Which colleges are open and doing well with COVID? Why are they succeeding?

[Anonymous]

UMD

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan. Lockdown for first 14 days. Testing twice a week. Mixture of in person and online classes. Only a handful of cases.

[Anonymous]

Cornell has 1 positive in the last 4 days (15,000 students tested).

[Anonymous]

Juniata. Small school, in a rural setting, virtually no off campus housing, lots if advance planning, testing upon arrival and surveillance testing, strict policies about travel, hybrid classes.

[Anonymous]

Tufts has undergraduates on campus, testing twice a week (both on-campus and off-campus students), lots of restrictions (masks everywhere except dorm room, no dining hall right now, gym needs reservations, etc), combination of online and in-person classes. Has isolation dorms for anyone testing positive.

So far they are doing well. Keeping my fingers crossed that this keeps up so my DC can stay for the whole semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And to the main point - why is Tulane surviving so far? Seems to be twice weekly COVID testing, isolation dorm for COVID + students, 14-day quarantine in a local hotel they rented out for exposed persons, lots of outdoor classroom space constructed, students love it there and want to be there so largely are trying to remain COVID negative (wearing masks, staying in small groups of friends, etc.). The weather is good, there is lots of outdoor space and nearby parks for the students to get out and about, so people are hoping to stay.

Tulane is still a question mark in my book. They have had over 500 cases, and both their isolation and quarantine are currently at about 50% full. They’re holding steady, but not thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tufts has undergraduates on campus, testing twice a week (both on-campus and off-campus students), lots of restrictions (masks everywhere except dorm room, no dining hall right now, gym needs reservations, etc), combination of online and in-person classes. Has isolation dorms for anyone testing positive.

So far they are doing well. Keeping my fingers crossed that this keeps up so my DC can stay for the whole semester.

Isn’t tufts using a sort of pod system where students are in assigned groups?

[Anonymous]

I think W&M is largely on line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think W&M is largely on line.

Yes, I do think more than 50% of their classes are on line. However, unlike many other schools who have only allowed their first year students on campus, W&M invited everyone to move onto campus this year. They did do a staggered return - freshmen and transfers moved in first, then two weeks later the upperclass students were permitted to move onto campus. 70% of their students typically live on campus. I don't know how many students are actually living on campus.

Isn't the spread at other schools typically coming from someone attending a large gathering, contracting covid and then bringing it back into their dorm? And not because of in-person classes?

[Anonymous]

RPI has had two cases so far. One at the beginning and one last week. They did draconian measures and test students 2x a week.

[Anonymous]

NYU is doing pretty well. Classes a blend of online, hybrid and in-person. Kids from most states had come early to quarantine (and they botched the food service at the start.) But only 46 cases cumulatively, 14 currently, in a population of 25,000 plus (including those who’ve opted to be remote—I don’t know the numbers on campus.). There is regular ongoing testing, even for students who live off campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t George Mason open?

Yes, but most classes are online. Very very little in person.

Dorms are limited capacity, mostly singles and some doubles. About 3,500 on campus.

Positive cases have been very low, but they just did another round of mandatory testing after Labor Day and reports of gatherings (and people traveling).

About 1/3 of classes are in person at GMU right now.

edited--I mean have at least some in-person component (hybrid) or in-person. BUt this varies widely--some dept are mainly on line and some are mainly in person.

GMU is also doing random testing of people who are going to campus. It is important to note that unlike other large state schools GMU doesn’t have a big off campus party culture. I think most students who aren’t living in the dorms are at home.

I teach there and at this point I would be comfortable teaching in person this spring with everything they are doing. But the problem is that the courses I teach enroll about 40-50 students. In person classes are going to have the same social distancing caps as the spring, and there are very few very large rooms on campus. Capping my courses at a low number means a bunch of people would be shut out and possibly not graduate on time. The majority of classrooms are not equipped for live-streaming so having half the class attend each day isn’t a great option either. It’s looking like I will have to teach online again because of the logistical barriers. Just something to keep in mind for parents who might be upset that their kids’ classes might be online again on the spring. It’s going to be hard for the typical 50 person lecture course to be held in person until social distancing is no longer required. Thankfully courses with very low enrollment (~20 students) can generally be offered in person.

[Anonymous]

College of Wooster has had zero cases for the past month. They did staggered arrival of students and had about 7 cases the first week and none since. Classes were remote until everyone arrived and now are a mix of in person and remote. Some students chose not to come to campus and are studying remotely. Masks are required everywhere except inside dorm rooms. As of this week, students can go into town. They can go outside of town with permission. No large gatherings. It does help that practically everyone lives on campus (they make exceptions for commuters).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t George Mason open?

Yes, but most classes are online. Very very little in person.

Dorms are limited capacity, mostly singles and some doubles. About 3,500 on campus.

Positive cases have been very low, but they just did another round of mandatory testing after Labor Day and reports of gatherings (and people traveling).

About 1/3 of classes are in person at GMU right now.

edited--I mean have at least some in-person component (hybrid) or in-person. BUt this varies widely--some dept are mainly on line and some are mainly in person.

GMU is also doing random testing of people who are going to campus. It is important to note that unlike other large state schools GMU doesn’t have a big off campus party culture. I think most students who aren’t living in the dorms are at home.

I teach there and at this point I would be comfortable teaching in person this spring with everything they are doing. But the problem is that the courses I teach enroll about 40-50 students. In person classes are going to have the same social distancing caps as the spring, and there are very few very large rooms on campus. Capping my courses at a low number means a bunch of people would be shut out and possibly not graduate on time. The majority of classrooms are not equipped for live-streaming so having half the class attend each day isn’t a great option either. It’s looking like I will have to teach online again because of the logistical barriers. Just something to keep in mind for parents who might be upset that their kids’ classes might be online again on the spring. It’s going to be hard for the typical 50 person lecture course to be held in person until social distancing is no longer required. Thankfully courses with very low enrollment (~20 students) can generally be offered in person.

Different poster. PP, thank you for this very valuable reminder about class sizes and room limitations not just for GMU but for all colleges and universities. I wish some parents who are on other threads would come read your post.

I don't have a kid there, but am glad to hear GMU is doing well so far. I think if anyone questions why colleges like GMU still must have online teaching now and in the spring too, they need look only at the photo posted online a few weeks ago by a student at James Madison University. The photo shows a supposedly "distanced" JMU classroom with students in every other seat or so (some seats blocked off so no on could use them) -- and lots of students crammed knee to knee sitting the floor. Someone utterly dropped the ball on the idea that distanced seating means nothing if you don't limit class in-person enrollment as well. Not here to gin up debate about JMU, but to say that all colleges -- and all complaining parents -- have to realize that classroom distancing is just "pandemic theater" unless the class SIZE is kept small.

I hope you have a good and healthy year at GMU whether in person on online, PP.

[Anonymous]

https://www.nyu.edu/life/safety-health-wellness/coronavirus-information/nyc-covid-19-testing-data.html

NYU has tested 30k tests since Aug 1 and have less than 1/2 percent positive cases. Since the out of state students arrived mid-August, they are getting more positive results, but the rolling rate for last 7 days is still less than 1%. They have rolling 7 day stats and rolling 14 day stats to better keep track of how their efforts are working. NYU has mask mandate, daily screeners, ongoing testing, quarantining, contact tracing, isolation of positive cases, whistle blower hotline, etc. My kid has 3 online classes and 2 in person classes. They have students in the dorm, the libraries open and the dining halls open for Grub Hub ordering and takeout.

What works is people being diligent and wanting it to work. And although it is not 100%, it helps that a school can enforce within their population. The students who actually showed up for college don't want to be sent home for elevated cases or noncompliance, so they are taking it more serious than the average person on the street.

NYC in general is doing well too though. It is because a lot of the citizens actually KNOW someone who has gotten sick, and this virus isn't so abstract hoax.

So it can work.