@circuitrider And Coles Tower is nothing compared to any dorm we’ve seen on a Big Ten campus. If it houses 12% of the kids, like you say, then it houses 216 kids. I’m assuming that’s way fewer than are found in a lot of dorms.
Anyone can sue anyone. It doesn’t mean anything. Schools have to be given some leeway here. They can get sued no matter what they do and you the student gets sick. There are always scum that would sue schools during a pandemic.
Why do people keep referring to the “HYPSM model”? Some of those schools have announced that classes will be online, but P and Y have not – they only mentioned that online classes are a possibility.
I agree. What that means is that some students of primarily residential colleges may choose to live together, off-campus. An unintended, yet foreseeable, consequence to some of the proposed situations we are seeing colleges offer.
What about the rest of the report?
It doesn’t sound like you believe students will be refraining from all contact outside of class and their dorm room.
Go Blue!!?
If you read their plan it makes sense for them. I like their approach actually. I think it’s a responsible plan. But in other articles and looking for the official email but it also states that no student “has” to return to campus. Students “can” do all their classes online. So there is alot of choices for the families.
Also Michigan has a world class hospital system. Think it’s like number 5 in the United States. This to me has to come into play with their planning. I like what they said about" family " units. If my son lives in a co-op housing, that would be his family unit. He is also involved in a student organization. 20 - 30 students weekly. Another family unit. Nothing is perfect
Still reading some other articles but I think this is the correct decision for them.
Michigan also has resources that other schools like Bowdoin might not. I am sure they are making their own protective gear etc.
I grew-up about 45 minutes from WVU. The place has grown in the last 20 years. I wouldn’t call it a hidden gem but it’s underrated. If I were majoring in anything medical related it would be on my radar. A large hospital on-campus and low tuition would make it interesting.
Midd is supposed to announce their plans today too
And Midd is the one that was saying all kids back to campus will have to quarantine for a week, so that announcement will be interesting.
I have some catching up to do but @homerdog. Maybe have your son reach out to the alumni association and see what opportunities he can gain for himself in your local area. Maybe he can work or get a pseudo internship/coop or a connection with someone and make this situation not so bad. But while still doing his classes. Just a suggestion.
I feel for the sophomores and juniors but I think the outcome is a fair assessment of the situation. My workplace basically came to the same conclusion. To enact all the safety recommendations they would either have to cut the number of people in half or drastically expand and modify the facilities. The math doesn’t work when you have to social distance 6 feet, limit gatherings, and move lots of people through small spaces (hallways and elevators). Dorms are the prime example if they move to singles. How do schools make-up for the lost space?
@Knowsstuff Sorry I missed it, what is Michigan’s plan?
Thanks for the clarification. In my quick reading of the Bowdoin statement, for some reason I missed that the cost difference was due to room and board so that makes more sense!
I am guessing that those students living off campus will not be the university’s responsibility? Using Bowdoin’s model, there could be increased risk of exposure if the freshmen/transfer students attend parties at off-campus houses. The on-campus students will be tested every two weeks but the off-campus students won’t be tested at all.
Will be of more significant concern for those schools that offer a hybrid instruction model. Of course, for all we know, the students living together off-campus may have less exposure to virus than those living on-campus.
@Knowsstuff right now, his first gut reaction (and his friends’) is to find a place to live together and take remote class. They are too worried about not being allowed to re-enroll when they want to. If they take even a semester off, they might not be able to get back on track for an additional year. We have confirmed that they could stay in off campus arrangements even if invited back to campus for spring. Baby steps. They are talking tonight.
We all have until July 2 to decide on gaps. I’m hoping to get more details. I agree that, if he knew he’d be welcomed back in the fall of 2021, getting some sort of internship would be a good option but, if that is as risky as it sounds, then we don’t know. Only learned about this three hours ago and need to get some questions answered.
According to her online portal (not sure what the official name for it is), she is listed as a junior, but she thinks she still is considered a sophomore for housing purposes. Her school still hasn’t officially announced anything yet though as it seems they need the ok from NY State first.
My D plans on “going back” at this point. If my son’s school doesn’t go back (should announce by July 1) he is taking a gap year.
So, with Bowdoin says this in its announcement:
“For aided students, we have replaced any summer work expectation and any fall semester on-campus work expectation with grant aid for the fall semester”
and does not talk about reducing already granted finaid for online students.
https://www.bowdoin.edu/president/writings-and-addresses/messages-to-the-community/2020/june-22.html
This bodes well for a similar arrangement at MIT.
@homerdog – Is off-campus housing available? Do many Bowdoin students live off-campus?