Email to kids from Colby states grab and go meals through Sunday. They are asking students to wear kn95/n95 if at all possible, avoid travel, and keep gatherings to less than 10 students. They did not put a time frame on these restrictions. This is pretty consistent with how they have handled the pandemic from the start.
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That is not how it is at my daughterâs university, at least in the history dept. The prof teach the lectures, and for the large classes (120 to 200), they have the TAs to teach the discussion groups once per week. The (full tenured) professors also teach, in person, the smaller (24) courses. The professors and the TAs both have office hours for the same course. The TAs grade the papers and tests, but the prof awards the final grade. My daughter said the prof did change some of her grades to make them in line with what the other TAs were granting.
Daughter went to undergrad at this school (pre covid) and it was the same system. I donât think there are many adjuncts. Itâs a small town, even though it is the flagship. Daughter knew if she signed up for a class that it would be the listed professor teaching it.
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Happy that RIT , for now, is not requiring the booster. Even with those colleges that are requiring I think we are going to see large outbreaks.
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Studentâs doctor should be able to supply a note stating student is not yet eligible
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SDSU announced they will be remote for the first two weeks back. They are encouraging students to not return until classes are in person, but the campus will be open should they want to return on the original date.
Simmons announced the following changes for spring semester:
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Classes will be virtual for the first week (week of 1/17) - plan to return to F2F the week of 1/24, conditions permitting (this makes me uneasy, as they donât ever say what metrics they are using to evaluate conditions).
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Dining will be grab and go. There is no end date on this.
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Testing will be increased to 2 times per week.
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Students will be required to wear kn95 masks everywhere except their own dorm room.
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Guest policy reverting back to that of start of fall semester - no commuter students or non-Simmons students allowed inside residence halls.
I am not surprised by this announcement, but I really wish they would have made it a few days ago. Their silence on the matter lulled me into thinking they were not going to revert to these measures, and I just bought a non-refundable airline ticket for D20 to return on 1/16. She is, of course, concerned that online classes are going to extend beyond one week (I would be pretty surprised if they didnât, tbh). Grab and go dining is an annoyance, but being in the city, she and her friends will just likely eat out more frequently.
D20 is on a scholarship that requires her to complete 8 consecutive semesters, so gapping isnât an option. Iâm not sure if she would do it even if she could, but this is definitely putting a pall on her feelings about spring semester. 
I am thankful she had such a wonderful fall semester and found a big tribe of friends when she did - hopeful having them and the city at their disposal will mitigate some of the more isolating aspects of these policies.
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Email the school and call. Complain. Make your voice heard.
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I canât swear to zero professors having an issue with in-person, but I can say Harvard just sent out a letter confirming that spring semester classes are in-person (with no indications that faculty isnât going to be in class). We have not noticed any drop in service based on staff issues.
(Edited due to typos and for clarity)
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Received an email from Vanderbilt confirming theyâll accept rapid home test results to satisfy pre-arrival testing.
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Thankfully, most schools have indicated that they are planning to have in-person classes in the spring. But the statement I questioned wasnât whether or not these schools would have classes in-person, it was that all the faculty members at every one of the listed schools had all agreed to teach in-person.
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My D has gotten the syllabi for most of her courses and the profs that usually teach those courses are still teaching in person this upcoming semester. At this point itâs mostly 400 level courses so Iâm not sure if thatâs any different for the intro courses.
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I think the questions are the same. If classes are in person, faculty who regularly teach them would be required to do so absent a disability accommodation. Or I suppose some might have a sabbatical they could use or take unpaid or FMLA leave.
In Spring 2021 the faculty of the English department objected to teaching in person at Princeton. They were overruled, classes were in person, and English classes were taught as usual.
Teaching in the university-approved mode is a condition of employment.
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Davidson is pushing back return to campus from Jan 18th to Jan 28th weekend with in person classes starting on Jan 31st w/first week of classes starting Jan 24th (rather than Jan 20th) w/asynchronous classes/reading assignments:
We hope the holiday break afforded you some time to rest and to enjoy being with your families. We want to provide an update regarding the start of the Spring semester.
We need and appreciate your help in returning for the spring semester in the safest manner possible.
The COVID team has closely followed developments around Omicron. We know from public health reports and, as you likely do, from the experience of family and friends that the Omicron variant is more transmissible than its predecessors. Given what weâre learning (and we learn more each day), we will delay arrival on campus until January 28 â 30 for all students who are not already authorized to return early.
The first day of in-person instruction will be January 31. At that time all classes will meet in person.
The semester will begin one week earlier, on January 24. That first week will be a form of reading week, with asynchronous work assigned by your professors. Faculty members already are developing a variety of options for those days, from reading assignments to introductory videos to preparing materials for the first in-person day.
The add/drop deadline will be pushed back to February 4.
The dates of spring break and Commencement remain unchanged and will happen as originally scheduled.
An updated academic calendar will be posted shortly.
We know this delay causes inconvenience, travel problems and stress for many families. Weâre making this move because it gives us the best shot at having a successful semester as a residential liberal arts college. The strength of our face to face community grounds learning in and out of the classroom. That distinctive learning experience and our aspirational mission are what brought students, faculty and staff alike to Davidson. Our mission is best achievedâsome would say can only be fully achievedâwhen we are together here on campus.
Hereâs why weâre pushing back the start of the semester:
What we know about Omicron gives us hope that it will dissipate more quickly than its predecessors. Every day gives us more information and better traction to keep it in check on campus.
We have some data based on experience with students who are here now. First, the overall incidence of COVID upon return is higher than in previous semesters. Second, the limited data we have from our student population suggest that booster shots and pre-arrival tests do make a difference. Extra time before move-in gives all students the chance to get a timely booster shot and to schedule a timely pre-arrival test.
Here are the other ways we seek your help:
Get boosted â Students are required to get a COVID booster shot if eligible by January 20 to return to campus. If not eligible for a booster by Jan 20, you must be boosted no later than two weeks from the date you are eligible. You are eligible for a booster if it has been greater than six months from your second Pfizer or Moderna shot or greater than 2 months from the J&J shot. If you had a recent COVID infection, you can get your booster 14 days after your symptoms started or you had a positive test. Please upload your booster shot information through the student health portal.
Schedule a test now â Students must have a negative antigen test within 48 hours of returning to campus. Testing outlets, such as chain drugs stores, have wait times of several days right now. Please go online and schedule your test now based on your return date. We will provide information soon on how to upload test results. At-home tests and PCR tests will not be accepted.
Mask up â Our mask protocols will remain in place in the spring semester and may be more stringent in the first weeks.
Snap a photo or carry your card â Proof of vaccination will be required to attend womenâs and menâs basketball games for all fans ages 5 and up. Current Davidson students, faculty and staff may show their CatCard as proof of vaccination. (Athletics will provide further details in advance of Saturdayâs menâs game. If you have questions, please call the Athletics ticket office at 800-768-2287.)
You will have questions, and we ask for your patience as we provide more information in the coming days.
Thank you for your help and your commitment to protect and support each other.
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Cliff notes:
-In person from the start of spring semester (1/24)
-No quarantine housing, quantine in dorm
-No quarantining required if you are boosted and a close contact
-Grab and go dining theater for a bit, but no restrictions regarding eating off campus (YALE is prohibiting eating off campus, even outdoors, for several weeks. Ridiculous)
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There is a difference between colleges choosing to offer in-person classes and their faculties being in unanimous agreement on the issue. If faculty choose to seek exceptions or take sabbaticals rather than teach online, then it is not unanimous agreement. If colleges force faculty members to teach in-person else they lose their jobs, this isnât really unanimous agreement either.
On any given day, I might prefer not to work as well. I do so to retain my employment. I am confident the faculty I referred to have employment options elsewhere if they so choose. More than half my my kidâs professors were well over retirement age at more than 75. They chose to remain and teach in person, so I would count that as agreeing. As a group, the faculty are intelligent, rational, and certainly scientifically literate and they have options. They are in-person.
I believe sabbatical is only offered to senior members after many years of service. Nor am I aware of the details of anyoneâs disability claim,but fwiw, there were no prominent cases of either.
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University of Rochester announced no change to first day of classes 1/12 - in person with negative covid test required 72 hours before arrival.
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Just found out S21 will have to have a negative PCR within 72 hours of arrival on campus. We are far enough that kid has to fly. And our city is chaotic enough that test results are currently not coming back within 3 days. So unless things change dramatically in a week, we are going to be in a nail biter situation. And possibly a continuous loop of testing and waiting. Not really sure what to do. Will call the school for alternative plan, but figuring some of you are dealing with same issue.
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