Colleges and Universities almost universally plan to be open in the fall

[Anonymous]

I have a kid starting college in the fall and I really hope they can start on campus and not online.

[Anonymous]

Looks like Boston University is looking at a hybrid, keep classes smaller and allow people not comfortable with in person classes to opt for live streaming of classes.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/remote-in-person-hybrid-teaching-graduate-professional-programs/

[Anonymous]

Juniata JUST announced that they look forward to welcoming kids on campus in the Fall. They mention lots of planning that is going on to set it up safely. They acknowledge that this is contingent upon government guidance. But it sounds like they will also make distance learning an option for those who need or prefer that.

Some hybrid like this might be the ideal option--IF schools can pull it off!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Boston University is looking at a hybrid, keep classes smaller and allow people not comfortable with in person classes to opt for live streaming of classes.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/remote-in-person-hybrid-teaching-graduate-professional-programs/

The plan allows for students who don't feel comfortable to attend classes in person - but not for faculty who don't feel comfortable, even though they are in general at much higher risk...

[Anonymous]

Point taken.

One does wonder how much finances come into play. But then again, faculty need universities to survive, so they have jobs.

There are no good options.

[Anonymous]

I think a big issue is that even if the fatality rates are low in the college-aged population, there's really likely to be high outbreaks in dorms as there are in all the residential settings. If kids are sick for the 2-3 weeks that is typical for a mild case of Covid 19 they will be miserable, likely have to do a medical withdrawal from classes (where they don't get credit, only get some prorated money back for course, but it doesn't harm their GPA). Maybe if they've done enough for the class could get by with an incomplete. But there are pretty high odds that going to campus during a second wave is going to result in a missed semester of classes. As a parent, even my kid is okay with taking the health risk, there's kind of a big academic/financial risk implicit in going to residential classes in the fall. I have a college student who is itching to get back--and I really want them to have the full college experience, but I feel like I don't know what the right decision will be if they offer a hybrid option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Boston University is looking at a hybrid, keep classes smaller and allow people not comfortable with in person classes to opt for live streaming of classes.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/remote-in-person-hybrid-teaching-graduate-professional-programs/

This doesn't include undergrads

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Boston University is looking at a hybrid, keep classes smaller and allow people not comfortable with in person classes to opt for live streaming of classes.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/remote-in-person-hybrid-teaching-graduate-professional-programs/

This doesn't include undergrads

If you read to the bottom of the article ", a similar plan will likely be recommended for undergraduate teaching by the Undergraduate Programs Working Group"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Life goes on. After an 8 week period during the 1918-19 Spanish Flu the flu died off. People moved on with their lives.

This is wildly, laughably wrong. The Spanish flu had 3 major waves in the US starting in 1918 and continuing until 1920. The second -- which came as restrictions were being relaxed -- killed most people, but people were still dying from the Spanish flu in 1920.

Killed "most people"? Yes, the second wave was more deadly, but estimates for the total of Spanish flu deaths in the US are 0.5 to 0.8 percent of the population.

NP: Your reading comprehension is a bit off--the "most people" is relative to the total number of people who died in the pandemic, not a reference to a broader population.

No my reading comprehension is fine and I understood the point, that most of the Spanish Flu victims died in the second wave. It was the wording that was off. "The second killed most people." Doesn't that, as written, imply that a majority of the population died, i.e. "Most people".

What? No. Obviously not haha.

[Anonymous]

People talking about a "normal college experience" are kidding themselves. Whether colleges go back residential as the linked podcast suggests, or not, it' snot going to be a normal experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People talking about a "normal college experience" are kidding themselves. Whether colleges go back residential as the linked podcast suggests, or not, it' snot going to be a normal experience.

Yes, but you can either choose to keep your spot (and attend or go online, as the college dictates); or stop whining about what you can not control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People talking about a "normal college experience" are kidding themselves. Whether colleges go back residential as the linked podcast suggests, or not, it' snot going to be a normal experience.

Yes, but you can either choose to keep your spot (and attend or go online, as the college dictates); or stop whining about what you can not control.

"Stop discussing your children's life and wellbeing and just act without engaging in discourse about the merits of doing so"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People talking about a "normal college experience" are kidding themselves. Whether colleges go back residential as the linked podcast suggests, or not, it' snot going to be a normal experience.

Yes, but you can either choose to keep your spot (and attend or go online, as the college dictates); or stop whining about what you can not control.

"Stop discussing your children's life and wellbeing and just act without engaging in discourse about the merits of doing so"

+1. I swear there are people who are on a parenting site for the sole purpose of asserting that it's pointless to think about parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a big issue is that even if the fatality rates are low in the college-aged population, there's really likely to be high outbreaks in dorms as there are in all the residential settings. If kids are sick for the 2-3 weeks that is typical for a mild case of Covid 19 they will be miserable, likely have to do a medical withdrawal from classes (where they don't get credit, only get some prorated money back for course, but it doesn't harm their GPA). Maybe if they've done enough for the class could get by with an incomplete. But there are pretty high odds that going to campus during a second wave is going to result in a missed semester of classes. As a parent, even my kid is okay with taking the health risk, there's kind of a big academic/financial risk implicit in going to residential classes in the fall. I have a college student who is itching to get back--and I really want them to have the full college experience, but I feel like I don't know what the right decision will be if they offer a hybrid option.

This age group is barely even getting sick from CV. Your scenario is not the likely one.

[Anonymous]

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/schools/mtsu/2020/04/30/mtsu-president-sidney-mcphee-says-campus-classes-resume-fall-semester/3058212001/?utm_source=tennessean-News%20Alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alerts&utm_term=news_alert

MTSU just announced definitely going back in the fall (unless public health officials block it, of course -- my guess is this is unlikely; late summer seems like it will be the calm before the storm by most medical experts' estimates). No details on safety measures yet.