind, spring break is extended through March 20, online classes will run March 23 through April 3, and we plan to resume normal campus operations on Monday, April 6, unless otherwise noted.”
As colleges close across the country, I’m anxiously awaiting an announcement from Penn. They are assessing the situation and plan to make a decision this week as to the best way forward. My daughter is currently home on spring break and still being told by professors to prepare for classes on March 16. We shall see.