@crknwk2000 Did you see Grinnell’s plan? They are bringing small cohorts on and off campus throughout the semester depending on majors, years, friend groups. Lots of testing. Very few kids on campus at one time. Very complicated plan. I’m sure they don’t have housing around Grinnell and maybe the hospital bed situation is a worry too since they are not near hospitals.
- This might have been answered already but approximately 90% of Bowdoin's student population is OOS/int'l. That obviously includes many states (currently around 28 or so) where the coronavirus is actually spreading, particularly among young people, and several countries where travel to/from is currently prohibited. It's actually about more than just a few hundred extras on campus due to cancelling study abroad. And it's about more than lack of fresh air or open space! (most of college happens indoors regardless of where located). Emerging protocols are suggesting a 25%-of-capacity classroom space, single rooms for everyone (if not already provided), eight feet of social distancing in the dining room (eating apparently requires more space apart from others), room to isolate the infected, and so on. That's in addition to regular temperature checks and testing, masks, etc. Clearly, those protocols are going to prompt some creative use of existing facilities at some campuses and creative scheduling at others. It all points to working out some sort of hybrid learning environment for the upcoming academic year, whether that be within the week, or within the month, or within the academic term. The remote portion accommodates anyone who can't or shouldn't be in the classroom.
Therefore, in the absence of available plant to work out 25% capacity protocols with everyone on campus concurrently, a school may need to switch out who gets to be on campus - even if that means only allowing 25% of the student body - at any given time. It’s not surprising to hear of a college doing just that.
@JBStillFlying yes to all of that but many colleges not choosing to go by all of those guidelines. Can’t wait to see how this all shakes out. Hopefully, Bowdoin’s twice a week testing plan will work out and they’ll feel comfortable having more kids back in the spring. That’s the tentative plan.
@homerdog I didn’t see that about Grinnell. Sounds super complicated.
I need to check back in here from time to time to see what’s up. I think when Corona hit and everything started to turn upside down I just became a hermit physically and on the internet, too. Just got a little blue and went into a cave for a while. I’m coming out now, hoping for better times for all Covid and race wise. Better days have to be coming sooner or later, right?
Hi all! I’ve been hanging out over on the Class of '21 threads. Wanted to check in over here and see what’s happening with everyone now that schools are deciding (have decided) about the fall semester.
S19 is at Penn State main campus (University Park). They’re going back. He’s in an on-campus suite (two bedrooms, two people each) and will share a bedroom with a best friend from high school. According to his schedule, his AROTC classes will be in-person. The rest will not.
I have no idea what to think. We are PA residents and live two hours from campus. He can get home easily. And the campus is truly in the middle of nowhere. But once 40k students are all “back in town” who knows what will happen.
I’m concerned for PSU staff as it’s not likely that the student body will heed all safety precautions during their “free time.” Yet I also understand parents who are concerned about paying a lot of money for housing yet having most courses delivered online. And of course, all colleges out there are concerned about the bottom line.
S21 is in AROTC as I mentioned. So that is the primary factor. If he needs to be there, he will be there.
Anyway, thinking of everyone.
Well, parents of 2019 kids, we made it to page 1000 of this thread! Pretty crazy!
Nice to hear from you @crknwk2000 and @InfiniteWaves and glad to see your updates. Vanderbilt came out with a pretty extensive plan a couple of weeks ago, had a couple of zoom town hall meetings last week, and have been adding updates to the plans pretty regularly. I feel for the freshmen who will all be in singles spread out through campus and won’t have anything like the sense of community and boding that the freshmen typically get. S19 has a position as a leader in the freshman orientation program that lasts through the first semester, but it seems that now most o f it will take place online. Freshmen will be assigned virtual roommates as well. They have lots of plans in place for social opportunities but not sure how that will go. S19 signed the lease for his apartment this week and he and his roommate are looking forward to being back together. I’m hoping that at least half of his classes will be in person, but that will be determined later. Now to start gathering furniture and kitchen stuff.
I’m definitely worried about lots of campus plans falling apart and students having to go back to online learning. I know of many UGA students living in Athens this summer who have tested positive.
We sat thru the Tufts Q&A session about reopening and my general impression is that it was well thought out, mostly accommodating, gives kids a choice in what is best for them. I think they’ve done the best they could have given the scenario.
However, after thinking it thru some more I just don’t see how schools expect young kids to social distance 24/7 and limit their exposure. I think some kids will try their best and I think some kids just won’t. I think the situation is probably going to be harder where you have big student populations with parties and bars everywhere. It’s just hard for the kids to regulate themselves. I know I would’ve had a hard time trying to do that when I was a young invincible lad. Tufts isn’t a crazy party school with frats and packed sports games, so I think the kids can regulate themselves a bit more easily. But they may be tempted to wander off campus and venture into Boston more with less to do on campus, and that might lead to exposure.
Son19 signed up to go back, as well as his roommate. He said he’s not really worried about it, he’s more just annoyed by the whole thing. He does seem to take social distancing seriously though. I don’t think he is personally in grave danger returning to school, but I do think that his chances of contracting the virus is way higher at school than sitting in his bedroom here all Fall.
So I am glad he has a chance to go back to campus and try to get back to more normal again. I just hope the kids are safe and that the rates of kids getting seriously ill remain as low as it has been so far thru this pandemic.
@RightCoaster any news on sports? Are kids training but not competing? Bowdoin, Midd and Williams already said teams won’t travel.
Keep us up to date. I want to know how it goes!
Looks like S19 will be in Maine with friends. So much for looking for a college where he can live and eat on campus for four years. Now we are going to be dealing with off campus housing and cooking for themselves as 19 year olds. I know they’ll stay motivated for remote classes. They are all good students. But it’s going to be weird. Bowdoin kids having a hard time finding anything in Bruswick so most are out closer to the water in small towns that have AirbNbs available for fall. It will be an interesting time for sure.
@homerdog I don’t think the Nescac has offically cancelled all Fall sports yet, but I think it’s petty much inevitable at this point. There is not a huge financial incentive to play football like at big D1 programs to rely on that cash for lots of stuff, so I can see a full Fall shut down. Then they can monitor for another 8 weeks before deciding on Winter sports.
At Tufts the gym/fitness facility will be closed to general population. I think his coach was hopeful they might give small groups of student athletes access to the gym at a given time so they can keep up with their training. The outdoor track will be open so at least they can get out and run. Indoor tack is closed for now.
Aside from sports I hope they figure out how they can successfully host other intramural/club/performing arts activities. That’s a big part of the social life at Tufts and without those happening I would imagine the kids miss out on learning, making friends and creating memories.
@RightCoaster that sounds about the same as Bowdoin when it comes to the gym. It’s closed for the kids who will be on campus but freshman athletes on campus have been told they will be able to work out or have some sort of training with coaches. No one was furloughed (staff, coaches etc) so they will all be working.
I think of someone like D21, though, who wouldn’t be a recruited athlete but would want to work out! I guess she’d just have to do workout videos in her room? I really thought these schools could figure out the gym. Make appointments. Social distance. Something. I guess it’s not worth the risk.
^ Many schools might be converting the gyms and athletic centers into classroom space. That’s being discussed at UChicago, although there have been no final plans shared yet.
D got an email from her school tonight that she was determined eligible for a grant under the CARES act and that they’ll automatically be sending it to her in two weeks. Did I miss something? Her school gave every low income student a grant at the beginning of the crisis to cover travel and some food costs. Is this something else?
Sounds like her school is using their CARES funding to set up grants for their most financially needy students? My kids’ school is doing that as well.
Makes sense. Doubt Bowdoin doing that. They only have freshen on campus and only freshman writing seminars are in person. Don’t think they need the gym for so few classes!
Both Virginia Tech (S17) and Penn State (S19) start classes on campus August 24. Both schools go remote after Thanksgiving break, including final exams.
Four of S17’s five classes at VT are virtual, all five are small senior level classes.
Three of S19’s five classes at Penn State are virtual, two are mega lectures.
I’m sure this will change (not for the better) by August 24.
The new normal.
(Reposted from 2017 Parents thread)
Well, S19 just received some exciting news from Penn State amidst all of this pandemic confusion.
At the start of freshman year, he decided to put himself in the Paterno Fellows program within the College of Liberal Arts. This program provides a pathway into Schreyer’s Honors College. He just found out that he’s been admitted into Schreyer’s.
Totally don’t expect any of you to remember, but you all were here for me when he had some social adjustment bumps first semester and briefly considered transferring to Susquehanna. He ended up pushing through, settling in, and coming to absolutely love PSU. He couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. And now this.
Wanted to share this update here as you all have been such an amazing source of support and knowledge. And I’m so thankful for that.
@STEM2017 Three of S19’s classes are online, AROTC and one science class are in-person.
@InfiniteWaves Congratulations to S19! Schreyer’s is very special.
I was just on campus last week with S19 to empty his dorm room. What a beautiful place it is. We went to Yallah Taco for lunch and Berkey Creamery for dessert!
The emptiness of campus creeped out S a bit though. But I liked it. lol
@STEM2017 Yallah followed by Berkey is the best… 
DD got $450 about a month ago from her school and I think it was CARES Act. They gave like $800 to Pell students and $450 to most others (we don’t get need-based aid so it wasn’t because of that). Colleges got to decide how best to distribute the funds.
@InfiniteWaves - Congrats to your son! That’s great news! So many kids go through some adjustment troubles their first semester or year of college and it’s so great when they are able to work through it and end up loving their school (happened to my D17).
D’s college (Vassar) announced yesterday that all students (about 2500) will be invited back to campus to do a similar schedule to many others (home for Thanksgiving break and then finish the semester remotely). As a senior, all her classes would be small so I"m hoping most will be in person. She had been accepted into a year-long creative writing class with about 10 students so would definitely be happy if that was still a good experience. All students are expected to stay on campus (not even go into Poughkeepsie) for the 12 weeks they are there. Hopefully the community will come together and keep each other safe.