The OP Ed piece by the president of Brown mentions a lot of social distancing expected of students while still on campus.
Does anyone believe that colleges students will refrain from parties, hanging out with different groups friends, and dating while on campus? My DD says of course she will socially distance to be allowed on campus but I am realistic that once there it likely would not last.
I also predict students being resistant if contacted for additional testing once on campus if they feel well (trace testing). With quarantine and strict isolation looming, I could see students trying to delay (and potentially spreading the virus in the process).
Then there are logistics of enough testing kits (and knowing that false negatives have been an issue), enough PPE, and a firm plan on how they will track and treat students. Also can we discuss how cafeterias are not set up with this in mind? The idea of self serve buffet style is not wonderful when dealing with a virus that can live on surface as long as Covid19 can.
Plus the unknowns of how long (or even if) you have immunity after catching it. Herd immunity is counting on the hope you will not catch it again (or at least not for several months).
Parties and dating will occur regardless of whether schools resume in person, as many students live off campus and will return to those apartments in August. Restaurants and stores will be open by then as well, so not all that different than dining halls. Many colleges do currently have several hundred, and even more than a thousand students living on campus as they were unable to leave, and the schools are managing well.
At this point I feel myself just throwing my hands up. We all want answers now and there aren’t going to be any. We can all hope that our kids’ schools are planning for multiple options so they have a menu to choose from when crunch time comes and they need to make a decision. It’s only April 27th. Who the heck knows where we will be with this by the end of July. That’s three months away. We don’t like it but we have to just wait and see. This is out of our control.
The only thing in our control is what our kids choose to do once colleges make their decisions and, even that, I think needs to wait. We don’t know what we are choosing from. If college is back on campus with x. y, and z restrictions, then we know the kids’ options are to accept that or take a leave of absence. Our tuition bill isn’t due until early Aug so nothing can be decided now. For those of you with incoming freshmen, the most common advice her on CC has been to choose the best fit school and deposit. I suppose the only extra consideration at this point is if a school will allow a gap year before freshman year. If your student is considering that, then check that policy before depositing. I see that as one of the only reasons to switch your child’s choice at this point but only if a gap year is something being seriously considered.
I have a college student at home who wants so badly to go back his college apartment (even if classes are online) that I think he will comply with any and all requirements in order to stay there and not need to go home again.
As far as parties, they have changed/morphed over the years. I’m old but when I was in college, I never watched my drink to make sure something wasn’t slipped into it. Pill parties didn’t exist and we didn’t pre-game or take Uber/Lyft. Casual sex and condom use changed with STDs. I can see young adults thinking twice about making out with someone at a party or having a casual hook up. Kids will still party but I think the sizes of the parties will be much smaller for quite a while.
We need to watch Europe as some countries will be opening up universities. (Czech Republic is now, and other countries plan on it). We are also seeing K-12 start to open starting with the youngest. Norway allowed daycares to open first, and they think there might be an uptick in cases, but nothing definative yet. Denmark has been open for a few weeks for elementary school kids. Granted its easier to set up social distancing in those classrooms, but do we know how much this actually spread in the schools before they were shut down? Were any kids “sick” back in early March that were under 12.? Those NY teachers that passed away, did they get it before things went on lockdown, and from schools or family/friends/transportation? I could see some abroad programs to some countries, providing the kids will be allowed in and quarantine, popular in the fall. (Australia comes to mind)
@sdl0625 Good point, but keep in mind that the US college system is much more residential than schools in the Czech Republic and most other European countries - the European model has more students living in their own apartments or at home with parents vs school-owned dormitories. In my mind at least, it’s hard to see how a dorm could comply with social distancing.
Some US colleges are also commuter based (and not just community colleges), or have just freshman on campus. There is such a wide range of schools in the US and I dont think there will be a uniform decision.
Most college students commute from where they lived before college.
Colleges that are mainly commuter have fewer or no issues with high-density dorms or students traveling from far away, and probably have less complaining about losing “the college experience” if they do distance education. But they may have more lower SES students who may not have suitable computers or network connections for the most effective distance education, and may have less budget than the residential colleges that people on these forums focus on.
It’s nice that Purdue plans to re-open, and I kind of like the university’s attitude, but these are just tentative plans at this point, imo. We can continue to hope for the best, but expect the worst, and maybe be pleasantly surprised by something in between or better.
The colleges are in a very tough position right now. They have to make plans and back-up plans for Aug-Sept 2020 but don’t know what our current situation will look like then.
My son’s school announced that they plan on making a decision by July 1st. Incoming students who want to take a gap year must submit their request by July 15. Current students can request a year of absence as well.
My oldest’s private university, Marquette, announced they will be open and on campus in the fall (unless the state requires that they remain shuttered) with some social distancing changes. My youngest’s huge state public, TAMU, has said nothing. I suspect that it will be back on campus in the fall too. Both kids, who are home now and have been since mid March, will return to their off campus apartments regardless of the COVID situation at some point over the next few months dependent on their summer work situations. We had already signed leases for next year prior to the pandemic and we are responsible for the leases, now and beginning again in August, they are going back whether classes are on-campus or online. Period.
We can’t compare the U.S. to European and Asian countries. Most of them are more organized and have more availability of testing. If those countries are successful with their societal reboot, the same will not necessarily apply to us. But if they fail, we will fail worse.
Harvard will reopen in the fall, but whether it’s remote or on campus is uncertain. Classes will start on Sept 2. Harvard will bring students back on campus in September if it has adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, reliable and convenient viral testing, robust contact tracing procedures, and facilities for quarantine and isolation, Garber, the provost, said. From the Boston Globe. Does anyone think all of those things are possible by September?