Yes, no football but living and eating together. The return of the athletes will give us some guidance for the fall.
@Mwfan1921 wrote:
That’s an idea. It might even cut down costs for the college because they wouldn’t have to test the arrivals who already carry antibodies against the virus.
Except the antibody tests aren’t particularly reliable right now.
We are seeing the same thing as homer dog with kids congregating and playing sports. I walked the lake front and police patrols broke up at least six groups but they were right back at it after the officer moved on.
I’m also starting to see more FB posts of non related people together. I think by the time colleges start again, most people will have been exposed.
Interesting contrast between the approaches Ontario and Quebec are taking.
In Ontario, where our daily new case numbers are still fluctuating between 300-400
In contrast in Quebec where the numbers have been the highest in the country in and around the 650 new cases per day mark (though predominantly in Montreal)
So far universities in Quebec have indicated that they will be going to a predominantly online format for the fall.
I would imagine floors at a minimum will be required for at-risk students. I have to say, integrating into the college social environment is hard enough without making some students wear a “Scarlet A” on their chests…
So, no football practice (and games?) Can’t social distance in basketball, and sharing the ball is the point, so no basketball? Does anyone know?
NCAA approved athletes to return to campus in June. https://www.si.com/college/2020/05/20/ncaa-college-football-return-campus-training
Only voluntary workouts allowed. It doesn’t sound like they are supposed to be their sport in June…but I am not sure.
I doubt there will much social distancing at meals, in their residences and at their parties, but I am a skeptic.
As to dorm space for quarantine, etc. - UofSC announced a 10% drop in size of freshman class which would equate to around 600 students. That frees up some dorm space since freshmen are ones that live on campus. I suspect UNC and others will find this as well.
I also foresee more local students living at home and commuting. There is a freshman residency requirement but I believe it could always be waived for those living within a certain distance. Traditionally I think most local kids wanted to live on campus. I wonder if that will change for this year.
From the President of Hamilton College
"Student Health and Safety
Keeping everyone safe remains our top priority. I hope you are already following the physical distancing and other advice of government officials and health professionals. We are daily incorporating emerging best practices into our reopening plans. Among the possibilities we are considering for the fall are regular health screenings, periodic diagnostic testing, carefully tailored physical distancing rules, and new health education programming. We have identified space on and off campus for isolation and quarantine purposes if needed. The rigorous cleaning and disinfectant protocols that Facilities Management instituted so effectively earlier this year will become standard practice in the future, so part of our planning includes ensuring we have adequate supplies of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, personal protection equipment, and other cleaning materials. Face coverings are likely to become a regular feature of campus attire.
Academic Life
We pride ourselves on delivering a rigorous, personalized, transformative education, and we want this fall to be no exception. We are actively studying how best to do that in a world in which we are all advised to stay six feet apart. One consequence may be fewer people at any given time in classrooms, labs, studios, the library, and other spaces. We are examining every classroom to determine its capacity and exploring options from a revised class schedule to transforming large gathering spaces into temporary classrooms.
All faculty members have been asked to prepare their courses for some form of hybrid or blended learning, in which some students are physically present and others join remotely. We think this approach offers the greatest flexibility. It enables us to meet the needs of students who cannot attend class in person, and prepares us for the possibility that we might have to return to remote instruction should a pandemic second wave occur.
Residential Life
Earlier this week, Terry Martinez announced that new student orientation is being modified in ways that we hope will preserve the richness of the orientation experience but still ensure student safety. We are also working on ways to meet physical distancing guidelines in the dining halls, residence halls, common areas, and study spaces throughout campus. The goal is to preserve the special and serendipitous learning and interaction that residential colleges foster so successfully, while doing everything we can to protect student health and safety. As part of this effort, we are building some modular housing units this summer, giving us greater flexibility in managing physical distancing requirements.
Extracurricular Activities and Athletics
I recognize that, for many of our students, the full breadth of a Hamilton education includes participating in student clubs, organizations, athletics, and the broad range of other programs that make for such a rich cocurricular and extracurricular experience. The impact of physical distancing requirements will, of course, vary depending on the activity. Intercollegiate athletics, in particular, involves a shared approach with other colleges, especially our NESCAC peers. Our Athletics Director, Jon Hind ’80, is chairing a committee of his NESCAC counterparts working on a plan for varsity sports in the fall. We will share more information on plans for athletics when Jon’s committee completes its work.
Moving Forward
We are doing everything we can to prepare for an on-time, in-person start, but our decisions must ultimately be guided by the advice of health professionals and directives from state and other public officials. Equally important, all members of our community will need to do their part. We can demonstrate the concern we have for one another by following the guidelines set forth by our colleagues on campus, public health authorities, and government officials.
Thank You"
Faculty and staff should definitely be tested, as well. They are the more permanent residents of the school, however, so that’s relatively easy to do. Testing of students coming in from all parts of the state and/or country or other countries should also be done, imo, to at least get a baseline before school starts. This would help protect all vulnerable persons, including faculty and staff. The testing is not just for the benefit of students, although there will certainly be a number of students who have pre-existing conditions which make them prone to illness more serious than the flu.
D just drove back to college yesterday. She’s staying in a subleased apartment (with others but her own bedroom) for the summer until classes start in August. Many of her friends are also going back this week, others stayed through. Some have jobs, some will look for them, others will spend the summer taking advantage of the outdoors, since national and state parks are already open.
These kids are not coming from hotspots (they have been locked up with parents for 2 months) and are going to somewhere that is pretty much the safest place in the country (Utah) in terms of testing, number of cases, hospital availability and PPE, contact tracing etc.
I’d rather she was there than here as things open up (and her college will presumably prefer it also if fewer students are arriving from OOS in a short period in August). And she knows to be careful, wear a mask and limit her number of contacts, their social activities are all outdoors, like eating in the park while sitting 6 feet apart.
To the “variolation” comments, this is not the aim at all. There are so few cases in that part of the country that it is more like “quaranteaming” with the friends you will spend next year with.
It also looks like her brother will go back to LA in a couple of weeks, again to stay in a subleased apartment with a friend. Slightly different situation there, but he has a full time online internship and none of his other friends are going back so effectively they are just going to isolate together through the summer (they won’t have a car so can’t go anywhere anyway).
Meanwhile we are thinking about taking our younger son on an RV trip to the northern Rockies in late June. Lots of availability in those national parks which is normally impossible to find at such a late date.
I can’t find statistics, but it’s a much larger percentage than you might think, especially when you count the adjuncts.
^They have EUA. But most EUA tests have not yet been reviewed by the FDA. (I haven’t looked lately; I think two might be approved, maybe Abbott.)
At Dartmouth, football is going back in mid-July. The boys heard that the field house will turn into the cafeteria for summer athletes and they can sit six feet apart or go eat outside.
I’m thinking college football will follow whatever happens with pro football?
MODERATOR’S NOTE: This isn’t the thread to discuss the accuracy of testing. Feel free to post about that subject in the general thread. Thanks!
If my son has a 1pm-7pm shift on the ambulance he will need to attend his 11:15am class geared up for work. When he walks into class with a shirt that has “Rescue Squad” in large letters cross the back, cargo pants and boots, who in the world will want to sit next to him? I wouldn’t blame an immunocompromised student for avoiding him. Will he need to be tested daily? Maybe he can sit in a phone booth like structure in a classroom. 
On Twitter, one of the professors at UTulsa indicated this announcement was made prior to letting faculty know, lol.
Seems like many people on this forum are from areas that haven’t been hit/haven’t yet been hit. Here in MA, things are very different. We’ve surpassed 6K deaths which is large considering it really was only in several counties and we shut down early. (Also as a % of population-since we aren’t NYC) I will say this, people aren’t that serious about the situation until they know people who are sick and it starts spreading in their town ( they send out daily updates). I’m pretty fine with it now given that more is known about mortality and age of those who have died. I personally think round two is going to be a lot,l ot worse ( starting around Oct).
Local colleges and universities have canceled Summer sessions ( this is big given that MA has something like 250 colleges and universities). But many that said they would not open til 21 ( like BU) and others are now talking about their plans to reopen in the Fall. I wonder what changed. News about reopening has really come into play in the last few weeks. The numbers have also gone way down. But in MA, the city with the highest death rate had something like 20-30% of folks with antibodies ( if you trust the tests). That means there is nothing like herd immunity out there.
When schools open up in Sept ( or a bit earlier) we’ll likely see some more cases in particular areas/schools. Could be a an issue if college campuses and local cases rise at the same time.
They saw their financial projections.
Agree, especially at the Power 5 conferences. If students are back on campus, football will definitely be back (minus the fans). They generate too much revenue to the universities to not play this fall.