Why is everyone so mad at the colleges for their plans?

[Anonymous]

They ALL have covid websites.

I wonder how the kids will navigate college and live when they see a parent expecting to be spoon fed information and at a loss when it comes to using their resources to find that info.

[Anonymous]

I am not mad at colleges or college students or professors or local school districts or teachers.

I am LIVID with the federal government and some of the states.

"Flattening the curve" was never going to be enough. We had to do it to buy time to get mass-scale testing capacity up and running. More than 4 months later, only 7 states in the US (including DC) have as much testing available as they need.

If there was enough testing that ALL students and faculty and staff could be tested 2-3 times a week we could get back to more normal life until there is a vaccine or treatments available.

Not all, but many Americans did hold up their end of the deal. The federal government has been a massive failure and now everyone is dealing with the consequences of this.

[Anonymous]

Things will be tough for colleges and the students who attend them this Fall

Also, I think now (July 2020) will be the "good old days" compared to what we see this winter...

Red State Governors didn't do us any favors...

Be prepared for anything...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not mad at colleges or college students or professors or local school districts or teachers.

I am LIVID with the federal government and some of the states.

"Flattening the curve" was never going to be enough. We had to do it to buy time to get mass-scale testing capacity up and running. More than 4 months later, only 7 states in the US (including DC) have as much testing available as they need.

If there was enough testing that ALL students and faculty and staff could be tested 2-3 times a week we could get back to more normal life until there is a vaccine or treatments available.

Not all, but many Americans did hold up their end of the deal. The federal government has been a massive failure and now everyone is dealing with the consequences of this.

AMEN!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They ALL have covid websites.

I wonder how the kids will navigate college and live when they see a parent expecting to be spoon fed information and at a loss when it comes to using their resources to find that info.

Posting information on a website without notifying people that new information is being added is a very passive way of communicating. With schools constantly changing their plans as OP noted, they should be going out of their way to communicate with all of their stakeholders, parents included. I fail to see how this has anything to do with FERPA as PPs have mentioned. Being able to locate a piece of information on a website as one of the PPs keeps offering to do (how kind), does not mean that the colleges have created a solid communications strategy for sharing their plans and subsequent changes.

[Anonymous]

My DD's school has been great with communication.

I'm not mad at all about anything. They are truly doing the best that they can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not mad at colleges or college students or professors or local school districts or teachers.

I am LIVID with the federal government and some of the states.

"Flattening the curve" was never going to be enough. We had to do it to buy time to get mass-scale testing capacity up and running. More than 4 months later, only 7 states in the US (including DC) have as much testing available as they need.

If there was enough testing that ALL students and faculty and staff could be tested 2-3 times a week we could get back to more normal life until there is a vaccine or treatments available.

Not all, but many Americans did hold up their end of the deal. The federal government has been a massive failure and now everyone is dealing with the consequences of this.

In my state in the Northeast, which has been doing well by US standards, testing turnaround is now increasing to over a week due to backlogs created by other states - so much so that I doubt testing and tracing college students will work. Thank Trump, Florida, Arizona etc if colleges end up online only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree too. I see our DC's college working extremely hard at this. DC's small LAC has an excellent plan in place and the type of location that could make it work IF students fullly participate in the masking and staying on campus that is required by the plan. The colleges are doing their best but parents must accept that plan details will have to change, and none of us can expect the virus to behave as we want it to so our kids can go back to campus. I actually would rather DC's college just do the whole semester online again, because even with this college's better-than-most chances....it's still a long shot that colleges will remain in session on campuses, I think.

Longtime friend who is a longtime senior staffer (not a professor) at another college says she predicts that many colleges now making return plans will end up not going back, or if they do, the semesters will end up cut short as spring was. She says student behavior is simply not going to dovetail with what is needed to make any campus a haven from the virus.

It's very telling that a report is being published with a subtitle saying that colleges will be the next cruise ship/nursing home/meatpacking plant scenarios of rampant spread, even despite colleges' precautions. Article about it in the New Yorker today.

Professor friends suggest colleges will announce more DL moves once the schools have x% of students committed to attend. The plan is get the money first.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if summarizing the plan and any updates on a central (and easily accessible) website, rather than individual messages and conversations, might be a useful step to master before tackling distance learning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mad at DC's school (NYU) because they do not communicate with parents. At All. I have read about NYU's plans through DCUM, news reports and NYU posts on Facebook. NYU emails the students on their student accounts, which aren't checked regularly becaue students are not in school. Seeding an email to the student's school account does not always work well to get info to the student or the people who are paying. And they have the teh student's regular email account, and the parent's email accounts. The biggest joke was when I read that NYU was studying the NY state guidance on reopening educational institutions, and one of the top goals was to establish good communication with students and parents. It has not been done and complaints about the lack of communication are ignored.

The timing of announcements has been terrible too. DC goes to Tisch in the Film and TV program. The program sent out a message on Thursday July 2 at about 4P, which basically said don't bother coming back because classes will be online as much as possible, and you should use your own equipment (the message actually said phone cameras) for film projects- not ours. Students will not be allowed to use Tisch equipment and TIsch won't be charging the typical fees and insurance for the equipment for fall, but students are expected to pay the full tuition. Then the school was closed for the 3 day July 4 holiday weekend, and no questions were answered until Monday. A big reason to attend a film program is to learn how to use professional equipment. Without the opportunity to use Tisch equipment, it makes no sense to return, or take production classes. So this message was essentially telling Tisch students to stay home, change your plans and change your schedule all of which require interaction with school counselors and staff. You bet I'm mad Tisch made this important announcement and then all staff and counselors disappeared for 3 days.

You need to have your child sign the FERPA waiver (which both of our adult children did, understanding that we were paying full right). Until you do that, NYU will not contact you regarding anything. This is important for all parents to know because colleges (to their own benefit) have decided that adulthood begins at 18 notwithstanding the fact that parents may be paying for everything. Until you do that, you will not be sent any emails and will not be able to advocate on behalf of your child for anything. I'm an SN dad and learned this the hard way. One of my nephews was flunking out of a SLAC in California but the parents - who were footing 75K a year - weren't notified. It was only because the final notice that the child could NOT return to campus which was mailed to the child at the parents' address, did the parents learn that their child had been asked to leave. Under you get your child to sign that, the college has no reason to communicate with you.

This is the standard legal definition of becoming an adult. Colleges did not arbitrarily come up with it on their own, nor out of the blue.

But colleges take advantage of it. And most parents have no idea that they are sending checks in to a college that won't talk to them if there is a legal or medical issue. This is why you must have your children sign the FERPAwaiver. Otherwise, if your kid is caught in some problematic illness, rape, drinking issue, dorm violations, etc. etc. etc. the college will not call you. I WANT TO BE CALLED if my DS or DD have been arrested, are accused of something or hospitalized. Unless you get the FERPA waiver, which we have done for all three kids, you have no voice

Noooo ... it's a demarcation. For legal purposes, they are an adult.

This isn't "taking advantage of it." It's following federal and state legislation. You can lobby to change the law, if you like. Go ahead. You can't rightly criticize universities and colleges for following the laws that they are required to follow.

Develop a better relationship with your kids before they become adults, if you want them to tell you things after they are adults. Set limits on what you will pay for -- limit the amount, and/or require they review their grades with you, or whatever. But they ARE adults. If they are not (because of disability, etc), then you should have already applied for legal guardianship, and this would be moot.

DP, not one of the PPs to whom you are responding, but PP -- if you have a college student currently, or will have one, do you also believe you do not need medical power of attorney? Because you clearly don't believe in FERPA for parents re: grade information.

Fine. Not life or death, right?

But the college's information aside, there is good reason to have medical POA over your "adult" child. If that student is incapacitated and in a clinic or hospital, unless you have a medical POA you may not get a call to tell you your adult child is unconscious and injured. That's not about the colleges, it's about HIPPA regulations etc.

I have a feeling you might say, well, so what, the parent should be listed as the emergency contact and that takes care of it.

OK, you might get the call -- but you will possibly have zero input into your adult child's treatment. Even if your health insurance is covering your child. Just a heads-up that if college students are fully adults, they are considered such if they turn up in an emergency room and cannot advocate for themselves. Without the proper paperwork, you cannot advocate for them either or have input into treatment decisions.

This issue is one you should think about during this pandemic if you send your adult off to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree too. I see our DC's college working extremely hard at this. DC's small LAC has an excellent plan in place and the type of location that could make it work IF students fullly participate in the masking and staying on campus that is required by the plan. The colleges are doing their best but parents must accept that plan details will have to change, and none of us can expect the virus to behave as we want it to so our kids can go back to campus. I actually would rather DC's college just do the whole semester online again, because even with this college's better-than-most chances....it's still a long shot that colleges will remain in session on campuses, I think.

Longtime friend who is a longtime senior staffer (not a professor) at another college says she predicts that many colleges now making return plans will end up not going back, or if they do, the semesters will end up cut short as spring was. She says student behavior is simply not going to dovetail with what is needed to make any campus a haven from the virus.

It's very telling that a report is being published with a subtitle saying that colleges will be the next cruise ship/nursing home/meatpacking plant scenarios of rampant spread, even despite colleges' precautions. Article about it in the New Yorker today.

Professor friends suggest colleges will announce more DL moves once the schools have x% of students committed to attend. The plan is get the money first.

Interestingly conspiratorial of your professor friends. Not that I really doubt them. But...you do realize that colleges cannot just slash "the money" and still be able to operate without collapsing, furloughs etc., right? And the pandemic planning and equipment and changes made for DL and on-campus changes (yes, those too) are requiring many colleges to spend more, not less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mad at DC's school (NYU) because they do not communicate with parents. At All. I have read about NYU's plans through DCUM, news reports and NYU posts on Facebook. NYU emails the students on their student accounts, which aren't checked regularly becaue students are not in school. Seeding an email to the student's school account does not always work well to get info to the student or the people who are paying. And they have the teh student's regular email account, and the parent's email accounts. The biggest joke was when I read that NYU was studying the NY state guidance on reopening educational institutions, and one of the top goals was to establish good communication with students and parents. It has not been done and complaints about the lack of communication are ignored.

The timing of announcements has been terrible too. DC goes to Tisch in the Film and TV program. The program sent out a message on Thursday July 2 at about 4P, which basically said don't bother coming back because classes will be online as much as possible, and you should use your own equipment (the message actually said phone cameras) for film projects- not ours. Students will not be allowed to use Tisch equipment and TIsch won't be charging the typical fees and insurance for the equipment for fall, but students are expected to pay the full tuition. Then the school was closed for the 3 day July 4 holiday weekend, and no questions were answered until Monday. A big reason to attend a film program is to learn how to use professional equipment. Without the opportunity to use Tisch equipment, it makes no sense to return, or take production classes. So this message was essentially telling Tisch students to stay home, change your plans and change your schedule all of which require interaction with school counselors and staff. You bet I'm mad Tisch made this important announcement and then all staff and counselors disappeared for 3 days.

You need to have your child sign the FERPA waiver (which both of our adult children did, understanding that we were paying full right). Until you do that, NYU will not contact you regarding anything. This is important for all parents to know because colleges (to their own benefit) have decided that adulthood begins at 18 notwithstanding the fact that parents may be paying for everything. Until you do that, you will not be sent any emails and will not be able to advocate on behalf of your child for anything. I'm an SN dad and learned this the hard way. One of my nephews was flunking out of a SLAC in California but the parents - who were footing 75K a year - weren't notified. It was only because the final notice that the child could NOT return to campus which was mailed to the child at the parents' address, did the parents learn that their child had been asked to leave. Under you get your child to sign that, the college has no reason to communicate with you.

This is the standard legal definition of becoming an adult. Colleges did not arbitrarily come up with it on their own, nor out of the blue.

But colleges take advantage of it. And most parents have no idea that they are sending checks in to a college that won't talk to them if there is a legal or medical issue. This is why you must have your children sign the FERPAwaiver. Otherwise, if your kid is caught in some problematic illness, rape, drinking issue, dorm violations, etc. etc. etc. the college will not call you. I WANT TO BE CALLED if my DS or DD have been arrested, are accused of something or hospitalized. Unless you get the FERPA waiver, which we have done for all three kids, you have no voice

Noooo ... it's a demarcation. For legal purposes, they are an adult.

This isn't "taking advantage of it." It's following federal and state legislation. You can lobby to change the law, if you like. Go ahead. You can't rightly criticize universities and colleges for following the laws that they are required to follow.

Develop a better relationship with your kids before they become adults, if you want them to tell you things after they are adults. Set limits on what you will pay for -- limit the amount, and/or require they review their grades with you, or whatever. But they ARE adults. If they are not (because of disability, etc), then you should have already applied for legal guardianship, and this would be moot.

DP, not one of the PPs to whom you are responding, but PP -- if you have a college student currently, or will have one, do you also believe you do not need medical power of attorney? Because you clearly don't believe in FERPA for parents re: grade information. [1]

Fine. Not life or death, right?

But the college's information aside, there is good reason to have medical POA over your "adult" child. If that student is incapacitated and in a clinic or hospital, unless you have a medical POA you may not get a call to tell you your adult child is unconscious and injured. That's not about the colleges, it's about HIPPA regulations etc.

I have a feeling you might say, well, so what, the parent should be listed as the emergency contact and that takes care of it.

OK, you might get the call -- but you will possibly have zero input into your adult child's treatment. Even if your health insurance is covering your child. Just a heads-up that if college students are fully adults, they are considered such if they turn up in an emergency room [2] and cannot advocate for themselves. Without the proper paperwork, you cannot advocate for them either or have input into treatment decisions.

This issue is one you should think about during this pandemic if you send your adult off to college.

Oh, I think it's fine to request your child get a FERPA waiver, and especially appropriate in certain circumstances. And medical POA. I'm a physician, and I understand how and why that is important.

I just don't expect universities to break the law for my convenience. I've had that conversation with young adults, and I'm happy to have it again. They get to say "no," but that may come with consequences.

[1] No.
[2] Of course -- same as for my parents, my husband, my adult (unmarried) brother, etc. If my son or daughter is still depending on me to advocate for them in times of crisis, then I will do so. We'll have that talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mad at DC's school (NYU) because they do not communicate with parents. At All. I have read about NYU's plans through DCUM, news reports and NYU posts on Facebook. NYU emails the students on their student accounts, which aren't checked regularly becaue students are not in school. Seeding an email to the student's school account does not always work well to get info to the student or the people who are paying. And they have the teh student's regular email account, and the parent's email accounts. The biggest joke was when I read that NYU was studying the NY state guidance on reopening educational institutions, and one of the top goals was to establish good communication with students and parents. It has not been done and complaints about the lack of communication are ignored.

The timing of announcements has been terrible too. DC goes to Tisch in the Film and TV program. The program sent out a message on Thursday July 2 at about 4P, which basically said don't bother coming back because classes will be online as much as possible, and you should use your own equipment (the message actually said phone cameras) for film projects- not ours. Students will not be allowed to use Tisch equipment and TIsch won't be charging the typical fees and insurance for the equipment for fall, but students are expected to pay the full tuition. Then the school was closed for the 3 day July 4 holiday weekend, and no questions were answered until Monday. A big reason to attend a film program is to learn how to use professional equipment. Without the opportunity to use Tisch equipment, it makes no sense to return, or take production classes. So this message was essentially telling Tisch students to stay home, change your plans and change your schedule all of which require interaction with school counselors and staff. You bet I'm mad Tisch made this important announcement and then all staff and counselors disappeared for 3 days.

You need to have your child sign the FERPA waiver (which both of our adult children did, understanding that we were paying full right). Until you do that, NYU will not contact you regarding anything. This is important for all parents to know because colleges (to their own benefit) have decided that adulthood begins at 18 notwithstanding the fact that parents may be paying for everything. Until you do that, you will not be sent any emails and will not be able to advocate on behalf of your child for anything. I'm an SN dad and learned this the hard way. One of my nephews was flunking out of a SLAC in California but the parents - who were footing 75K a year - weren't notified. It was only because the final notice that the child could NOT return to campus which was mailed to the child at the parents' address, did the parents learn that their child had been asked to leave. Under you get your child to sign that, the college has no reason to communicate with you.

My rising college freshman checks their college outlook email daily. And you chose to pay full freight-my kid is going to an lac with full tuition merit aid. It’s not my responsibility to remind an 18 year old to do this stuff. Also, stop acting like paying full tuition entitles your kid to better treatment (which isn’t doing your kid any good in the long run) than FA kids.

Didn't say that. You are looking for problems that don't exist. My sister did not know about FERPA (which it sounds like original OP to the NYU story also is ignorant of). And she's smart. But she didn't understand that while she was paying full freight for a SLAC, that the SLAC had no obligation to report back to her that her ds was flunking out. Think about that for a moment before you judge so quickly next time.

If you don’t know about FERPA that’s your own stupid fault. I heard and read about FERPA so many damn times when my kid was applying to colleges it is ridiculous. Also, your adult children need to learn to read their email regularly. That’s like a basic life skill and it should occur to them that perhaps with a pandemic on they should check it. Universities should not have to spoon fed you information that is readily available with a modicum of effort.