Now that we're in the mitigation stage, the public health goal is to slow down infection and illness among the high-risk, not to stop it. There is no way to keep students from spreading the virus among themselves whether they are in dorms are traveling home. But, they should stay away from the high-risk. On campus, it's the faculty and administrators who are at high risk. If they go home, they shouldn't visit their grandparents. If they conduct all their interactions with the elderly tenured faculty via Zoom, then there is a chance the old folks won't get sick all at once and overwhelm the hospitals.

Another really important reason to keep the dorms open is that many students are better off in them than returning to their parent's home. Some families live in crowded homes not conducive to online classes. There are students from rural areas with no broadband. Others can't afford to eat without the college dining plan. Some students have parents who will see their hours get cut in this crisis and need the student's part-time income. And some students need college health and counseling services to attend to their well-being.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hysteria. So sad for the kids, especially the Seniors at all of these schools. Hoping that my two DS' campuses will remain open after Spring Break. (And we have no where else to discuss this because Jeff locked the other threads and sent them here, and then deleted my question about whether this was the appropriate thread to discuss.

Agree. These kids were safer on campus. This is a basic cold with very little symptoms to teens/young adults. Many are already walking around positive and don't even know. Now they will be out visiting friends, public libraries, malls, etc.... and around the older people they should be avoiding.

You are talking about missed final research jobs, presentations, graduations ceremonies, etc... All because 0.2% of the 30 year olds, 0.1% of 20 year olds, and 0% of 10 year olds can die from this? SO STUPID.

Dorms and college campuses are stationary cruise ships. These students pass viruses around like crazy. The risk to the students is minimal. The risk that these students pose to the community, however, is high. The students can infect older people and immunocompromised people just as readily as they can infect each other. The risk to older people is very high. Spreading the students out to their homes slows the infection down and keeps hospitals from being overwhelmed.

I don't understand why some colleges are moving to on-line classes but still having students in the dorms...

For the same reason apartment buildings aren't evicting all their tenants. They're honoring the contract and commitment they made to their students, many of whom live very far away. All students at those schools now have the opportunity to make the best choice for themselves, their families, and the general public based on circumstances. In my kid's case, sending everyone home would be sending 25,000 kids from a hotspot onto trains, planes, etc. and into home communities that may not already be exposed. It really cuts both ways, and I think some colleges are thinking more about liability than about their students.

Anonymous wrote:Vassar. On spring break now for two weeks (normal spring break, not an extended one) then going to online classes until further notice. No dates given. No move-out order as of now.

Updating my post. Vassar goes to online classes March 23-April 10. Will keep assessing and announce next steps by April 6.

Social distancing. Trying to stop 600 from being packed into a lecture hall like sardines.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hysteria. So sad for the kids, especially the Seniors at all of these schools. Hoping that my two DS' campuses will remain open after Spring Break. (And we have no where else to discuss this because Jeff locked the other threads and sent them here, and then deleted my question about whether this was the appropriate thread to discuss.

Agree. These kids were safer on campus. This is a basic cold with very little symptoms to teens/young adults. Many are already walking around positive and don't even know. Now they will be out visiting friends, public libraries, malls, etc.... and around the older people they should be avoiding.

You are talking about missed final research jobs, presentations, graduations ceremonies, etc... All because 0.2% of the 30 year olds, 0.1% of 20 year olds, and 0% of 10 year olds can die from this? SO STUPID.

Dorms and college campuses are stationary cruise ships. These students pass viruses around like crazy. The risk to the students is minimal. The risk that these students pose to the community, however, is high. The students can infect older people and immunocompromised people just as readily as they can infect each other. The risk to older people is very high. Spreading the students out to their homes slows the infection down and keeps hospitals from being overwhelmed.

I don't understand why some colleges are moving to on-line classes but still having students in the dorms...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hysteria. So sad for the kids, especially the Seniors at all of these schools. Hoping that my two DS' campuses will remain open after Spring Break. (And we have no where else to discuss this because Jeff locked the other threads and sent them here, and then deleted my question about whether this was the appropriate thread to discuss.

Agree. These kids were safer on campus. This is a basic cold with very little symptoms to teens/young adults. Many are already walking around positive and don't even know. Now they will be out visiting friends, public libraries, malls, etc.... and around the older people they should be avoiding.

You are talking about missed final research jobs, presentations, graduations ceremonies, etc... All because 0.2% of the 30 year olds, 0.1% of 20 year olds, and 0% of 10 year olds can die from this? SO STUPID.

Dorms and college campuses are stationary cruise ships. These students pass viruses around like crazy. The risk to the students is minimal. The risk that these students pose to the community, however, is high. The students can infect older people and immunocompromised people just as readily as they can infect each other. The risk to older people is very high. Spreading the students out to their homes slows the infection down and keeps hospitals from being overwhelmed.